Pro-Trump TV ads paid for with Customs and Border Protection money, official says

Federal money meant for U.S. Customs and Border Protection was redirected to pay for television spots that portray President Donald Trump favorably, according to an administration official and Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, who both confirmed the arrangement to NBC News. The Wall Street Journal first reported the funding source. Collins said the cash came from the border agency's allotment in the 2025 party-line megabill, and that the administration sidestepped the normal appropriations process by tapping an account created through reconciliation. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the border agency, sent questions to the White House, which had not replied.

The White House calls the spots public service announcements. They carry notices that the government paid for them, yet one closely resembles a 2024 Trump campaign ad. The ad-tracking firm AdImpact estimates spending above $1.7 million. The first spot, which ran earlier this month, has Trump talking about defeating communism over a song by JMSN, whose attorneys have since told the White House in a cease-and-desist letter to stop using the music.

Criticism has crossed party lines. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said he likes the message but taxpayers should not fund it. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said, "I hate it," and likened the spots to Viktor Orbán addressing Hungarians. Sen. Jim Justice, a Republican, doubted the move was wise if accurate. Democrat Chuck Schumer accused Trump of making Americans finance his own propaganda.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →