United States President Donald Trump has said he will stop using taxpayer funds for television advertisements featuring him after widespread criticism of the campaign-style spots.
In a post on his social media site on Monday, Trump defended the advertisements, which cost at least $1.5m in federal funds and were aired ahead of the US November midterm elections.
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Trump said he considered the advertisements to be âÂÂa positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.âÂÂ, but that they would no longer be funded by taxpayers but by either him or his MAGA PAC,
MAGA Inc. is TrumpâÂÂs political war chest and had amassed more than $400m by the end of July.
The announcement came as ethics experts and lawmakers from both â parties have criticised the three nationally broadcast advertisements and called for independent investigations.
The advertisements have run during football games as recently as Sunday and during other programming.
One features Trump declaring that âÂÂAmerica will never be a communist countryâÂÂ, â while a chorus repeats the words âÂÂlove meâÂÂ. Another combines â images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump praising a âÂÂgolden age of AmericaâÂÂ.
The advertisements end with a disclaimer saying they were paid for by the US government.
Democratic lawmakers said last month that the White House transferred $20m in Homeland Security Department funds to air â the advertisements, including one that closely resembles a 2024 Trump â campaign ad, and sought independent probes.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday called âÂÂfor an independent investigation, calling it a âÂÂstaggering misuse of public funding and breach of public trustâ after the calls for a probe.
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, a âÂÂRepublican âÂÂnamed to his position by Trump, last week said the advertisements were appropriate and rejected a request to investigate them.