In reversal, Trump to pay for political ads about himself

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would fund political ads promoting himself ahead of the November midterm elections, a shift from his previous stance of using taxpayer money for such spots. The White House and Trump had staunchly defended the ads as patriotic public service announcements akin to those conducted by prior presidents.

However, these ads have drawn criticism from both political parties. Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump explained that despite the inevitable backlash, he decided to fund these "Patriotic Ads" personally using money raised for his MAGA campaign. The initial ad aired in late September, featuring a song about love and Trump asserting that "America will never be a communist country."

Another ad displayed footage of Trump walking down a hallway with an onscreen message stating, "Paid for by the US Government." These ads have elicited vehement reactions from both sides of the US political spectrum. Senator John Kennedy of the Republican Party denounced them as a violation of rules against spending public money for self-promotion.

Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper described the ads as "propaganda," labeling them as "illegal" and "un-American."