President Donald Trump announced Monday night that he and his political action committee will receive up to $20 million in funding reportedly from the Department of Homeland Security to pay for controversial television ads praising him.
President Trump’s announcement comes after continued backlash over ads that ran in the weeks leading up to November’s midterm elections.
These battles will determine whether Mr. Trump’s fellow Republicans retain their majorities in both chambers of Congress.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said, “The radical left is outraged by the fact that I am receiving what I consider to be positive promotion of our great America, and paying for it with American money.”
“Rather than do that, which is pretty standard, even if nothing would please them, I decided to specifically produce a patriotic ad and pay for it myself. And with the money I raised for MAGA,” Trump said.
Trump’s announcement came three days after the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Trump had personally directed the budget director to spend taxpayer money on television ads praising him and his presidency.
Federal funds to pay for advertising became available on September 19, the Times said, when “the Office of Management and Budget moved $20 million in Customs and Border Protection funds to a budget category called the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ commemorative event.” Customs and Border Protection is a division of the Department of Homeland Security.
Critics say the ad reflects the talking points of the Republican camp.
One of the ads features an image of President Trump saying, “America will never become a communist country.”
“This ad has no clear official government purpose and appears to violate the federal prohibition against using diverted funds as part of ‘general propaganda efforts intended to support a political party or candidate,'” Sen. Maggie Hassan, D.N., wrote in a Sept. 24 letter to Susie Wiles, the president’s chief of staff.
In late September, the White House press secretary defended the ads in a statement to CNBC, calling them “public service announcements” meant to remind “Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending at home, at our borders, and abroad.”
“This ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should all be proud of our country,” a spokesperson said.
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