NEW YORK — A federal judge ordered the Trump administration Sunday night to stop using taxpayer money for television advertisements promoting President Donald Trump, temporarily halting a campaign financed with $20 million from the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon granted a two-week temporary restraining order sought by a coalition that includes the nonpartisan watchdog Common Cause. The order requires the administration to cancel remaining ad placements and bars officials from creating, expanding or renewing agreements connected to the challenged campaign while the case proceeds.
The Associated Press reported that DHS used congressionally appropriated money described as available for border-security commemorations. The ads began airing in late September and included messages praising Trump and echoing themes used in his political campaigns. One spot closely resembled an advertisement from his 2024 presidential campaign.
The White House has characterized the commercials as public-service announcements similar to government campaigns used by previous administrations. Trump defended the advertisements in an Oct. 5 social-media post but said private political fundraising would cover them going forward. The Justice Department also argued that an injunction was unnecessary because the government-funded campaign was already scheduled to end Sunday.
The plaintiffs contend that the advertisements improperly used public money to influence voters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Democracy Forward, which represents the coalition, said the campaign amounted to unlawful political promotion rather than public information.
The spending had drawn criticism from both parties before the ruling. Reuters reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, both Republicans, said taxpayers should not fund the messages. Legal specialists also raised questions about federal restrictions on using appropriated funds for publicity or propaganda.
The temporary order does not decide the lawsuit’s final outcome or establish that the administration is permanently barred from producing government information campaigns. It pauses the disputed advertisements while the court considers the challengers’ claims.
The case arrives weeks before elections that will determine control of Congress, intensifying scrutiny over the boundary between legitimate government communication and political advocacy paid for by the public.
