A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump’s administration to temporarily stop airing taxpayer-funded television ads promoting the president ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Effective at 6:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon of the Southern District of New York issued a temporary restraining order targeting the ads that will remain in effect for at least 14 days. The administration “shall not enter into, renew or expand any agreement authorizing the development, creation, dissemination, placement or transmission of the… advertisements,” Rochon said in its ruling. Rochon also ordered the administration to cancel the remaining portion of a $20 million advertising purchase, halting further spending on the campaign. The judge’s ruling came amid a legal challenge brought by government watchdog Common Cause, Alabama Democratic House of Representatives candidate Robert Hunter, Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, and the union’s political action committee, Empire State 32BJ SEIU PAC. In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs named the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Executive Office of the President (EOP) as defendants. They argued that the administration was using public funds to influence the election, stating: “In short, lacking any legal basis, and in the face of explicit legal prohibitions, defendants are attempting to skew state and midterm elections by using taxpayer money for advertising and propaganda.” The plaintiffs argued that the ads were a “flagrant abuse of authority.” In the absence of a court order, the balance of action is tilted in their favor and a court order serves the public interest.” The Guardian has contacted DHS, OMB and the White House for comment. The White House referred to Trump’s October 5 post on his Truth Social platform in which he said he considered the ads “a positive promotion” for the US. He argued that “paying for them with [USA] “Money… is a pretty normal thing,” but he said he would fund them himself with money raised by his Make America Great Again political movement. The plaintiffs responded to Rochon’s ruling with a statement saying: “We are pleased that the court acted quickly to prevent more taxpayer dollars from being used for such blatantly illegal political propaganda. There is no legal justification (or precedent) for the president to use the machinery of government and funds set aside by Congress for other uses to influence election results that advance his own agenda.” He said the ads have aired on major networks such as ABC, CNN, NBC and Fox News. They have been shown during National Football League games, as well as on popular news and late-night shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live, which Trump has previously heavily criticized. The lawsuit also identifies eight unaired ads, including one celebrating UFC fights at the White House, an anthem praising Trump and another showing a lion hunting while disparaging his political opponents, including former President Barack Obama.
