President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his super PAC will assume the costs for a series of supportive advertisements that recently sparked intense backlash for utilizing public taxpayer funds. The promotional spots, which carry the label "Paid for by the U.S. Government," began appearing late last month on national broadcast and cable networks ahead of the upcoming November midterm elections.
The advertising campaign features multiple variations produced by the U.S. government, which originally paid for the airtime through an advertising agency. One version of the television spots features an audio recording of Trump declaring, "We will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America," accompanied by flashing images of the president. Another variation highlights the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
According to contracting records, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a $20 million contract to LMD Agency for a "National Media Campaign" starting on September 20. A non-governmental database also revealed that one day prior, the White House Office of Management and Budget granted $20 million to DHS's Customs and Border Protection for "OBBB Commemorative Events."
The White House has consistently defended the broadcasts, characterizing them as public service announcements rather than campaign advertisements. A White House official argued last month that the spots "are clearly not political," pointing out that "The President is not on the ballot and the ads don't have a call to action." Commenting on the anti-communism spot, a White House spokesperson added, "The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country."
However, the taxpayer-funded campaign has drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Democrats have raised concerns that the advertisements could violate federal laws prohibiting the use of government funds for propaganda and restricting political activities by executive branch employees. In a letter sent last month, a group of Senate Democrats wrote, "This is the sort of government propaganda one might expect in North Korea, not the United States of America, and it is an egregious and illegal misuse of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars."
A number of Republicans have also expressed disapproval of the funding arrangement. Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana stated, "I don't think any public official, including President Trump or [former DHS Secretary] Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves."
By transitioning the advertising costs to his super PAC, MAGA Inc., Trump is drawing from a massive nine-figure war chest that many Republican candidates hope will be deployed in key battleground states before the midterms, despite the group's late start in this election cycle. Federal Election Commission filings show that the super PAC had more than $400 million on hand at the end of August. Since last month, the group has already directed tens of millions of dollars toward the Texas Senate race, where Trump-aligned Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton is locked in a competitive contest against Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico. Trump previously stated last month that he is "going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us."
