US President, Donald Trump has said he will stop using taxpayer money to fund television advertisements featuring him, following bipartisan criticism and legal concerns over the campaign-style spots aired ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump announced the decision on his social media platform, while defending the advertisements as a positive promotion of the United States. The ads have cost at least $1.5 million in federal funds, according to reports, and have featured Trump promoting his administration’s policies and political messages.
“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.”
Donald Trump
He described the practice as “a rather standard thing to do” but said he had decided to fund the advertisements himself using money raised through MAGA Inc., his political action committee.
“I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”
Donald Trump
The advertisements began airing in late September and have appeared on national television and during major sporting programmes, including college football and National Football League broadcasts. At least three versions have been aired, with the spots highlighting Trump’s tax cuts, US manufacturing, law enforcement and his broader political agenda.
One advertisement featured Trump discussing the need to defeat communism while accompanying text promoted what it described as the largest tax cuts in US history, the revival of American manufacturing and the defence of law and order.
Another recent advertisement closely resembled a campaign commercial used during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. The advertisements ended with the message, “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
The advertisements have attracted scrutiny because they were funded with public money at a time when the United States is approaching the November midterm elections, when control of Congress will be contested. The elections will determine control of Congress and are expected to serve as an important test of the political standing of Trump’s administration.
Legal experts have questioned whether the spending complies with federal restrictions on the use of appropriated funds for publicity or propaganda. Federal appropriations laws have historically restricted government agencies from using taxpayer funds for certain propaganda purposes.
The White House has rejected the criticism, arguing that the advertisements are legitimate public service announcements. Administration officials have pointed to advertisements from previous administrations, including public-health campaigns associated with former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Critics, however, have argued that the Trump advertisements differ because they focus heavily on promoting the president and his political message rather than informing Americans about a specific government programme or public emergency.
Bipartisan Criticism Forces Trump to Change Funding for TV Ads
Trump’s decision followed mounting criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the political divide, with Republicans joining Democrats in questioning whether taxpayer money should be used for advertisements promoting the president.
Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire introduced a resolution condemning the use of taxpayer money for the advertisements. “It is the sense of the Senate that the advertisements promoting President Donald Trump that aired in September 2026, which included the direct language ‘paid for by the U.S. Government,’ should not be paid for by the United States government,” the measure read. Senate Republicans blocked consideration of the resolution.
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune also criticised the use of public money for the spots, saying, “I like the message … it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.”
Republican Senator John Kennedy similarly said that public officials should not use government money to promote themselves.
The scale of the spending has also come under scrutiny. While the initial advertisements cost at least $1.4 million by the end of September, reports indicate the administration had committed substantially more funding for the broader campaign. The Department of Homeland Security had reportedly allocated $20 million for a national media campaign.
Trump’s decision to shift future funding to MAGA Inc. could remove the immediate question of whether taxpayers should continue paying for the advertisements, although the administration has not provided details on whether money already spent will be reimbursed.
MAGA Inc. has accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars and has increasingly been used to support Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump’s decision therefore allows the advertisements to continue while shifting their financing from government funds to his political organisation.
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