A US court on Sunday ordered the Donald Trump administration to cancel television commercials funded with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote the president’s political message.
The money used for the ads came from a $175 million package Congress allocated to the department as part of Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.
“Defendants shall not enter into, renew, or expand any agreement authorizing the development, creation, dissemination, placement, or airing of the challenged advertisements” during the two-week period covered by the order, the judge said. US district judge Jennifer L Rochon in New York issued a temporary restraining order directing the administration to cancel any remaining ads, including those scheduled to air on Sunday night.
One of the commercials closely replicates an advertisement Trump ran during his 2024 presidential re-election campaign. Because they are not aimed at helping the public access or benefit from specific government programmes, however, the recent ads differ from many past public service announcements. The White House has defended the commercials as public service announcements, similar to those used by previous administrations to promote government policies.