Donald Trump promotional TV ads ordered canceled by New York judge
A New York federal judge ordered Donald Trump to immediately halt taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting his agenda following a lawsuit over misused public funds.
President Donald Trump must halt remaining taxpayer-funded television commercials that promote his political message, a federal judge in New York ordered. The decision halts the broadcast campaign immediately while a coalition challenges the spending as an unlawful misuse of public funds. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon granted a temporary restraining order on Sunday night.
The legal challenge came from a coalition that included the nonpartisan watchdog Common Cause. Rochon ordered the administration to stop any broadcasts scheduled for Sunday night.
“Defendants shall not enter into, renew, or expand any agreement authorizing the development, creation, dissemination, placement, or airing of the challenged advertisements” during the two-week duration of her order, Rochon said.
The Justice Department argued against the injunction in a court filing late Saturday. The filing stated that the emergency order was unnecessary because “the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow.”
The White House did not immediately answer an email inquiry sent Sunday night. The administration previously defended the broadcasts as public service announcements similar to campaigns used by past administrations.
The commercials differed from past government announcements. They did not aim to help viewers access federal programs. One spot closely matched a campaign commercial Trump ran during his 2024 presidential reelection effort.
The Department of Homeland Security spent $20 million on the television broadcasts. That money came from a $175 million congressional package allocated for an immigration enforcement agenda.
Legal experts suggested the spending violated a federal statute banning taxpayer money for publicity or propaganda. They also suggested the campaign potentially broke other federal laws.
A temporary restraining order is an emergency decree issued by a federal court in New York. The ruling maintains current conditions while judges review statutory violations and legal arguments. Federal law strictly governs how executive agencies spend money appropriated by Congress.
The two-week judicial restriction took effect immediately on Sunday night.
