Trump Shifts Campaign Ad Funding to Super PAC Amid Taxpayer Use Backlash

President Donald Trump announced he will stop using taxpayer funds for televised advertisements promoting himself, opting instead to use his super PAC for future costs.

President Trump confirmed on social media that his political organization, MAGA Inc., will cover the costs of promotional advertisements moving forward. According to The Guardian, the ads cost at least $1.5 million in federal funds and featured the president discussing tax cuts and American manufacturing. While Trump defended the ads as "positive promotion for our Great U.S.A," he stated he would pay for them himself and with raised funds to be "Patriotic."

The White House stated on Monday night that MAGA Inc. will handle future ad payments, though the Associated Press noted a lack of detail regarding taxpayer reimbursement for previous spots. This development coincides with a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicating that Americans are deeply skeptical of using public money for election-related advertising. The president's approval rating has also reached a record low of 32 percent, The Guardian reported.

As part of a four-state campaign push ahead of the November midterms, Trump traveled to Nebraska to support a Republican senator. During the trip, Politico was barred from traveling on Air Force One, despite a federal judge's temporary block on a previous administration ban targeting several news outlets. In separate campaign news, Fox News reported that Trump issued a "Complete and Total Endorsement" for Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray in his bid for the U.S. House.

NBC News reported that Trump is making an all-out push to rally voters on the economy with four weeks remaining until the elections. The president also made rare reversals regarding mail-in voting and the funding of political advertisements during this final campaign stretch.

Background

The controversy follows the airing of federal ads featuring footage from the president's July 4th speech at Mount Rushmore. Additionally, NPR reports that Trump is pushing to have his name added to the Kennedy Center and other public sites, a move that contrasts with the historical tendency of sitting presidents to avoid branding government assets.