President Donald Trump announced Monday that his political action committee, MAGA Inc., and personal funds will pay for a series of promotional television advertisements, reversing a controversial use of federal Department of Homeland Security funds that drew bipartisan backlash and ethics complaints.
DHS Awards $20 Million Contract for Media Campaign
Public contracting records showed that the Department of Homeland Security awarded a $20 million contract to a Maryland-based firm, LMD Agency, for what was designated as a national media campaign
under the title of commemorative events funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in 2025. Political ad-tracking firm AdImpact estimated that the federal government spent between $1.4 million and $10 million airing the spots before the announcement.
The controversy centered on at least three television advertisements that began airing in late September across national and local networks. Senior leaders at U.S. Customs and Border Protection were reportedly cut out of the decision to allocate the money.
The commercials featured President Donald Trump warning against communism and ending with a Paid for by the U.S. government
disclaimer and scenes .
According to media reports and tracking figures, the commercials appeared on cable networks, broadcast channels, and sports programming, including college football games and Saturday Night Live. Outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported that airings had accumulated across national television networks before the administration changed course, with network estimates noting that the clips frequently highlighted Trump’s administration policies while warning against threats of communism and the deep state. One of the spots closely mirrored a commercial from Trump’s 2024 presidential run.
Lawmakers Condemn Use of Public Funds for Ads
Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed his disapproval, telling reporters that the message was acceptable but that public money should not finance it. The ads prompted swift condemnation from lawmakers across the political spectrum who questioned the legality of using appropriated funds for self-promotion.
“I don’t think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves.”
Senator John Kennedy, via Newsweek
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the commercials as propaganda
. Advocacy groups and ethics watchdogs, including Public Citizen, filed formal complaints with federal regulators urging the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to halt the broadcasts, arguing the spots breached federal statutes barring appropriated funds from being used for publicity or propaganda purposes.
Additional criticism arrived from congressional Democrats including Representative Jamie Raskin and Representative George Whitesides, who dispatched a formal letter to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel demanding an investigation into what they characterized as pre-election propaganda. Senator Maggie Hassan also voiced strong objections, writing to the White House chief of staff to condemn the expenditure as a misuse of taxpayer dollars that violated federal appropriations laws.
Trump Announces Change on Truth Social
Initially, the administration defended the campaign by asserting that the spots were standard public service announcements intended to encourage patriotism and remind Americans of national values while Trump was not actively running for office in the midterms .
Brendan Carr publicly supported the administration’s initial stance, stating that the commercials did not warrant any form of FCC review and resembled ordinary agency announcements. Nevertheless, retiring Senator Thom Tillis sharply rebuked the initiative, with Tillis comparing the use of public funds for personal spots to the governance style of foreign leaders.
Following more than a week of mounting criticism, Trump took to Truth Social to announce that he would fund the commercials away from public coffers.
“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. 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.”
President Donald Trump, via NBC News
Federal Election Commission disclosures showed that MAGA Inc. held more than $415 million in cash on hand at the end of August following a fundraising cycle that amassed hundreds of millions of dollars for political expenditures. While the White House confirmed that the super PAC would cover future ad placements moving forward, neither Trump nor administration officials immediately addressed whether taxpayers would be reimbursed for the advertisements that already aired .
Senator Adam Schiff immediately demanded proof that the government spending had ceased entirely and that public funds would be fully returned, stating that citizens should not be left as unpaid contractors for the administration’s media strategy.