A federal judge in Manhattan ordered the Trump administration on Sunday night to immediately stop airing government-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump. The 14-day temporary restraining order also bars the Department of Homeland Security from spending more of the $20 million allocated to the campaign. About $19 million had already been spent, and the order requires the administration to cancel scheduled ads, including those set to run that evening.
The order blocks broadcasts and new spending
Judge Jennifer Rochon’s order applies to the ad campaign and prevents the administration from entering new agreements or expanding existing ones for the spots. It also pauses a purchase order between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Lepugh Inc., which does business as LMD Agency Inc.
The restraint is temporary: it lasts 14 days unless extended. Rochon said she would issue a fuller opinion explaining the decision. The immediate effect, however, is to stop further broadcasts and halt access to the remaining portion of the campaign’s public allocation while the lawsuit proceeds.
The court rejected the claim that the case was moot
The order followed a statement from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is defending the administration, that the ads would not continue after Sunday. The office made that representation a day before Rochon ruled. The judge concluded that the statement did not make the request for an order moot, particularly because the plaintiffs argued that broadcasts were still planned for Sunday evening.
Rochon also rejected the Justice Department’s argument that the coalition lacked legal standing to challenge the advertising. She found the plaintiffs had shown a likelihood of success, the possibility of irreparable harm without an order, and that an injunction served the public interest. Those findings support temporary relief; they are not a final ruling on the lawsuit’s merits.
The $20 million came from an immigration appropriation
The campaign was paid for with money from a large congressional appropriation for immigration enforcement. The distinction between the appropriation’s stated purpose and the political nature alleged by the plaintiffs is central to the dispute. The ads carried the caption “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” and the plaintiffs argued that taxpayer money had been used unlawfully for political messaging.
The coalition’s court filing said the defendants did not dispute that appropriated funds paid for political ads, while contending that it was too late for the court to intervene. The coalition argued that broadcasts had not stopped and that Sunday evening programming could reach millions of viewers. Those claims formed part of its case for urgent action, rather than a finding about audience numbers by the judge.
The lawsuit targets election-related messaging
The coalition filed its lawsuit on Oct. 7. It includes Common Cause and Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, which is headquartered in New York City. The Democratic National Committee filed a separate challenge to the ads on the same date, while Democrats have criticized the campaign as designed to benefit Republicans in November’s election, which will determine control of both chambers of Congress.
The coalition’s complaint described an ad titled “The Country He Loves” as combining images of Trump with claims about his record, including “Largest Tax Cuts in History” and “Reigniting American Manufacturing.” It also cited the repeated screen message “AMERICA WILL NEVER BE A COMMUNIST COUNTRY.” These campaign details underpin the plaintiffs’ argument that the spots amount to political propaganda rather than communications serving an official government purpose.
Trump had proposed a different funding route
Sen. Maggie Hassan wrote to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles on Sept. 24, the day after “The Country He Loves” first aired. Hassan argued that the ad lacked a clear official government purpose and appeared to conflict with federal restrictions on using appropriated money for propaganda intended to aid a political party or candidate.
On Oct. 5, Trump said he or his super PAC, MAGA Inc., would pay for the ads going forward. The White House later said he would not reimburse the government for spots that had already aired. The coalition welcomed Rochon’s order Sunday, saying it would prevent further taxpayer spending; the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Takeaway: The order stops the ads and freezes further campaign spending for 14 days, but the court has not yet issued its full opinion or decided the underlying lawsuit.
