Truthout is a vital news source and a living history of political struggle. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size.

White House staffers indicated on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will not be reimbursing the government for the millions of dollars in taxpayer funds he has used to produce promotional TV ads ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

In a post on Monday, Trump indicated that he would not use taxpayer funds to produce future commercials. Despite pressure from both sides of the political aisle, Trump blamed progressives for complaining about the ads, which conclude with the tag, “Paid for by the U.S. government.”

“The Radical Left is upset with the fact that I am taking Ads, which I consider to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A., and paying for them with U.S.A. money,” he wrote on Truth Social. “This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”

A White House aide said on Tuesday that the president’s social media post “was not referring to reimbursement.”

As of Monday, at least $10.1 million had already been spent funding the television spots. The White House has not indicated whether it will continue using the full $20 million that had originally been........

© Truthout