Democratic Candidates, Allies Spend More Than $163 Million on Trump-Mentioning TV Ads
As midterm elections approach, President Donald Trump has indicated a desire for the elections to center on his influence. Democratic candidates and their allies are reportedly leveraging this by featuring the president in their advertising, having invested over $163 million…
Peoria Bloomington, IL, October 16, 2026 —
Democratic candidates and their allies have spent more than $163 million on television advertising that mentions President Donald Trump since September 1, according to the trend summary. The reported spending comes as the midterm elections approach and Trump has indicated he wants the contests to focus on his influence.
The summary describes the ads as a way Democratic candidates and allied groups are responding to that focus. It does not specify how many advertisements aired, which candidates or organizations paid for them, or what the ads say beyond mentioning Trump.
The figure is reported as a combined investment by candidates and their allies. No breakdown between those groups was provided, and the summary does not identify the source of the spending estimate. It also does not specify the year associated with September 1 or the period covered after that date.
The information available does not establish how much of the reported spending is devoted to ads centered primarily on Trump, as opposed to ads that mention him as one element. Nor does it provide details on where the television ads ran, their audience reach or how voters have responded.
The reported total offers a measure of the advertising investment tied to references to the president, but the available details do not show the full scope or impact of the campaigns. Further information about the advertisers, the underlying spending data and the ads’ content was not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by JILL COLVIN and AARON KESSLER, Associated Press on www.centralillinoisproud.com, see more information here.
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