Trump backs down: MAGA Inc to pay for his campaign-style TV ads after taxpayer-funding backlash

President Donald Trump has reversed course on his controversial television advertising campaign, announcing on Monday that taxpayers will no longer pay for the campaign-style spots — his MAGA Inc political action committee will foot the bill instead.

In a post on Truth Social on 5 October, Trump said he considered the ads “a positive promotion for our Great USA” but would no longer fund them with public money, paying for the “Patriotic Ads” himself and with funds raised for MAGA Inc. A White House official told Reuters anonymously that the ads would going forward be paid for by the PAC, which holds about $400 million.

The reversal follows bipartisan criticism of the nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a “golden age of America”. AdImpact estimated that at least $10.1 million in taxpayer dollars had been spent on the spots as of Monday. Democrats said in September that the White House transferred $20 million in Homeland Security Department funds to air them — one spot closely resembles a 2024 Trump campaign video — and sought independent investigations. The ads have run during football games as recently as 4 October and end with a disclaimer saying they were “paid for by the US government”.

The New York Times reported that Trump personally directed the White House budget director to use taxpayer money for the spots, citing sources. California Attorney-General Rob Bonta called for an independent investigation on Monday, calling the spending a “staggering misuse of public funding and breach of public trust”. Representative Jamie Raskin has suggested the spending may be “felony criminal theft”, while Republican senators John Kennedy, Thom Tillis and John Cornyn also criticised it.

FCC chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, last week said the ads were appropriate and rejected a request to investigate them.

Sources

• The Straits Times (Reuters) — Trump ends taxpayer funding for campaign-style TV ads: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/trump-says-will-pay-for-tv-ads-after-pushback-over-taxpayer-funding-close-to-election
• CNN — Trump says he will pay for campaign-style ads himself after backlash over taxpayer-funded effort: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/05/politics/trump-taxpayer-funded-ads-super-pac?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_meta
• Times Now — Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads Spark Backlash, MAGA Inc. Steps In To Pay The Bill: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/taxpayer-funded-trump-ads-spark-backlash-maga-inc-steps-in-to-pay-the-bill-article-156281282
• devdiscourse — Trump says taxpayers will no longer pay for TV ads that praised him: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/3987266-trump-says-taxpayers-will-no-longer-pay-for-tv-ads-that-praised-him