Oct 5 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would pay for television advertisements himself or with money raised from the MAGA political committee after pushback over the use of taxpayer-funded television ads featuring him shortly before the November congressional elections.
Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticized the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a “golden age of America”.
Lawmakers have questioned whether public funds are being used to promote Trump politically, while other critics say the spots may violate longstanding restrictions on government propaganda and political activity.
One ad features Trump declaring that “America will never be a communist country” while a chorus repeats the words “love me.” Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump praising a “golden age of America.”
In a post on his Truth Social site on Monday, Trump said he considered the ads to be “a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A” but that they would no longer be funded by taxpayers.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Caitlin Webber)
