Key takeaways:
- A White House official says MAGA Inc. will pay for the ads moving forward, but reimbursement for earlier ads remains unanswered.
- AdImpact estimates the government has spent at least $10 million airing the ads, according to NBC News.
- DHS awarded LMD Agency a $20 million national media campaign contract, according to contracting records cited by CBS News.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he and his super PAC will pay for ads promoting his administration, reversing course after lawmakers from both parties criticized the use of taxpayer money to put them on the air.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He called the practice “a rather standard thing to do” but said he had decided to pay for the “Patriotic Ads, among others,” himself and with money raised for MAGA Inc.
A White House official told NBC News that “MAGA Inc. will pay for the PSA ads moving forward.” Neither the White House nor the super PAC answered NBC News’ question about whether they would reimburse the government for ads that have already aired. The ad-tracking firm AdImpact estimates that the government has spent at least $10 million to air them, according to NBC News.
The ads carry a “Paid for by the U.S. Government” disclaimer and began appearing late last month on national cable and broadcast networks, including CBS, as the November midterm elections approach. CBS News reported that the government produced the ads and paid an agency for airtime. One version features Trump saying, “We will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America,” while photos of him appear on screen. Another recounts the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. NBC News reported that one spot was virtually identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad.
The Department of Homeland Security awarded Maryland-based LMD Agency a $20 million contract for a “National Media Campaign” starting Sept. 20, contracting records show, according to CBS News. CBS News also reported that the White House Office of Management and Budget granted DHS’s Customs and Border Protection $20 million for “OBBB Commemorative Events” a day earlier, citing a nongovernment database. NBC News reported that money intended for Customs and Border Protection paid for the ads.
The White House has rejected the description of the spots as campaign ads. An official said they were public service announcements, arguing that they were “clearly not political” because Trump is not on the ballot and the ads have no call to action. The official told NBC News that administrations of both parties have used such announcements to explain policy. Asked about the anti-communism ad, a White House spokesperson told CBS News: “The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”
Some Democrats have questioned whether the spending violates federal restrictions on propaganda and political activity. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the ads “propaganda,” according to NBC News. Republican Sen. John Kennedy told CBS News that public officials should not spend public money on “private ads for themselves.” NBC News reported that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis also criticized the ads, saying, “There’s no place for that sort of thing.”
MAGA Inc. had more than $400 million on hand at the end of August, according to Federal Election Commission filings cited by CBS News. Since last month, the super PAC has reported spending tens of millions of dollars on the Texas Senate contest, CBS News reported.
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