President Donald Trump announced on October 5, 2026, that he will stop using taxpayer funds for promotional television ads and instead finance them through his political war chest. The reversal follows intense bipartisan backlash and legal questions over multimillion-dollar federal advertising efforts.
MAGA, Inc. Takes Over Ad Costs After Public Outcry
President Donald Trump said he will no longer use taxpayer money to fund a series of promotional television advertisements, moving financing of the spots to his pro-Trump super PAC, MAGA, Inc. The White House confirmed Monday night that the super PAC will cover advertising costs going forward following widespread criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over the administration’s media campaign on October 5, 2026.
AdImpact Tracks Millions Spent on Promotional Spots
AdImpact figures showed that at least an estimated $10.1 million in taxpayer dollars had been spent on the promotional effort as of Monday. The Associated Press reported that the spots had cost at least $1.4 million by the end of September.
Watchdogs Warn of Federal Appropriation Violations
Watchdog groups and legal experts warned that the ad campaign may breach federal statutes barring congressionally appropriated funds from supporting publicity or propaganda
or partisan political activities.
Congress took no action to block the ads before the midterms despite bipartisan criticism from lawmakers, though groups identified Congress as having the clearest lane to provide accountability. CNN reported that Trump personally drove the video production process by helping select imagery and footage, according to a source familiar with the matter. Two Trump advisers noted the spots were produced internally by the White House video team within the communications office, with at least one advertisement created by a pro-Trump meme group. Neither the White House nor Trump provided details on how future expenditures through MAGA, Inc. will be publicly verified, nor did they address whether past taxpayer spending would be reimbursed.
