Trump Says Super PAC, Not Taxpayers, Will Fund Future Pro-Trump Ad Campaign
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President Donald Trump said his super PAC will take over payment for a series of taxpayer-funded promotional ads that have aired nationally ahead of the midterm elections, but he has not committed to reimbursing the government for the millions already spent, according to ABC News and Axios.
A White House official told both outlets that Trump's announcement, posted on Truth Social Monday evening, was not meant to refer to reimbursement. Asked directly Tuesday whether he would pay back the government, Trump told reporters, "We'll decide," according to ABC News.
What the ads show
According to ABC News, four ads have aired over the past two weeks. One shows Trump in monochrome walking down a hallway while describing what he called a final battle against the "deep state" and "globalists." Another features a montage of Trump at rallies with on-screen text touting what it calls the largest tax cuts in history. The most recent ad focuses on the U.S. war with Iran, now in its eighth month, pairing audio of Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with military footage, including unclassified strikes.
Axios reported that one of the ads is a shortened, near-identical version of a spot from Trump's 2024 campaign, now labeled as "Paid for by the U.S. government." ABC News noted the Iran-focused ad appears to use the same footage shown at last month's Republican midterm convention and that played before Hegseth addressed 600 service members at Quantico.
Officials defend the campaign
Vice President JD Vance described the spots as nonpartisan public service announcements meant to highlight the country's strengths, according to ABC News. A White House official told ABC News that presidential public service announcements are nothing new and have been used by administrations of both parties. Trump himself said last week in the Oval Office that the ads represent "the spirit of our country" rather than an endorsement of Republican candidates or his administration's policies, saying he is promoting the country, not himself, since he is not on the ballot.
Axios noted that federal law generally prohibits federal officeholders from directing spending decisions for super PACs, a detail relevant to Trump's stated plan to have his PAC, MAGA Inc., fund the ads going forward.
Key numbers
- At least $2.5 million spent on the TV ads, according to an AdImpact estimate cited by ABC News.
- At least $11 million spent on the ads since September, according to an AdImpact analysis conducted for the AP and cited by Axios.
- $20 million allocated from the Department of Homeland Security's budget for the ad effort, per both outlets.
Why it matters
The ads have run on cable and network television, including during NFL games, meaning they have reached a wide national audience largely funded by taxpayers rather than campaign donors. Ethics watchdogs and lawmakers from both parties have questioned whether using federal money this way is appropriate, with some critics suggesting the spots could violate federal propaganda law, according to ABC News. Axios reported that critics have also described the campaign as government propaganda. Whether Trump ultimately reimburses the government remains unresolved, leaving open the question of how much of the already-spent federal money taxpayers will absorb.
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