On October 5, 2026, Donald Trump said he will personally fund new patriotic television advertisements after reports that his administration spent more than $440,000 in taxpayer money on pro Trump spots. Trump said the replacement ads will be paid for with money raised by MAGA Inc. Trump announced the change in a Truth Social statement, arguing that the original advertising campaign was a legitimate government expense. The administration had purchased airtime on Fox News, Newsmax, CBS, Fox, NBC, MS NOW, CNN and ABC for ads attacking communism, socialism, Marxism and what the spots called the fake news media. Who Is Paying for the Ads Now? The White House previously defended the advertisements as educational public service announcements, not campaign material, because Trump is not currently on a ballot and the spots do not include a formal call to action. The administration framed the messaging as a reminder that Americans should value and defend the country at home, at the border and abroad. Trump now says MAGA Inc. funds will cover the patriotic ads, a notable shift after the taxpayer spending triggered criticism. The new arrangement may quiet questions about the use of public money, but it does not change the political messaging at the center of the controversy.