US Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s $20 Million Advertising Campaign

By Staff, Agencies

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately halt a $20 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign promoting President Donald Trump, barring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from airing the remaining broadcasts or restarting the campaign, Politico reported.

US District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued the restraining order Sunday evening, directing DHS to cancel the remainder of its advertising contract and notify contractor LMD Media of the ruling.

The advertisements had aired nationally for two weeks on Fox, CNN, Newsmax, CBS, ABC, and ESPN. The campaign faced bipartisan criticism over its resemblance to Trump’s 2024 election advertisements while being financed with federal funds.

The Democratic National Committee and government watchdog group Common Cause filed separate lawsuits seeking to stop the broadcasts, citing concerns over the use of taxpayer money for political purposes.

The Justice Department told the court Saturday that the administration did not plan to continue the campaign beyond Sunday. Common Cause argued that the pledge was insufficient and urged the court to issue an immediate order.

Rochon nevertheless barred DHS and other Trump administration agencies from using appropriated funds to develop, distribute, or air the advertisements. She also canceled a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, saying weekend filings provided enough information to rule on the matter.

According to an administration filing, Customs and Border Protection issued a $20 million purchase order to LMD Media on September 20 under a previously awarded blanket agreement.

The funding came from an appropriation facilitated by the Working Families Tax Cut Act. About $19 million had already been spent on the campaign, which was scheduled to run through Sunday.

Following the backlash, Trump said he would replace the taxpayer-funded campaign with advertisements financed by his political committee, MAGA Inc.

However, officials told Politico that Trump did not intend to reimburse the federal government for the initial $20 million expenditure.

The Justice Department filing did not directly address whether the advertisements violated restrictions on using public funds for political purposes.