Trump backs down on taxpayer funded ads and now says his PAC will pay for them

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President Donald Trump announced Monday that his political action committee will take over funding for a series of national television advertisements that had previously been paid for with government funds.

The decision follows growing criticism over the spots, which were financed through a $20 million Department of Homeland Security contract.

Data from ad-tracking firm AdImpact shows that more than $10 million in taxpayer money has been spent on the campaign since September, with ads appearing across both cable and broadcast networks.

Critics from both parties raised concerns that the campaign violated federal restrictions against using public funds for propaganda or promotional purposes. Observers noted that at least one spot included video clips previously featured in a 2024 Trump campaign advertisement.

Trump acknowledged the criticism surrounding the campaign Monday on Truth Social.

“The Radical Left is upset with the fact that I am taking Ads, which I consider to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A., and paying for them with U.S.A. money,” he wrote. “This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”

The move marks a shift from comments made just days prior.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump defended the original funding source, arguing that the broadcasts were intended to promote the nation rather than a candidate, as reported by The New York Times. During those remarks, however, he noted that he would gladly cover the expenses if the arrangement was deemed improper.

Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that Trump had directly instructed his budget director to allocate public funds for the television spots.

The super PAC financing the transition possesses substantial capital to absorb the costs. According to AdImpact, MAGA Inc. entered September with roughly $415 million on hand and, together with two affiliated super PACs, has reserved approximately $194 million for upcoming advertising.