President Donald Trump said on Monday that he will no longer be using taxpayer money for a series of television ads that promoted his administration and policies. Instead, his political action committee (PAC) will now pay for them, according to ABC News.
A PAC is an organization that raises and spends money to support or oppose political candidates, legislation or ballot measures and must register with the Federal Election Commission once it receives or spends more than $1,000. Traditional PACs can pool contributions from individuals and donate directly to candidates, but those donations are subjected to federal limits, according to the FEC.
The announcement comes after bipartisan criticism of the ad campaign that aired in late September, just over a month before critical November midterm elections, according to CNN.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he had decided to pay for them himself using money he raised from MAGA Inc., according to ABC News. He dismissed the criticism by calling the use of government funds for the ads “a rather standard thing to do.”
Trump posted on social media that he decided to “pay for them myself,” implying using money he raised through MAGA Inc., according to ABC News.
“We will cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists,” Trump said in a previous ad example where he dismissed his critics on Truth Social in January 2024, according to CNN.
The ads have cost federal taxpayers more than $11 million as of Tuesday, according to estimates from the media-tracking firm AdImpact, the Associated Press reported. The AP article said they were slated to cost up to $20 million, with the money coming from the Department of Homeland Security. The actual total could be higher because public service announcements are subject to different disclosure rules than campaign ads, according to CNN.
Trump has not said whether taxpayers will be reimbursed for ads that already aired. A White House spokesperson confirmed Monday that Trump will not repay the government for the money already spent, according to CNN.
The administration has created at least 13 campaign-style ads, according to CNN. One, titled “God Made Trump,” portrays him as a messianic figure, while another, “UFC,” showcases the June match held at the White House. Four of the ads aired over the past two weeks, according to ABC News.
The White House have defended the ads as public service announcements and “clearly not political,” noting that Trump is not on the ballot this year, according to Axios. Democrats have argued that the ads violate federal rules barring the use of tax dollars for political purposes, ABC News reported. Even some Republicans have criticized the campaign, according to CNN.
Federal law generally bars federal officeholders from directing spending decisions for super PACs, Axios reported, and it remains unclear how MAGA Inc. will take over payment for the ads going forward.