Judge Orders Trump Administration to Cancel Taxpayer-Funded Promotional TV Ads

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon in New York ordered the Trump administration on Sunday night to cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with taxpayer money that promote his political message.

The judge granted a temporary restraining order, effective for two weeks, stating that the administration shall not enter into, renew, or expand any agreement authorizing the development, creation, dissemination, placement, or airing of the challenged advertisements. The Washington Post reported that President Trump blew past the deadline to halt running these ads. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had allocated $20 million in taxpayer money for these ads, awarding a contract to LMD Agency on September 20.

AdImpact reported that by Monday morning, U.S. government spending on five specific ads had reached $21,705,138. These ads included "Maduro" ($3.1 million) and "Final Battle" ($13 million), which featured President Trump. The order came after a coalition, including the nonpartisan watchdog Common Cause, challenged the ads as an illegal misuse of funds. The plaintiffs, represented by Democracy Forward, argued that the ads exceeded congressional authorization and violated restrictions on publicity and propaganda.

The Justice Department argued in a court filing late Saturday that the temporary restraining order was unnecessary because the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow. However, Judge Rochon found that the challengers would suffer irreparable harm without immediate court action and that a temporary halt serves the public interest. President Trump defended the ads on October 5 via a social media post, calling them rather standard but stated he would pay for them from his political fundraising due to backlash. A hearing is set for October 13.