A newly formed super PAC with an ominous name has become the vehicle for the biggest midterm ad spending yet tied to President Donald Trump's political operation.
No Going Back PAC Inc. is placing $25.8 million in reservations Tuesday to help Republicans in six Senate races and one House battleground, according to the New York Times, and two people with knowledge of the arrangement said the group is linked to MAGA Inc., Trump's primary super PAC.
Most of the money is aimed at Senate contests in New Hampshire and Alaska, with smaller reservations going to Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina and Georgia, plus a competitive Pennsylvania House race where Rep. Scott Perry is fighting to hold his seat.
The timing of the PAC's formation appears designed to shield its donors from public scrutiny for weeks.
No Going Back PAC Inc. was incorporated Sept. 1 — just before the GOP midterm convention — which means it won't have to disclose its funders or founders until mid-October, well after the ad blitz is already underway.
Its own website offers little clarity, stating only that it "makes independent expenditures in U.S. federal elections in support of candidates who share the values of the founders and funders."
The group was set up by Charles Gantt, a Republican operative who specializes in campaign finance and has handled paperwork for other Trump-aligned entities, including MAGA Inc.
Neither Gantt nor a MAGA Inc. spokesman responded to requests for comment. It's not clear why Trump's team opted to route the spending through a new entity rather than MAGA Inc. itself; the new PAC's name will appear only in small disclaimer text at the bottom of the ads.
The spending marks a turning point for MAGA Inc., which has faced persistent skepticism from Republicans about whether Trump would actually authorize significant use of its war chest — reported at more than $400 million — for this year's midterms.
That skepticism began to ease somewhat over the weekend, when the group sent $10 million to Texas to aid Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who has been badly outspent by Democratic opponent James Talarico.
The ad reservations arrive on the eve of Trump's unusual two-day midterm convention in Dallas, giving Republicans a rare bit of encouraging news just as the party grapples with anxiety over the president's sagging approval ratings and a difficult national environment heading into November.