On a Sunday in October 2026, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued a four‑page order directing the Trump administration to stop a government‑financed advertising campaign that promoted President Trump. The judge found the effort likely unlawful and ordered an immediate halt to further spending.
The advertisements had been rolled out in the final weeks before the midterm elections. According to the ruling, the money used to pay for them came from allocations that Congress had earmarked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A federal judge in New York ordered the Trump administration to stop for now running taxpayer-funded television ads lauding the president and to halt any payments of public money related to airing them as legal challenges move ahead https://t.co/epFCF5nCY6
The campaign had already cost nearly $20 million. The judge found the effort likely unlawful.
EDT and lasting two weeks, marks the first known judicial block of the ads.
Plaintiffs, which included the watchdog group Common Cause, several labor unions, and an Alabama state‑house candidate, argued that the administration had repurposed funds that Congress had appropriated for a different purpose. They contended there was no legal justification—or precedent—for using taxpayer money set aside for border security to influence electoral outcomes.
Judge orders the Trump administration to cancel taxpayer-funded promotional TV ads https://t.co/HvvQn0BW2R
Judge Rochon rejected the administration’s argument that the dispute was moot. She wrote that the case was not moot and that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on the merits. The ruling, effective at 6:45 p.m. EDT and lasting two weeks, marks the first known judicial block of the ads.
The order took effect at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and was set to last for two weeks. It prohibited any further disbursement of funds for the campaign and required the cancellation of all remaining ad reservations, including those scheduled for the evening of October 11.
🇺🇸 UPDATE: The DNC is suing the Trump administration over taxpayer-funded TV ads praising the president, arguing they amount to illegal government propaganda. Nearly $12 million has already been spent, and the lawsuit asks a federal judge to block further use of public money for the ads.
In response, the Trump administration maintained that the challengers lacked standing to sue and insisted that the advertising push would have ended on Sunday regardless of any court action.
The plaintiffs welcomed the ruling. One statement read: "We are pleased the court acted swiftly to prevent more taxpayer dollars from being used for such blatantly unlawful political propaganda." Another quote emphasized: "There is no legal justification — and no precedent — for the president to use the machinery of the government and funds set aside by Congress for other uses to influence electoral outcomes that further his own agenda."
The judge’s decision marked the first known instance in which a federal court had blocked a taxpayer‑funded advertising campaign designed to promote a sitting president.
The injunction remains in place for the two‑week period specified by the court. During that time, the administration must halt the ads and cancel any remaining reservations. The Trump administration had argued the challengers lacked standing and that the campaign would end on Sunday regardless.