US President Donald Trump said on September 29 he will stop using taxpayer money to air television advertisements featuring him. The move followed criticism from ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties over three nationally broadcast ads and calls for independent investigations.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump defended the ads, which cost at least $1.5 million in federal funds and aired ahead of November's midterm elections. He said he considered them "a positive promotion for our great America," but said taxpayer money would no longer be used to pay for them, and that he or his MAGA PAC political action committee would fund them instead.
MAGA Inc., Trump's political war chest, had accumulated more than $400 million as of the end of July.
The announcement came amid criticism from ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties over three nationally broadcast ads and calls for an independent investigation. The spots aired during last Sunday's football games and on other programs.
One ad shows Trump declaring "America will never be a communist country," while a choir repeats the phrase "love me." Another blends images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump praising "America's golden age." The ads end with a disclaimer stating they were paid for by the US government.
Democratic lawmakers said last month that the White House had redirected $20 million from Department of Homeland Security funds to air the ads, including one closely resembling Trump's 2024 campaign spot, and demanded independent investigations.
On Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta called for an independent investigation, describing it as "an astonishing abuse of public funds and a violation of the public trust" after earlier calls for probes.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican appointed by Trump, said last week that the ads were appropriate and rejected requests to investigate them.
