The president said his super PAC would pay for the advertisements going forward; DHS had allocated $20 million for the effort.
President Donald Trump said his super PAC, MAGA Inc., would pay for a series of pro-Trump advertisements after criticism over the use of public funds. In a social-media post on Monday night, Trump said he had decided to run the “Patriotic Ads” with money raised for the political committee. A White House official separately confirmed to ABC News that MAGA Inc. would cover the ads going forward.
The campaign has featured Trump prominently and included a spot ABC News described as a direct copy of a 2024 campaign advertisement. Vice President JD Vance defended the broadcasts as public-service announcements, saying they were intended to tell a positive story about the United States rather than support a particular candidate. Trump has also argued that the ads promote the country, not his candidacy or Republican candidates.
The change in funding followed criticism from ethics watchdogs, congressional Democrats and some Republicans. Some critics said the ads could violate federal restrictions on government propaganda; that is an allegation, not a legal finding. The Department of Homeland Security had allocated $20 million for the effort. AdImpact estimated at least $2.5 million had been spent airing the spots.
ABC News reported four ads aired over the previous two weeks, including messages about a “final battle” against the “deep state” and “globalists,” a tax-cut montage and footage of the U.S. conflict with Iran. The White House said administrations of both parties have used public-service announcements to explain policy.