Spread the word
A United States federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to stop producing or airing taxpayer-funded television advertisements promoting him, following criticism from Democrats and some Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.
US District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued a temporary restraining order on Sunday, barring the administration from creating or broadcasting the advertisements for 14 days.
According to US media reports, the Trump administration had used $20 million from Department of Homeland Security funds to finance the advertisements, which featured messages highlighting the president and his political agenda.
In her ruling, Rochon directed the administration not to enter into, renew or expand any agreement authorising the development, production, distribution, placement or broadcast of the advertisements under challenge.
The plaintiffs argued that the advertisements exceeded the purposes authorised by Congress and violated restrictions governing publicity and propaganda funded with public money.
Reacting to the ruling, the plaintiffs, represented by the nonprofit legal organisation Democracy Forward, welcomed the court’s intervention, arguing that public funds should not be used to promote a president’s political interests.
“We are pleased the court acted swiftly to prevent more taxpayer dollars from being used for such blatantly unlawful political propaganda,” the group said in a statement.
The plaintiffs also argued that there was no legal justification for using government resources and funds appropriated by Congress for other purposes to influence electoral outcomes in support of the president’s agenda.
Ads defended as public service announcements
The White House has defended the advertisements, describing them as public service announcements rather than political campaign materials.
One of the advertisements, broadcast in late September, featured a song titled “Love Me” as Trump declared that “America will never be a communist country.”
Another advertisement showed the president walking down a hallway against black-and-white footage while warning of what he described as a “final battle”. An onscreen message identified the advertisement as having been paid for by the US government.
The advertisements attracted criticism across party lines, with opponents questioning whether government funds could lawfully be used for material featuring the president in a politically charged context.
Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper described the advertisements as “illegal” and “propaganda”, while some senior Republicans also expressed reservations about the use of public funds for the broadcasts.
The controversy comes as Trump campaigns for Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections, despite not being a candidate on the ballot himself. The elections are crucial to his party’s efforts to retain control of Congress.
Trump had indicated last week in a post on his Truth Social platform that he and his political campaign would pay for the advertisements promoting him. However, the White House later told AFP that the post was not referring to reimbursement.
The temporary restraining order prevents the administration from proceeding with the challenged advertisements for 14 days while the legal dispute continues.
Spread the word