The move comes after ethics experts criticized three nationally broadcast ads and called for an independent investigation.
Published October 6, 2026
US President Donald Trump says he will stop spending taxpayer money on TV ads featuring him after widespread criticism of campaign-style spots.
President Trump on Monday defended the ad, which received at least $1.5 million in federal funds and aired ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November, in a post on his social media site.
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President Trump said he believes the ads are “positive promotion of the greatness of America,” but that they will now be funded by either him or his MAGA PAC, not taxpayers.
MAGA is a source of political funding for Trump, and had collected more than $400 million by the end of July.
The announcement comes as ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties criticize the three nationally broadcast ads and demand an independent investigation.
The ads have also recently been running during Sunday football games and other programming.
In one, President Trump declares, “America will never be a communist country,” and the chorus repeats the words “I love you.” Another video combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of President Trump praising “America’s Golden Age.”
The ad ends with a disclaimer that it was paid for by the U.S. government.
Democratic lawmakers said last month that the White House transferred $20 million in Homeland Security funds to air ads, including one that closely resembled President Trump’s 2024 campaign ad, and called for an independent investigation.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday responded to the call for an independent investigation, calling it an “astonishing misuse of public funds and a violation of the public’s trust.”
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican appointed by President Trump, last week rejected the request for an investigation, saying the ads were appropriate.
