Trump directed taxpayer-funded ads praising his presidency, $5.5M spent
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
President Donald Trump personally instructed his budget director to use taxpayer money for television ads praising his presidency, according to people familiar with the matter. The ads, funded through a $20 million Department of Homeland Security contract, have cost about $5.5 million so far. The White House calls them public service announcements, while Democrats and some Republicans question their legality.
Key Facts
- President Trump told Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to find money within the government for the ads, according to people familiar with the matter.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded a $20 million contract to Maryland marketing firm LMD on Sept. 20, federal records show.
- At least four ads have run so far at a cost of about $5.5 million, according to media tracker AdImpact.
- The ads aired on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and NBC, including during football games and 'Meet the Press.'
- All ads carried the tagline 'Paid for by the U.S. government,' an unusual practice for public service spots.
Presidential Directive
Trump was eager to see the laudatory ads on the air and told Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, to come up with the money from within the government, the people said. Mark Paoletta, the budget office's counsel, and Will Scharf, the White House counsel, both said it would be legal to use Department of Homeland Security funds. The president and Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, both spoke with Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary, about the ads. On Sept. 20, U.S. Customs and Border Protection — which falls under DHS — awarded the contract to LMD, a Maryland marketing firm, federal records show.
Ad Content and Spending
The ads have run across cable and network television — on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, with football games on Fox and with national newscasts on CBS, ABC and NBC, including 'Meet the Press.' At least four spots have run so far, at a cost of about $5.5 million, and that is expected to grow, according to media tracker AdImpact and people familiar with the spending. One ad, about the Iran war, features remarks from Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. All of the ads had an unusual tagline: 'Paid for by the U.S. government.'
Legal Scrutiny
The taxpayer-funded ads have been criticized by Democrats and even some Republicans as a possible violation of federal laws against using taxpayer dollars for 'publicity or propaganda purposes.' The White House has called the ads public service announcements and said they are appropriate because there is no 'call to action' to vote for any candidate. Some of his aides also noted Trump is not running for office now, in an attempt to blunt criticism of the ads as violating federal laws about the use of public money. When pressed by a reporter Wednesday, Trump said: 'If somebody said that that's wrong, I'll gladly pay the money.'
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