White House Says Trump Won’t Repay Taxpayers for Ads That Already Aired

By
Harris
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20

Key Points

  • The White House says Trump’s pledge to have his super PAC pay for the “Patriotic Ads” covers future spots only, not the taxpayer money already spent on ads that have aired.
  • Asked on Tuesday whether he would repay the government, Trump told reporters, “We’ll decide,” the AP and ABC News reported.
  • A new government-funded ad about the U.S. operation that captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro began airing Tuesday, according to Politico and the AP.
  • AdImpact estimates cited by Politico put spending at about $11.6 million; the AP, also citing AdImpact, said nearly $12 million worth had aired. The contract is worth $20 million.
  • Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has asked two federal watchdogs to investigate and says he will report Trump to the FEC. Neither watchdog had announced a decision as of Wednesday morning ET.

President Donald Trump will not repay the government for taxpayer-funded TV ads that have already aired, the White House says, even though he announced Monday that he and his super PAC would cover the cost from now on. Asked about repayment on Tuesday, Trump said, “We’ll decide,” and his administration put a new government-funded spot on the air the same day.

What happened

On Monday night, after criticism from lawmakers in both parties, Trump said on Truth Social that he would shift the cost away from the government. “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,” he wrote, as carried by NBC News and the Washington Examiner. “This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”

He posted it while traveling to a rally in Nebraska, The New York Times reported, where he signed an executive order on red-dyed diesel on stage. A White House official told NBC News that night that “MAGA Inc. will pay for the PSA ads moving forward.”

The spots began airing in late September, the AP reported, and carry the disclaimer “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” One is nearly identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad, according to Politico and the AP. Federal contracting records show that U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded LMD Agency a $20 million contract for a “national media campaign,” signed Sept. 20.

Latest development

On Tuesday, the White House said the pledge did not cover money already spent. “The President’s Truth was not referring to reimbursement,” a White House spokesperson told the Washington Examiner when asked whether Trump would pay back the funds. Axios and ABC News reported the same response. White House officials told Politico that Trump’s post did not mean the super PAC would pay for spots that had already aired.

Trump himself did not commit either way. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he called the ads “really good” and “promotion for the country, done by many presidents before.” Asked whether he would repay the funds already spent, he said, “We’ll decide,” the AP reported.

The same day, a new ad began airing. The minute-long spot highlights the U.S. operation that removed Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro and features Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Politico reported Tuesday night. The AP also reported that the Maduro ad began airing Tuesday.

Why it matters

The dispute is about public money in the run-up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The ad-tracking firm AdImpact estimates that about $11.6 million has been spent on more than a dozen ads, Politico reported. The AP, also citing AdImpact, said nearly $12 million worth had aired, out of the $20 million the Department of Homeland Security tapped for the contract; Axios, citing the AP’s AdImpact analysis, reported at least $11 million since September.

Critics include members of the president’s own party. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the ads should not be paid for with taxpayer dollars, according to the AP. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who chairs the panel that oversees DHS funding, said Tuesday, “We’ll take a look at that,” the AP reported.

The administration rejects the criticism. “Presidential Public service announcements are nothing new. Administrations of both parties have used public service announcements to explain policy and make the case for the nation’s direction,” a White House official told ABC News. Vice President JD Vance said Monday, “They’re not partisan,” adding that the goal was “to tell a story, I think, about how great the United States of America is,” ABC News reported.

On Tuesday, Schumer sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel asking GAO to trace every dollar spent on the ads and determine whether Congress authorized it, and asking OSC to examine the conduct of federal employees involved. He asked both to preserve records. Schumer also said he will report Trump to the Federal Election Commission, alleging illegal coordination with MAGA Inc. “This is illegal, corrupt, and undemocratic,” he said. These are allegations; no agency has made a finding.

What happens next

  • Watchdogs: As of Wednesday morning ET, GAO and OSC had not publicly said whether they will investigate.
  • FEC: Schumer says he will report Trump to the commission. There has been no FEC finding.
  • Remaining funds: The White House did not respond to questions about whether it was canceling any of the remaining money planned for the ads, or whether the super PAC would pay for spots that ran after Trump’s Monday post, The New York Times reported.
  • Nov. 3: Midterm Election Day, less than four weeks away.

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