Trump drops taxpayer funding for midterm TV ads after criticism
In short
US President Trump said on Oct 5 that television ads promoting his administration's positions and record would be paid for with his own money and funds from a super PAC supporting him, reversing the use of taxpayer money after criticism that the publicly funded spots were illegal election advertising. Axios reported in late September that at least $2.5 million in tax money had been spent on the ads. The administration had called them government public information explaining policy, and Trump denied any illegality.
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US President Trump said on Oct 5 that television advertisements promoting his administration's positions and record would be paid for with his own money and funds from a super PAC that supports him, reversing the use of taxpayer money. The change followed an outpouring of criticism from lawmakers who called the publicly funded ads illegal election advertising, according to reports by Sankei Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun and Nishi-Nippon Shimbun. Sankei said the criticism was bipartisan. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Sankei, citing US media, the ad carried a strongly partisan message with a voice saying “throw out the communists,” and was produced on Trump's initiative. The news site Axios reported in late September that at least $2.5 million, or about 390 million yen, in taxpayer money had been spent on the advertising. [ 1 ]
The administration had until now argued that the spots were government public information explaining its policies. In a social media post on Oct 5, Trump said the radical left was angry, but that it is “common” for an administration to spend tax money on advertising, and he denied any illegality. [ 1 ]
The ads run ahead of the US midterm elections on Nov 3. Japanese outlets reported the reversal on the morning of Oct 6, with Tokyo Shimbun and Nishi-Nippon Shimbun carrying the headline that Trump had withdrawn the use of tax money for election advertising after criticism. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The reversal focuses attention on how the US administration pays for political messaging before the Nov 3 midterm elections, and on the line between official government communication and campaign advertising. Because the president is described as having led production of the ads himself, the dispute touches both election law and political spending.
Key facts
- Trump said on Oct 5 that the ads promoting his administration's positions and record would be funded by his own money and by a super PAC that supports him. [ 1 ]
- He acted after bipartisan lawmakers criticised the use of taxpayer money as illegal election advertising, according to Sankei Shimbun. [ 1 ]
- Axios reported in late September that at least $2.5 million, about 390 million yen, in tax money had been used for the ads. [ 1 ]
- The ad included a voice saying “throw out the communists” and was produced on Trump's initiative, according to US media cited by Sankei. [ 1 ]
- The administration had maintained the ads were government public information explaining policy. [ 1 ]
- Trump said on social media that using tax money for such ads is “common” and denied it was illegal. [ 1 ]
- The ads come ahead of the US midterm elections on Nov 3. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the publicly funded ads were illegal. Critics called them illegal election advertising, while Trump and the administration described them as ordinary government public information explaining policy and denied any illegality; the documents do not record any ruling or finding.
- The full amount of taxpayer money spent on the ads and over what period. Only the Axios figure of at least $2.5 million, reported in late September and cited by Sankei, appears in the documents.
- What happens to the advertising going forward under private funding. Trump said he would use his own money and super PAC funds, but the documents give no further detail on the campaign's continuation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Axios reports that at least $2.5 million in taxpayer money was used for the ads. [ 1 ]
- Trump says on social media that he will fund the ads with his own money and his super PAC's funds, reversing the use of taxpayer funds and denying illegality. [ 1 ]
- Sankei Shimbun publishes its report on the reversal and the criticism. [ 1 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun publishes a report headlined that Trump changed course on using tax money for election advertising after criticism. [ 2 ]
- Nishi-Nippon Shimbun carries the same headline on the withdrawal of taxpayer funding. [ 3 ]