Trump uses public funds for 'Love me' ad that promotes himself

A White House official confirmed the ad was produced by the administration and funded with taxpayer money. The spot touts Trump's economic record and personal resilience, and closes with the line "Paid for by the U.S. Government," according to the report.

USA Today calls the ad an extraordinary breach of White House practice. Previous administrations kept public funding separate from political advertising that promotes a sitting president personally, the outlet reports.

The distinction matters because taxpayer money is supposed to fund government business, not campaign-style messaging for an individual official. That line has been treated as firm by past administrations, but this ad blurs it.

The White House has not offered a detailed defense of the spending, the report says. It remains unclear how much of the ad's cost came from public funds or which agency approved it.

Few political ads have paired a call to "defeat communism" with a choir singing "Love me," all billed to American taxpayers.