Trump pledged Monday to pay for future ads with personal funds and money raised for his super PAC, MAGA Inc., but taxpayer paid airings continued. More than $100,000 was spent airing a new spot about the Maduro raid after that announcement, AdImpact estimated, with the disclaimer “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” The White House said Tuesday that Trump would not reimburse the government for earlier spending.
The administration financed the campaign through a $20 million Customs and Border Protection media contract and has defended the spots as public service announcements. “The ads were really good. They were promotion for the country,” Trump said Tuesday. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 86% of Americans considered using taxpayer funds for election related ads inappropriate, compared with 9% who considered it appropriate.