<p class="wp-block-paragraph">President Donald Trump defended the legality of advertisements promoting himself, stating that he is not on the ballot in November. Critics argue that the ads are political in nature and could violate federal law.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Well, I’m not running for office,” Trump said in his first comments addressing the ads. “So, the ads are, you know, given by me, but I’m not running for office, and I don’t talk about anybody.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The funding for the ads came from federal taxpayer dollars allocated for Customs and Border Protection and has received bipartisan backlash, including from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I don’t think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) told CBS News on Sunday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump, however, appeared unconcerned about the potential misuse of taxpayer money to promote his administration, suggesting that the ads serve as public service announcements. The White House has also defended the ads.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“When I’m talking about making America great, making our country great, that’s a countrywide ad. That’s an ad for the spirit of our country,” Trump said. “Now, if somebody said that that’s wrong, I’ll gladly pay the money. But … these are ads for the country.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As of Tuesday afternoon, at least three of the ads have aired on network and cable TV, costing taxpayers at least $2 million, according to AdImpact, which tracks ad reservations. The ads, titled “The Country He Loves,” “Celebrating The Enduring Spirit,” and “Final Battle,” feature voice-overs from Trump and text indicating that the U.S. government paid for them.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump denied the accusation that he was promoting himself, reiterating that the ads are intended to promote the nation. “These aren’t ads. I’m not promoting. You have to understand. I’m not promoting the candidate. I’m not promoting myself because I’m not running for office. I’m promoting the country,” Trump said.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Hailey Bullis contributed to this report.</em></p>