A federal judge in New York ordered the Trump administration Sunday night to immediately stop airing government-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump that critics say were designed to influence November’s midterm elections.
Judge Jennifer Rochon’s temporary restraining order also bars the Department of Homeland Security from spending any more money from the $20 million allocated for the campaign. About $19 million has already been spent.
Congress appropriated the money for immigration enforcement. The ads, which have aired for weeks, carry the caption “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
The order lasts 14 days unless extended. It requires the administration to cancel scheduled broadcasts and prohibits new agreements or expansions of existing contracts for the ads.
The ruling came after government attorneys told the court the ads would stop airing after Sunday. A coalition challenging the campaign argued that a court order was still necessary because broadcasts remained scheduled that evening, potentially reaching millions of viewers.
Rochon agreed that the administration’s promised cutoff did not eliminate the need for action. She also rejected the Justice Department’s argument that the coalition lacked legal standing to sue.
The judge found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their lawsuit, would suffer irreparable harm without an order and that blocking the ads served the public interest. She said a fuller opinion explaining her decision would follow.
The coalition, which includes Common Cause and Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, filed its lawsuit Oct. 7. The Democratic National Committee filed a separate challenge that day.
Democrats have criticized the ads as an effort to help Republicans in the November elections, which will determine control of Congress.
One ad, titled “The Country He Loves,” mixes images of Trump with statements promoting his administration’s accomplishments, including tax cuts, manufacturing and support for police. It repeatedly flashes a message declaring that America will never be a communist country.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., questioned the campaign in a Sept. 24 letter to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, saying it appeared to violate federal restrictions on using taxpayer money for political propaganda.
Trump said Oct. 5 that he or his super PAC, MAGA Inc., would pay for future ads. The White House later said he would not reimburse the government for those already aired.
The coalition welcomed the ruling, saying taxpayer dollars should not finance political messaging intended to influence elections.
The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.