{
  "id": 12299620,
  "title": "In reversal, Trump to pay for political ads about himself",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/in-reversal-trump-to-pay-for-political-ads-about-himself-12299620",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-06T04:35:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/10/1548829/reversal-trump-pay-political-ads-about-himself"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\"",
  "summary": "WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday he will use his own money to pay for political ads ahead of November’s midterm elections, an about-face after drawing fire for using taxpayer funds for TV spots promoting himself.",
  "key_points": [
    "Trump to fund political ads promoting himself for November elections.",
    "Ads denounced as violation of rules and propaganda by political opponents.",
    "Ads funded by money raised for Trump's MAGA campaign."
  ],
  "editors_take": "By funding his own political ads, Trump effectively concedes that they benefit him personally, contradicting his previous claims that they were legitimate public service announcements.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "In reversal, Trump to pay for political ads about himself",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/in-reversal-trump-to-pay-for-political-ads-about-himself",
        "published": "2026-10-05T23:38:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "In reversal, Trump to pay for political ads about himself",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/in-reversal-trump-to-pay-for-political-ads-about-himself",
        "published": "2026-10-06T01:43:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Trump says he will pay for 'Patriotic Ads' himself after facing backlash from Democrats",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/trump-says-he-will-pay-for-patriotic-ads-himself-after-facing",
        "published": "2026-10-06T01:58:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}