From Ars Technica · · 3m
Trump ads kept running after judge blocked them
Government-funded commercials continued airing on TV despite a court order to stop, raising questions about compliance with federal law.
In brief
Government-funded commercials continued airing on TV despite a court order to stop, raising questions about compliance with federal law. A federal judge blocked Trump administration ads as likely violations of law banning government propaganda, but they kept airing after the order took effect. Originally reported by…
Judge blocks government ads
US District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued a temporary restraining order on Sunday, October eleven, blocking Trump administration commercials paid for by the government at six forty-five pm that night.
What the ads said
The most widely aired commercial showed Trump railing against his perceived enemies, saying he would liberate America from these villains once and for all.
“liberate America from these villains once and for all”
Why the judge blocked them
Judge Rochon found the ads likely violated the two thousand twenty-six Consolidated Appropriations Act, which bans government funding for publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by Congress.
The ads were purely partisan
Rochon wrote that the Trump administration did not contest that the advertisements are purely partisan and unconnected to the Department of Homeland Security's official functions.
“are purely partisan”
One ad recycled from 2024
One commercial was almost identical to an ad used during Trump's two thousand twenty-four campaign, except the funding disclaimer now identified the United States government rather than his presidential campaign.
The ad's specific promises
The recycled ad showed Trump walking down a hallway promising to demolish the deep state, drive out the globalists, cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists, throw off the sick political class that hates our…
“demolish the deep state, drive out the globalists, cast out the communists, Marxists and fascists, throw off the sick political class that hates our country, and rout the fake news media”
Ads kept running after the order
Despite the temporary restraining order taking effect at six forty-five pm on October eleven, the ads continued airing that night and into October twelve, running nearly four hundred times after the order took effect.
Government said ads would stop
The Trump administration had told the court on October ten that the Department of Homeland Security advertising purchases were set to expire on October eleven and would not be renewed, making a court order unnecessary.
The cost of the campaign
US Customs and Border Protection made a twenty million dollar purchase order on September twenty with LMD Agency, an ad firm.
Government apologizes for noncompliance
A US attorney filed a status report saying the government is now complying with the order and issued an apology, explaining that agency counsel did not become aware of the temporary restraining order until the…
What happens next
Judge Rochon scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to discuss next steps. The temporary restraining order is in place for two weeks but can be converted into a preliminary injunction to keep the ads off the…
The key point
A federal judge blocked Trump administration ads as likely violations of law banning government propaganda, but they kept airing after the order took effect.
