Federal judge orders temporary halt to taxpayer-funded pro-Trump TV ads

A federal judge in New York has ordered the Trump administration to pause a taxpayer-backed television advertising campaign that promotes Donald Trump ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on November 3.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon of the Southern District of New York granted a temporary restraining order on Sunday evening. The injunction, which took effect at 6:45 p.m. ET, is scheduled to remain active for a minimum of 14 days. Under the ruling, the administration is barred from finalizing, extending, or broadening any contracts connected to creating, distributing, or broadcasting the promotional spots. Furthermore, the judge directed officials to terminate what is left of a planned $20 million media buy.

The legal action was brought forward by the nonpartisan advocacy group Common Cause, Alabama legislative candidate Robert Hunter, the labor union SEIU Local 32BJ, and its affiliated political committee. Their complaint targeted several executive agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Executive Office of the President.

In their filings, the plaintiffs maintained that the administration unlawfully deployed federal revenue to sway the midterm races, describing the commercial spots as unauthorized propaganda and an abuse of executive power. Judge Rochon determined that the challengers made a compelling case, finding they showed a probability of winning on the merits, risked irreparable harm without court intervention, and established that a freeze aligned with the wider public interest.

The advertising campaign has drawn sharp bipartisan pushback. Media analytics organization AdImpact reported that over $12 million in public funds had already been expended on the initiative. Broadcasts ran across prominent television networks including ABC, NBC, CNN, and Fox News, landing slots during NFL broadcasts, evening news segments, and late-night entertainment shows. The lawsuit additionally referenced eight unaired spots, such as a segment featuring UFC matches hosted at the White House, a musical tribute dedicated to Trump, and footage of a lion hunting accompanied by attacks on political figures like former president Barack Obama.

In a public statement celebrating Sunday's decision, the challengers praised the court for stepping in quickly to stop the expenditure of congressionally appropriated money for political gain. They emphasized that executive branch officials lack both precedent and legal authority to redirect public funds toward an electoral agenda.

When approached for response, the White House pointed toward a social media post published by Trump on Truth Social on October 5. In that message, Trump asserted that the segments served as favorable publicity for the country and claimed such government expenditures were typical, though he suggested he would ultimately underwrite the effort using funds gathered through his political movement.

The ruling in New York follows a separate legal effort launched by the Democratic National Committee on October 7 in Washington, D.C., which similarly seeks to stop the president from using federal resources to finance self-promotional advertising.