According to estimates by a reputable political advertising tracking firm, millions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money have already been spent airing television advertisements supporting Donald Trump.
A total of $20 million has been allocated for this initiative—which watchdog groups deem illegal—and millions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money have already been spent on TV ads supporting Donald Trump.
The firm AdImpact told CNN that the cost of airing three different TV ads featuring Trump has reached at least $2.5 million so far.
The actual cost of this publicly funded advertising campaign is higher than this figure, though an exact amount cannot currently be determined.
Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the funding for these ads comes from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Earlier this month, the White House Office of Management and Budget, led by Russell Vought, allocated $20 million to CBP, designating the funds for "events commemorating the 'big, beautiful bill' law." This phrase refers to the "big, beautiful bill" legislation that Trump signed in 2025.
Shortly after this $20 million allocation, CBP contracted with an advertising firm called LMD to execute a nationwide media campaign valued at that same amount. Two other sources told CNN that the ads began airing on national television networks a few days later.
The advertising firm’s parent company, Markam Group, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
CBP is an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. On Tuesday, two Democratic senators—Patty Murray and Chris Murphy—accused the department of a "corrupt misuse of taxpayer funds" in a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.
The ads also faced a new complaint on Tuesday from the watchdog group Public Citizen.
The group’s co-presidents, Robert Weissman and Lisa Gilbert, along with lobbyist Craig Holman, wrote in a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that the ads "appear to violate federal laws prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds for government advertising and certain appropriations regulations, as well as the Hatch Act."
While lawmakers from both parties have raised questions regarding the legality of the ads, Republicans—who currently control both the House and the Senate—have not yet taken action on the matter.
According to an analysis by the firm AdImpact for CNN, the ads aired a total of 2,766 times between September 23 and September 29. They were broadcast on Fox News and the four major U.S. television networks.