President Donald Trump is changing course on who pays for a series of ads promoting his administration after days of bipartisan criticism over the use of taxpayer money.
Trump says his super PAC, MAGA Inc., will pay for the ads going forward. But he is not backing away from his defense of the federal money already spent on them.
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In a Truth Social post Monday, Trump called using taxpayer money for the ads “a rather standard thing to do” and described them as a “positive promotion for our great U.S.A.”
He blamed the “radical left” for the criticism, though objections have come from both parties. The ads began airing in late September on network and cable television and streaming services.
One features Trump talking about defeating communism alongside images from his presidency and messages touting tax cuts, American manufacturing and law enforcement.
Another uses footage of Mount Rushmore and excerpts from Trump’s remarks celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary.
A third closely resembles a video from Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, showing him walking down a hallway as he talks about a “final battle” against “globalists” and “warmongers.” The campaign logo from the 2024 version was replaced with a disclosure saying the new ad was “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
AdImpact, which tracks advertising spending, says more than $2.5 million was spent airing the three ads over a seven-day period. The actual total could be higher depending on how networks classified the spots.
Vance defends the ads
Vice President JD Vance defended the ads as public service announcements.
“I don’t think there’s anything unusual or unorthodox about it,” Vance told reporters on Monday. “I’m sure that some people probably don’t like it. But if you look at the message of those advertisements, they’re not partisan, they’re not, you know, it’s not like we’re advocating for a particular candidate. We’re trying to tell a story, I think, about how great the United States of America is.”
The Department of Homeland Security committed $20 million to the broader advertising campaign.
The money came from funding Congress provided to DHS as part of Trump’s signature tax and spending law and was originally designated for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to The Associated Press.
The timing and content of the ads have drawn scrutiny because they are airing just weeks before the midterm elections and closely resemble political advertising.
Legal experts have raised questions about whether the campaign could run afoul of federal restrictions on using congressionally appropriated money for publicity or propaganda and rules limiting partisan political activity by government employees.
