WASHINGTON, Oct 6 — US President Donald Trump said today 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.

The White House and Trump had vigorously defended the ads as patriotic public service announcements similar to ones done by previous presidents.

The ads have elicited criticism from both political parties.

“This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The first such ad, broadcast in late September, features a song saying “Love Me” while Trump proclaims “America will never be a communist country.”

Another one shows Trump warning of a “final battle” over black-and-white footage of him walking down a hallway, with an onscreen message saying: “Paid for by the US Government.”

The ads sparked a backlash from both sides of the US political divide.

“You can’t spend public money to promote yourself,” Republican Senator John Kennedy said about them.

Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper described the ads on X as “propaganda,” calling them “illegal” and “un-American.” — AFP