Trump says he and his super PAC, MAGA Inc., will pay for pro-Trump ads that DHS had funded with $20 million
More than $10 million of the ads had already aired, per the New York Times; no repayment plan has been announced.
After more than a week of criticism from both parties, Trump said on Monday, Oct. 5, that he would pay for the ads "myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc." He gave no dollar figure or date, and nobody has said whether the $20 million DHS already spent will be paid back.
The fight over the ads:
- DHS made more than a dozen spots, including "God made Trump," that ran during NFL games and on Fox News, CNN and MS NOW.
- Democrats say the ads break laws against spending public money on propaganda.
- John Kennedy (Sen-R Louisiana): "I don't think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves."