Washington DC - President Donald Trump will not reimburse taxpayers for political ads that have already aired, the White House confirmed on Tuesday in yet another dramatic reversal.

Trump had said on Monday that he and his political campaign would pay for the advertisements promoting himself ahead of tight US midterm elections in November.

His announcement followed an outcry on both sides of the US political divide over the use of millions of dollars in government funds for pro-Trump ads.

"I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to his political action group.

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But on Tuesday the White House told AFP that Trump's post "was not referring to reimbursement." To make things more confusing, Trump later appeared to suggest the issue was still in the air.

"The ads were really good. They were promotion for the country, done by many presidents before. So we'll decide," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he would reimburse the cost of the ads.

US media reported that the Trump administration used $20 million, from Department of Homeland Security funds, to pay for the advertisements.

One of them showed Trump warning of a "final battle" over black-and-white footage of him walking down a hallway, with an onscreen message declaring: "Paid for by the US Government."

The ad appeared to be almost identical to a political advertisement for Trump that was broadcast during his 2024 presidential election campaign, US media said.

The White House last week defended the use of government funds, saying the ads were public service announcements.

But Democrats called the ads "illegal" and "propaganda," and even some senior Republicans expressed reservations.