Judge blocks taxpayer-funded TV ads praising Trump weeks before the midterms

A federal judge in Manhattan on Sunday ordered the Trump administration to stop spending public money on television ads that praise the president. The spots began running in late September and drew criticism from members of both parties.

What the court did

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued a temporary order barring the government-funded ads. She acted on a lawsuit from a coalition led by the watchdog group Common Cause. The group argues the commercials are campaign material meant to lift Republican candidates in the Nov. 3 midterm elections rather than genuine public service messages.

The other plaintiffs include a union that represents public workers and a candidate running for a seat in the Alabama state House. They had pressed the judge to act by Friday so the spots would not air during weekend broadcasts such as college football games and late-night comedy.

The administration was already pulling back

In a filing made Saturday the government told the court it had already planned to stop paying for the ads. The president has defended the commercials as a cheerful promotion of the country. The White House said this week his political action committee would cover the cost from now on.

That committee will not pay back the Treasury for the ads that already ran however. Each of the spots closes with a line saying the U.S. government paid for it.

Reaction

Common Cause leader Virginia Kase Solomón said the group would keep pushing until the administration is held fully accountable. She said no president of either party should be able to spend public money on propaganda again.

The Justice Department did not immediately comment on the order. Democratic Party officials have filed a separate challenge to the ads in federal court in Washington.

Why it matters

The ruling lands with just over three weeks left before voters decide control of Congress. Spending public dollars on messages that look like campaign ads has long been a sore point in Washington and the fight over these spots is likely to continue in both courtrooms.