Following Senator Hassan’s Push, President Trump Backs Down From Taxpayer-Funded Political Ads

WASHINGTON - Following U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan's recent push for immediate answers and transparency around President Donald Trump's plainly-illegal taxpayer-funded political advertisements, President Trump this evening announced that he would back down from the effort and direct his campaign and his super PAC to pay for the ads instead. The ads, one of which included footage that was directly from a 2024 Trump campaign video, have reportedly already cost taxpayers more than $10 million as part of a reported $20 million contract.

"These campaign ads never should have run on the taxpayer's dime to begin with. They were clearly wrong and clearly illegal, which is why the President should also immediately repay the taxpayers for the amount already spent on these ads," said Senator Hassan, Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee and senior member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in response to the news. "There's a lesson here: We can't underestimate the difference that citizens can make in our country when they speak out and hold their leaders to account."

Reports of President Trump's taxpayer-funded political ad push first became public on September 24, and Senator Hassan immediately launched an effort to get answers for people and force the President to reverse course. Senator Hassan began by calling for White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to immediately tell the American people how these political advertisements, which clearly violated federal law, were developed, who authorized them, and where the funds were coming from. Senator Hassan also took to the Senate Floor for answers, introducing and moving to pass a Senate resolution condemning the ads and saying they should not be paid for by taxpayer dollars. Senate Republicans blocked consideration of the effort. Finally, Senator Hassan kept up the pressure on the Administration, pushing President Trump on multiple televisionnetworks about the unprecedented and unacceptable nature of these ads.

Finally, this evening, President Trump relented, announcing that he would pay for the television ads himself, as well as through funds he has raised for his super PAC. It is not immediately clear how the President, who is legally barred from coordinating with his Super PAC, could direct them to do anything while remaining in compliance with federal law.

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