Trump doesn’t commit to repaying federal funds already spent on controversial ads
Trump doesn’t commit to repaying federal funds already spent on controversial ads
WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after President Donald Trump said he would start paying for controversial taxpayer-funded ads with a campaign account, there’s no sign he plans to refund the millions of federal dollars already spent on them.
Nearly $12 million worth of ads have already aired, according to AdImpact, as part of the $20 million the Department of Homeland Security tapped for the contract.
But Trump’s plan to pay for the ads with MAGA Inc. doesn’t mean there’s any reimbursement coming, said a White House official who was not authorized to talk publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said the ads were “really good” and “promotion for the country, done by many presidents before.” Asked whether he’d repay the funds already spent, he said, “We’ll decide.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer slammed Trump for not committing to reimbursement and said he believes the president’s plan for covering future costs represents illegal coordination with his super PAC.
“Trump must return this money to the American people and there must be a full investigation into this gross waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Schumer told The Associated Press.
The ads, which began airing in late September, glorify Trump and echo his political messaging going into the midterms. One features a clip of Trump talking about the threat of communism and another is a replay of an ad from his last presidential campaign. The fifth ad in the campaign began airing Tuesday, focusing on the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Republicans and Democrats alike have said the ads aren’t an appropriate use of U.S. government money. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said they shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.
The Trump administration tapped $20 million from the Department of Homeland Security to pay for the campaign-style ads glorifying the president that have drawn widespread criticism. Two top Democratic senators said last week that the money is being drawn from Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” and was supposed to go toward U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, who chairs the panel that oversees DHS funding, said Tuesday that she had not yet seen Trump’s ads, but she said taxpayer money should be used as intended.
“We’ll take a look at that,” Britt said at the Capitol. “You want to make sure that any use of taxpayer dollars is done judiciously and in accordance with the law.”
Legal experts said the ads might even violate federal statutes, including a law against congressionally appropriated money being used for “publicity or propaganda” and another limiting the partisan political activities of government employees.
The White House has defended the ads as public service announcements similar to what past administrations have done to promote policies. Trump on Monday posted on his Truth Social platform calling the ads “positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” while also promising to pay for them with “money I raised for MAGA Inc.”
That is Trump’s political war chest, which had amassed more than $400 million by the end of July. Trump has begun tapping it to boost Republican candidates across the country in the midterm elections.
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
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