President Trump does not plan to reimburse taxpayers for promotional ads already aired, officials said Wednesday.
The statement came a day after the president said his super PAC would pay for the ads, which had drawn bipartisan backlash.
Officials clarified that his remark meant the super PAC would cover future ads, not reimburse past spending.
A new taxpayer-funded ad aired Tuesday, continuing the campaign despite the controversy.
The ads have faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who questioned the use of public funds for promotional purposes.
It remains unclear how much taxpayer money has been spent on the ads so far.
The White House has not released a detailed accounting of the ad costs or the super PAC’s plans.
