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U.S. President Donald Trump must cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote his political message, a federal judge ordered Sunday night, even as the administration said the ad campaign was coming to an end.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon in New York sided with a coalition, including the non-partisan watchdog Common Cause, that challenged the ads and called them an illegal misuse of funds.
In granting a temporary restraining order, she told the administration to cancel any remaining ads, including any set to air 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 White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Sunday night. In a court filing late Saturday, the Justice Department argued that the temporary restraining order was unnecessary because “the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow.”
The Department of Homeland Security tapped $20 million US in taxpayer money for the ads. Legal experts have suggested they ran afoul of a federal statute against congressionally appropriated money being used for “publicity or propaganda” and potentially other federal laws.
The Homeland Security money tapped for the ads comes from a $175-million package Congress gave to the department as part of Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.
The White House has defended the ads as public service announcements akin to what past administrations have done to promote various policies.
But the recent ads differ from many past public service announcements because they aren’t aimed at helping members of the public benefit from specific government programs. One of the ads is a near replica of a 2024 ad that Trump ran during his presidential re-election campaign.