Trump says he will stop using taxpayer funds for ads after bipartisan pushback
President Donald Trump announced he will stop using taxpayer funds for political advertisements following bipartisan criticism regarding their legality. He will instead fund the 'Patriotic Ads' through his own resources and the MAGA Inc super PAC.
Why it matters
The controversy highlights ongoing debates regarding the use of government resources for political messaging ahead of the midterm elections.
Image source, Getty Images By Sareen Habeshian Published 6 October 2026, 02:44 BST Updated 2 minutes ago President Donald Trump has said he will stop using US taxpayer funds to pay for television ads he has fronted, following bipartisan pushback.
"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," he said Monday on social media.
Trump said it is "a rather standard thing to do" but that he has decided to pay for the "Patriotic Ads" himself and with money he raised through his MAGA Inc super political action committee.
The ads, which praise the president and his policies, drew criticism and questions over their legality due to laws against using government money for political ads.
Are Trump's US government funded ads illegal?
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