The meeting preceded a $20million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign praising Trump’s presidency. Trump personally directed Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to find government money to pay for the ads.
On September 19, the Office of Management and Budget transferred $20million from Customs and Border Protection into a budget line labeled “One Big Beautiful Bill Commemorative Events.”
CBP awarded the contract to Maryland marketing firm LMD the following day. At least four ads have aired, costing approximately $5.5million so far.
One used a song, Love Me, from artist Christian Berishaj, who publicly objected to its use, while another reused footage from a 2024 Trump campaign video.
The ads identify their funding source only as “Paid for by the U.S. government,” raising questions about whether they function as public service announcements or promote Trump personally.
The ads have aired on major networks and cable channels, including Fox News, CNN, and MS NOW, as well as during football games and national newscasts on CBS, ABC, and NBC.
They also ran during Meet the Press, a program Trump is known to watch.