BS BULLETIN:
- Trump says the government will stop footing the bill for his controversial “patriotic” television ads.
- The president still insists using taxpayer money for them was perfectly legitimate.
- His solution: “Pay for them myself” — using, in part, money he raised for MAGA Inc.
President Trump has apparently discovered one way to end the argument over who should pay for his “patriotic” television commercials.
Not you.
After days of defending the use of taxpayer money for ads featuring himself and his administration, Trump announced Monday that he would change course and use political money instead.
Trump wrote:
“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 then defended the practice:
“This is a rather standard thing to do.”
But despite maintaining that there was nothing improper about it, Trump announced the switch:
“I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”
That last clause is important.
Trump said “pay for them myself,” but the White House confirmed that MAGA Inc., the super PAC supporting him, will finance the ads going forward.
The controversy began after government-funded commercials featuring Trump started appearing on television with the disclaimer:
“Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
One of the ads echoed Trump’s 2024 campaign rhetoric, including warnings about communism, socialism and Marxism. Another featured Trump promising to fight the “deep state,” “globalists,” “communists” and the “fake news media.”
The White House defended the spots as public-service announcements intended to promote the country and administration policies rather than election advertising.
Critics weren’t buying it.
And unusually for Washington these days, objections didn’t come exclusively from Democrats.
Republicans including Sens. John Thune, John Kennedy and Thom Tillis publicly questioned whether taxpayer money should be paying for advertisements that looked an awful lot like political campaign material.
The administration had already spent at least $1.5 million in federal money on the ads, according to Associated Press reporting. Other reporting has described a broader government media campaign worth considerably more.
Trump had vigorously defended the spending just days earlier.
Asked about the commercials last week, he argued that they weren’t campaign advertising because he isn’t on the ballot.
“I’m not promoting a candidate. I’m not promoting myself because I’m not running for office.”
He said the advertisements were instead:
“for the spirit of our country.”
Now that spirit will apparently have a new billing address.
One unresolved question is what happens to the taxpayer money already spent.
The administration’s announcement concerns how the ads will be financed going forward, and available reporting does not establish that MAGA Inc. will reimburse the Treasury for the federal money already used.
MY QUICK TAKE
There is actually a wonderfully old-fashioned solution buried in all of this.
If a politician wants to run an advertisement telling America how terrific his administration is, political donors can pay for it.
Remarkable concept.
What makes Trump’s reversal entertaining is that he isn’t conceding the critics were right. His position is essentially: I was allowed to make you pay for these — but since you’re going to complain about it, fine, I’ll find somebody else.
And “I’ll pay for them myself” immediately followed by “with money I raised for MAGA Inc.” may be one of the most Washington definitions of myself we’ve encountered in quite some time.
The bigger point is that criticism from his own side mattered here. When Democrats complain about Trump, everybody knows the choreography. When John Thune, John Kennedy and Thom Tillis start asking why taxpayers are underwriting campaign-looking television spots, somebody in the room begins checking the invoice.
This time, apparently, they found a different credit card.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- CBS News — Trump says his super PAC will start paying for controversial taxpayer-funded ads
- Mediaite — Trump relents on government-funded ‘patriotic ads,’ says he’ll ‘pay for them myself’
- ABC News — Trump defends spending millions on taxpayer-funded promotional ads
- Associated Press — Trump says his super PAC will pay for taxpayer-funded ads that sparked backlash
