Federal judge orders pro-Trump TV ads funded by taxpayers off air immediately

BREAKING: Federal judge orders pro-Trump TV ads funded by taxpayers off air immediately

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.Skip to ContentThe judge ordered the Trump administration to “cancel or cause to be cancelled” any ads from airing or being disseminated, including those set to air Sunday night.Alex Wong / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Gary Grumbach and Raquel Coronell UribeA federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Sunday to stop airing ads funded by the U.S. government that portray President Donald Trump in a favorable light, effective immediately.

The lawsuit was brought by the watchdog group Common Cause; Robert Hunter, a Democratic candidate for a seat in the Alabama state House; and a labor union in New York and its political action committee. The suit was one of several similar complaints — including one by the Democratic National Committee — that were filed to get the ads off the air.

“Plaintiffs have demonstrated that they are likely to succeed on the merits, will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction, the balance of the equities tips in their favor, and an injunction serves the public interest,” U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon of the Southern District of New York wrote.

The administration had said in a court filing Saturday that the Department of Homeland Security, via a vendor, had placed ad buys through Sunday and had told the vendor to not purchase ads beyond that day.

Rochon said the plaintiffs’ argument was not moot, however, and ordered the Trump administration to “cancel or cause to be cancelled” any ads from airing or being disseminated, including those set to air Sunday night.

The White House, DHS and the Office of Management and Budget, which are all named as defendants in the suit, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling. MAGA Inc., which Trump had said last week would help him fund the ads moving forward, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We won’t stop until this administration is held fully accountable, and no president from any party can waste and abuse taxpayer funds for propaganda ever again,” Solomón said.

The ads — one of which was nearly identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad — came under scrutiny by critics who argued that using taxpayer money could be illegal and called the spots propaganda.

ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleGary GrumbachGary Grumbach is an NBC News legal affairs reporter, based in Washington, D.C.

Raquel Coronell UribeRaquel Coronell Uribe is a politics reporter for NBC News.