While President Donald Trump’s own advisers waited for him to approve midterm campaign spending, he instead spent an August strategy session asking his aide to pull up footage of himself on her tablet, according to a New York Times report based on interviews with 12 insiders.
The August 7 Oval Office meeting included Republican strategists, top adviser James Blair, and chief of staff Susie Wiles, gathered to discuss super PAC spending as GOP campaigns grew nervous Trump might not open his checkbook in time. Instead, Trump turned to aide Natalie Harp, known for feeding him flattering coverage of himself, and asked her to show footage he liked: crowds, Marine One, fighter jets overhead.
One clip featured UFC’s Dana White calling him “the toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met,” a line Trump still brings up with visible enthusiasm.
That meeting appears to have set in motion a taxpayer-funded, $20 million ad campaign glorifying Trump’s presidency, routed through the Department of Homeland Security rather than his own political operation. Sources say Trump personally directed Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to find the money, with OMB and White House counsel signing off on using DHS funds, and Trump and Wiles discussing the arrangement directly with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
On September 19, OMB shifted the $20 million from Customs and Border Protection into a budget line labeled “One Big Beautiful Bill Commemorative Events.” CBP awarded the contract to Maryland firm LMD the next day.
At least four ads have aired so far, costing roughly $5.5 million and climbing. One set Trump imagery to a song whose artist has publicly objected; another reused footage from a 2024 campaign video, undercutting claims these are neutral PSAs rather than repurposed campaign material. Unlike typical government ads, these simply read “Paid for by the U.S. government.”
Asked about it Wednesday, Trump brushed off concerns.
“If somebody said that that’s wrong, I’ll gladly pay the money,” Trump said. “But these are ads for the country. I’m not promoting a candidate. I’m not promoting myself because I’m not running for office. I’m promoting the country.”
The White House called the spots reminders for Americans to love their country, pointing to past presidents’ use of similar messaging. The Government Accountability Office has previously found anti-propaganda violations under both Obama and Bush, albeit tied to policy campaigns rather than ads centered on the president himself.
It’s not the first costly ad campaign to dog the administration. Kristi Noem fronted a similar DHS push in 2025, putting her on horseback at Mount Rushmore at a cost north of $140 million, a campaign Trump soured on and later cited in replacing her.
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