A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop airing advertisements funded by the US government that show President Donald Trump in a positive way. The order took effect immediately on Sunday and blocks the use of federal money for the disputed ads.
US District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued the ruling in the Southern District of New York. The case was brought by government watchdog Common Cause, Robert Hunter, a Democratic candidate for an Alabama state House seat, and a New York labor union and its political action committee.
The plaintiffs argued that public money should not be used for advertisements that could benefit the president politically. Their lawsuit was among several legal challenges seeking to stop the ads. The Democratic National Committee also filed a separate complaint over the issue.
Rochon said the plaintiffs had shown that they were likely to succeed in their case. She also found that they could face serious harm without court action and that stopping the ads served the public interest.
The judge ordered the administration to cancel any remaining advertisements covered by the case. The order includes spots scheduled to air on Sunday night and prevents the government from continuing to distribute them.
The ruling came after the administration told the court that the Department of Homeland Security had arranged advertising purchases through a contractor. In a filing on Saturday, officials said the existing orders would run through Sunday. They also said the contractor had been instructed not to purchase additional advertisements after that day.
However, Rochon ruled that this step did not make the lawsuit unnecessary. The ads already scheduled to run could still be shown, so the court ordered the administration to take further action to stop them.
The judge also barred the administration from using money allocated to Homeland Security to develop, create, place, publish, distribute or air the disputed advertisements.
The White House, Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget were named as defendants in the case. None had immediately responded to requests for comment on the decision.
MAGA Inc., which Trump said last week would help fund the advertisements in the future, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plaintiffs welcomed the court’s decision. In a joint statement, they said the ruling would prevent further taxpayer money from being used for advertisements they described as unlawful political messaging.
They argued that a president should not use government agencies and public funds approved by Congress for other purposes to influence election results.
Common Cause President and Chief Executive Virginia Kase Solomón said the group would continue its legal efforts. She said the organisation wanted the administration to be held accountable and hoped to prevent future presidents from using taxpayer money for political propaganda.
The advertisements had faced criticism because opponents said they appeared to promote Trump rather than serve a clear public information purpose. One of the spots was described as nearly identical to an advertisement used in Trump’s 2024 campaign.
The dispute raises questions about the limits of government-funded communication. Federal agencies often use advertisements to explain public services, policies and safety measures. However, the plaintiffs argued that the advertisements in this case crossed a line by presenting the president in a favourable political light.
The court’s decision focuses on the specific advertisements challenged in the lawsuit and the use of funds allocated to Homeland Security. It does not establish that all government advertising is unlawful.
The administration’s earlier decision to stop buying new ads was not enough to end the legal dispute. The judge’s order requires officials to ensure that the challenged advertisements are no longer aired or distributed.
The ruling is an immediate legal setback for the administration’s advertising effort. Further court proceedings may address questions about the case and how the order should be applied.
For now, the Trump administration must comply with the injunction. The decision places a direct limit on the use of Homeland Security funds for the disputed advertisements while the wider legal dispute continues.
