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US judge orders Trump administration to pull taxpayer-funded TV ads
A two-week restraining order stops the government running ads featuring the president that were paid for with $20 million of Homeland Security money, weeks before the midterm elections.
Key points
- Judge Jennifer Rochon ordered the administration to cancel the remaining ads for two weeks.
- The Department of Homeland Security spent $20 million on the campaign.
- Trump says his political fundraising will pay for future ads, but there are no plans to repay what was spent.
A federal judge in New York has ordered the Trump administration to stop running taxpayer-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump, in a case brought by government watchdogs weeks before the 3 November midterm elections.
US District Judge Jennifer Rochon granted a two-week temporary restraining order on Sunday night. It requires the administration to cancel the remaining ads, including any due to air that night, and bars it from signing, renewing or expanding deals for more.
$20 million from Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security spent $20 million on the campaign, which began airing in late September. One ad features Trump talking about the “threat of communism”, another replays an ad from his last presidential campaign, and a fifth, launched last week, is about the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
The case was brought by a coalition including the watchdog Common Cause, represented by Democracy Forward. They argue the spending breaks a federal law that bars appropriated money from being used for “publicity or propaganda”. The Democratic National Committee has filed a separate lawsuit.
“We are pleased the court acted swiftly to prevent more taxpayer dollars from being used,” the plaintiffs said.
The government’s response
In court, the Justice Department argued that an order was unnecessary because “the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow”. A senior Homeland Security official, Holly Mehringer, said in a declaration that the funds were available for “commemorating efforts and events related to border security”.
Trump has called the ads “rather standard” and later said his political fundraising would pay for them. A White House official said there were no immediate plans to repay the money already spent. Some Republicans have also objected. “It shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune.