Trump Says MAGA PAC Will Pay For Propaganda. Yea? Guess What? He Lies!

Oct 10, 2026 04:00 PM EDT, Sat

White House says MAGA Inc. will pay for taxpayer-funded ads after backlash

The announcement comes after Republicans joined Democrats in questioning whether taxpayers should foot the bill for campaign-style ads.

By Ebony Davis and Soorin Kim

Oct. 5, 2026, 10:01 PM EDT

President Donald Trump’s super PAC will pay for his campaign-style television ads moving forward, a White House official told MS NOW on Monday, shifting the cost away from taxpayers after the government-funded ad drew bipartisan backlash.

The clarification came hours after Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would stop using taxpayer dollars to fund the ads and suggested he could pay for them himself or with money raised by MAGA Inc. Asked whether Trump intended to use his personal money or his super PAC funds, a White House official told MS NOW that MAGA Inc. will pay for the ads “moving forward.”

Facing bipartisan backlash, Trump defended the government-funded ads as he announced the change.

“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,” Trump wrote.

The president called the use of taxpayer money for the ads “a rather standard thing to do,” but said he had nevertheless decided to pay for what he called the “Patriotic Ads” himself or use funds from MAGA Inc.

MAGA Inc. enters the final stretch of the midterm elections with substantial resources: The super PAC had nearly $416 million in cash on hand as of Aug. 31, according to its latest Federal Election Commission filing.

Representatives for MAGA Inc. did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.

The announcement follows mounting scrutiny of the ads, which have aired nationally ahead of the midterm elections. The commercials feature Trump and promote themes closely associated with his political agenda, including opposition to communism and what he calls the “deep state.”

The ads include disclaimers saying they were paid for by the U.S. government. It is unclear when MAGA Inc. will begin paying for the ads or when taxpayer funding for them will end.

The Department of Homeland Security set aside $20 million for the advertising campaign, using money Congress had appropriated to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. More than $10 million worth of taxpayer-funded ads have aired since September, according to AdImpact.

The White House has justified the ads as public service announcements intended to promote patriotism and argued that previous administrations have used government-funded advertisements to promote policies and programs.

But the ads drew rare bipartisan criticism.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (T-SD said last week that, while he liked the ads’ message, “it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.” Sen. John Kennedy (T-LA) said public officials should not spend government money on advertisements promoting themselves.

Democratic lawmakers have gone further, raising questions about whether the advertisements violate federal restrictions on using government funds for propaganda or political purposes. Ethics and legal experts have also questioned the White House comparing the ads to traditional public service announcements, which typically inform the public about government programs or services.

Trump’s decision does not end the ads themselves. Instead, it shifts their financing away from government funds and toward private political money, addressing one of the central concerns raised by critics as the midterms inch closer.

Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.

Soorin Kim is a White House producer with MS NOW.

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