Trump says MAGA Inc. will fund TV ads instead of taxpayers
Trump said he or MAGA Inc. will cover TV ads that drew bipartisan criticism over taxpayer funding before November’s elections.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
President Donald Trump said he or MAGA Inc. will pay for television spots that had been funded with public money, after Trump taxpayer-funded TV ads drew criticism ahead of November’s congressional elections.
In a Truth Social post on Oct. 5, Trump said he considered the commercials positive promotion for the United States. He said he had decided that he would pay for the “Patriotic Ads,” among others, himself and with money raised for MAGA Inc.
Reuters reported that the announcement followed objections from ethics experts and lawmakers in both parties to three nationally broadcast ads featuring Trump. The spots celebrated what they called a “golden age of America.”
Why did Trump’s TV ads draw criticism?
Lawmakers questioned whether taxpayer money was being used to promote Trump politically, Reuters reported. Other critics said the ads could conflict with restrictions on government propaganda and political activity. Those are allegations and concerns, not a final legal finding.
One spot showed Trump declaring that America would never become a communist country while a chorus repeated “love me,” according to Reuters. Another used images of Mount Rushmore alongside footage of Trump praising a “golden age of America.”
The White House had described the spots as public-service announcements, Deadline reported, comparing them with government-funded campaigns promoting vaccines during Joe Biden’s presidency and the Affordable Care Act during Barack Obama’s administration.
But the advertisements featured Trump and promoted his presidency, Deadline reported. One was nearly the same as a video Trump had previously posted online to promote his presidential campaign.
The commercials carried the disclosure “Paid for by the U.S. government” and ran during football games, news programs and other programming, according to Deadline. CNN, citing estimates from advertising-tracking firm AdImpact, reported that the series had cost more than $10 million.
Public Citizen filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission arguing that broadcasters could face liability over an unlawful use of government money, Deadline reported. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the prior week that he saw nothing unusual about airing the commercials and called them a normal public-service announcement.
Will taxpayers be reimbursed for ads already aired?
The reporting does not establish whether Trump or MAGA Inc. will repay public funds already used for the ads. Trump’s post addressed how he said the ads would be funded going forward, without laying out a reimbursement plan or a formal funding arrangement.
His announcement also does not settle the questions raised by critics about the earlier taxpayer-funded spots. No final ruling on whether the ads violated restrictions on government propaganda or political activity was established in the available reporting.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.