Trump says taxpayers will no longer fund TV ads that praise him

What the report says

US President Donald Trump said he will stop using taxpayer money to pay for television advertisements that feature him, following criticism over a set of campaign-style spots aired nationally in the United States. In a post on his social media platform on Monday, Trump said the ads were meant as a positive promotion, but added that future funding would come from him or from his political group, MAGA Inc., rather than the public purse.

According to the report, the advertisements had cost at least $1.5m in federal funds and were shown ahead of the November midterm elections. They have aired during football broadcasts and other programming, and include messages such as Trump saying the country will never become communist, as well as images linking him to a “golden age” theme. The spots end with a note saying they were paid for by the US government.

The decision follows growing backlash from ethics experts and lawmakers in both parties, who have called for independent investigations. Democratic lawmakers have questioned whether Homeland Security funds were shifted to pay for the ads, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the spending appeared to be a serious misuse of public money. The Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, defended the ads and declined to back an investigation.