Trump says MAGA Inc will pay for future ads supporting him — The Guardian
In the United States, President Donald Trump said that advertising spots supporting him will henceforth be paid for by the political committee MAGA Inc. This came after criticism of the use of federal funds for television advertising that promoted the president.
In a social media post, Trump called the spots “positive advertising for our great USA” and “a fairly standard thing.” As The Guardian reports, MAGA Inc had accumulated more than $400 million by the end of July and had already begun directing funds to support Republican Party candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
Spending on the spots
Trump did not explain whether taxpayers would be reimbursed for advertising that had already aired or how his political organization would finance such campaigns. The White House, which had previously defended the use of budget funds, said on Monday evening that MAGA Inc would pay for similar spots in the future.
According to AdImpact, a company that tracks media advertising spending, at least $1.4 million had been spent on broadcasts by the end of September. The article notes that the actual amount could have been higher, depending on whether television networks classified these spots as political advertising.
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Criticism and Democrats’ appeal
Trump’s change of position came after criticism from representatives of both parties. Two Democrats in the House of Representatives — Jamie Raskin and California Congressman George Whitesides — appealed to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), asking them to investigate whether the Trump administration had unlawfully used public funds to air these spots.
In their letter, they called the advertising “desperate campaign propaganda.” Legal experts cited by the publication said that the broadcasts could potentially violate federal rules on the use of funds appropriated by Congress for “publicity or propaganda” and restrictions on partisan political activity by government employees.
The spots showed excerpts from Trump’s speeches, including on fighting communism, tax cuts, manufacturing, law and order, and the police. Other videos included footage of Mount Rushmore and excerpts from the president’s speech marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. All of them ended with a notice that the advertising was paid for by the U.S. government.
