President Donald Trump does not plan to reimburse the U.S. government for millions of dollars already spent on controversial television advertisements promoting his administration, according to the White House.
The clarification came after Trump announced that his super PAC, MAGA Inc., would begin paying for the advertisements following bipartisan criticism over their use of taxpayer money.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had decided to pay for what he called “Patriotic Ads” himself and with money raised for MAGA Inc. But a White House spokesperson later said the president was referring to future advertising, not reimbursement for money already spent.
More than $10 million in taxpayer funded advertising had already aired when Trump made his announcement, according to AdImpact data cited by The New York Times. By Tuesday, the total had reportedly climbed to nearly $11.5 million.
The advertisements have aired nationally and prominently feature Trump while promoting his administration and its policies. Funding came through a Department of Homeland Security contract worth as much as $20 million.
The campaign has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who have questioned whether taxpayer money should be used for advertisements that resemble political campaign material ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The White House has rejected that characterization, describing the spots as public service announcements and arguing that previous administrations have also used such advertising to communicate government policies.
Trump defended the ads as promotion of the United States rather than himself or Republican candidates. But the decision to shift future costs to MAGA Inc. indicates that the controversy surrounding their funding is unlikely to disappear.
For taxpayers, however, the distinction is now clear: MAGA Inc. may pay for future advertisements, but the millions already spent by the government are not currently expected to be returned.
