Judge Orders Trump to Pull $20 Million Taxpayer-Funded TV Ads Ahead of Midterms

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on October 11, 2026, to cancel its remaining taxpayer-funded television advertisements promoting President Donald Trump, halting a $20 million campaign challenged as illegal political propaganda weeks before the November midterm elections. The ruling came despite the administration's assurances that the commercials were already scheduled to stop airing that night.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon of the Southern District of New York granted a two-week temporary restraining order sought by a coalition led by the watchdog group Common Cause. The order requires federal officials to cancel any remaining broadcasts and bars the government from entering into, renewing, or expanding agreements to produce or distribute the disputed advertisements.

Rochon issued the order Sunday evening after Justice Department attorneys argued in an October 10 court filing that emergency intervention was unnecessary because the advertising campaign would end the following day. The judge rejected that argument, imposing restrictions that prevent the administration from extending or restarting the taxpayer-funded broadcasts while the lawsuit proceeds.

The Department of Homeland Security allocated $20 million to the commercials through U.S. Customs and Border Protection, drawing from money Congress appropriated for border security activities. Government filings show that approximately $19 million had already been spent when the court intervened.

The advertisements began airing in late September during major television broadcasts, including football games and Saturday Night Live. Several featured Trump promoting his administration's policies and accomplishments, including one that closely resembled an advertisement from his 2024 presidential campaign. Another warned about communism, while a more recent commercial highlighted the administration's capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The spots identified the U.S. government as their funding source.

Common Cause, labor organizations and an Alabama Democratic state legislative candidate sued the administration on October 7, alleging that DHS unlawfully diverted congressional appropriations toward political advertising intended to benefit Trump and Republican candidates in the November 3 elections.

The lawsuit invokes federal restrictions on using appropriated funds for unauthorized publicity or propaganda, challenging whether DHS had congressional authority to finance commercials centered on the president's political message.

In an October 10 court declaration, senior DHS official Holly Mehringer defended the spending, citing congressional funding available for commemorating border security efforts and related events. The White House has characterized the commercials as public service announcements promoting government policies, similar to advertising conducted under previous administrations.

The campaign also drew criticism from Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who objected to financing the commercials with public money.

On October 5, Trump defended the advertisements as standard government promotion but said his political fundraising operation would pay for future broadcasts. The administration continued running the taxpayer-funded commercials before telling the court that the campaign would conclude on October 11.

The October 11 order requires cancellation of the remaining publicly financed advertisements regardless of that planned end date. It also keeps the administration from extending the disputed advertising arrangements for 14 days as the court considers the plaintiffs' allegations that DHS exceeded its spending authority.

The ruling comes after most of the campaign's allocated money had already been spent. Although Trump has pledged to use political funds for future advertising, a White House official said there were no immediate plans to reimburse the federal government for earlier expenditures.

The parties are scheduled to return to court on October 13 to address the next steps in the lawsuit, including whether restrictions on the taxpayer-funded advertising should remain in place beyond the temporary order.