President Donald Trump personally instructed the budget director to use taxpayer money to air television advertisements promoting himself and his achievements, finalizing a $20 million contract funded by the Department of Homeland Security, according to people familiar with the matter.
The ads have already aired on cable and major broadcast networks, covering Fox News, CNN and MS Now, Fox football broadcasts, and national news programs on CBS, ABC and NBC, including "Meet the Press," which Trump frequently watches. The people said Trump was eager to see the praise ads go live and asked Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to arrange funding from within the government.
Budget office legal counsel Mark Paoletta and White House legal counsel Will Scharf both said using Department of Homeland Security funds for this purpose was lawful. Trump and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles both communicated with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the ads. Federal records show that U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is part of Homeland Security, awarded the contract on September 20 to LMD, a Maryland marketing firm.
This article is based on interviews with 12 people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the arrangements behind the president's push. The taxpayer-funded ads have drawn criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans, who argue the move may violate federal law barring the use of taxpayer money for "publicity or propaganda."
At the same time, Trump is also drawing on money from his super PAC, MAGA Inc., which had $400 million at the start of the fall and which Trump has continued to raise money for since winning the 2024 election. It remains unclear why taxpayer funds were chosen instead of super PAC money to run the ads. The White House says the ads are public service announcements and are compliant because they do not include content "calling for a vote for a particular candidate." Some aides also stress that Trump is not currently a candidate, seeking to rebut allegations that using public money for the ads is unlawful. Pressed by reporters on Wednesday, Trump said: "If somebody says it's wrong, I'd be happy to pay the money back myself." He added: "But these ads are done for the country. You understand, I'm not promoting a candidate. I'm not promoting myself, because I'm not running. I'm promoting the country."
According to media tracking firm AdImpact and people familiar with the matter, at least four ads have aired so far, costing about $5.5 million, with spending expected to continue rising. One ad features the song "Love Me" by JMSN, whose real name is Christian Berishaj, with images of Trump. Another ad is almost identical to Trump's 2024 campaign video, denouncing the "bad people" the president regards as enemies.
The use of original campaign material has led critics to reject the White House's description of the ads as merely public service announcements. A third ad focuses on the war with Iran and features Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Ordinary public service announcements generally identify the funding agency.
These ads all use a special tagline: "Paid for by the United States Government."
The August 7 meeting
On August 7, Trump met in the Oval Office with several Republican strategists, chief political adviser James Blair and Wiles. Assistant Natalie Harp, who has long compiled positive coverage for him, was also present. Republican candidates had been anxious for months, waiting for Trump to finally approve the use of super PAC money to fund midterm candidates. But at that meeting, Trump wanted to see video material about himself. He instructed Harp to show the group footage he liked.
Harp pulled up on a tablet a series of videos produced by the White House digital team: Trump standing before huge crowds, Trump beside Marine One, Trump with fighter jets flying overhead. One video showed UFC President Dana White at the 2024 Republican National Convention calling Trump "the toughest, most resilient human being I've ever met," a line Trump has repeatedly and happily cited since. Trump made clear he planned to campaign in person for midterm candidates, but at the same time, the ads produced by aides had to put promotion of his own presidency at the center.
Later that month, it was reported that MAGA Inc. had originally planned a large-scale rollout of Trump-centered midterm ads. But afterward, a nonprofit organization tied to Trump ran an ad including Dana White's remark, costing less than $60,000 and airing mainly in the Washington area on September 2 and 3, ensuring Trump would see it. Weeks later, a batch of ads praising Trump began airing nationwide, this time funded by taxpayers through Customs and Border Protection. They included the "Love Me" version.
During the period when these publicly funded ads aired, MAGA directly funded only one specific race, spending more than $20 million on a Texas Senate campaign. Two other new groups affiliated with MAGA Inc., No Going Back PAC and Safety and Affordability PAC, were recently established and have already spent and reserved more than $163 million on campaign ads across the country. But Trump appears rarely in those ads. The White House press office sent an unsigned statement in response to this article: "These public service announcements are meant to remind Americans to love their country and understand what makes this country worth defending, at home, at the border and abroad."
The White House says there is precedent for running such ads. The White House communications director posted on X on September 27: "Don't let the fake news smear the massive public service announcements we're running on television." A White House email said: "Presidential public service announcements are not new," comparing the ads to previous administrations' promotional films on health care policy or President Woodrow Wilson's World War I publicity program. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has previously found multiple cases of violations of anti-propaganda rules, including during the administrations of two presidents. But those cases involved policy promotion, not ads focused on the president himself.
How the money was moved
On September 19, the Office of Management and Budget transferred $20 million in Customs and Border Protection funds to a budget line called "One Big Beautiful Bill Commemoration," making the ad funding available. The next day, Customs and Border Protection signed the $20 million contract with LMD, a marketing company based in Columbia, Maryland. People familiar with the matter said the actual purchase of ad time was handled by another company, LMO, according to a person not authorized to speak publicly. An Office of Management and Budget spokesperson declined to comment on this article. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson would only say: "The Department of Homeland Security complies with all applicable procurement rules and keeps all decision-makers informed. All procurement decisions were made lawfully." Spokespeople for LMD and LMO did not respond to requests for comment.
The ads initially ran in a limited way, then quickly appeared frequently on cable and broadcast networks. AdImpact data shows the ads appeared heavily on morning programs such as "Good Morning America" and "CBS Mornings," as well as entertainment shows including "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "The Amazing Race." One ad repeatedly aired during Fox weekend football broadcasts.
This is not the Trump administration's first costly and controversial television publicity project. In 2025, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared in a government advertising campaign costing more than $200 million. The ads drew Trump's displeasure after they aired and became one of the reasons for Noem's dismissal.
The ads went live as Trump's public approval ratings were sagging. A New York Times poll showed his approval at about 37%, holding low for months. Republicans are increasingly worried that Democrats could win control of both the Senate and the House, while also winning big in state legislative elections. Trump continues to raise large sums for construction projects in Washington, White House-related projects and his future presidential library. Last month he promised that $400 million to $500 million could be spent on the midterms, but stressed that super PAC money is controlled by him. Trump said: "This is money I control."