A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop airing government-funded advertisements that present President Donald Trump in a positive light. The order took effect immediately on Sunday and bars officials from using federal funds to produce or distribute the disputed ads.
US District Judge Jennifer Rochon, who serves in the Southern District of New York, issued the ruling after a legal challenge from watchdog group Common Cause, a Democratic candidate for an Alabama state House seat, and a labor union in New York with its political action committee.
The lawsuit argued that taxpayer money should not be used for advertisements that could help a president politically. The case was one of several legal efforts seeking to stop the campaign-style spots, including a separate complaint filed by the Democratic National Committee.
Rochon said the plaintiffs had shown that their case was likely to succeed. She also found that they could suffer harm without a court order, that the balance of interests supported their request, and that an injunction served the public interest.
The ruling directs the administration to cancel any remaining advertisements covered by the case. This includes spots scheduled to air on Sunday evening, as well as advertisements that could be distributed through other channels.
The decision came after the administration told the court that the Department of Homeland Security had already arranged advertising purchases through a contractor. In a filing on Saturday, officials said the purchases were scheduled to run through Sunday and that the contractor had been told not to buy more ads after that date.
However, the judge rejected the argument that the case no longer needed court action. She said the plaintiffs’ concerns remained relevant and ordered the administration to ensure that the disputed advertisements would not be aired or shared.
The order also restricts the use of funds allocated to the Department of Homeland Security. The department cannot use those funds to develop, create, place, publish, distribute or air the advertisements challenged in the lawsuit.
The White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget were named as defendants. They had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the ruling.
MAGA Inc., which Trump said last week would help pay for the advertisements in the future, also had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
The plaintiffs welcomed the judge’s decision. In a joint statement, they said the ruling would prevent more taxpayer money from being spent on advertisements they viewed as unlawful political messaging.
They argued that the president should not be able to use government agencies and money approved by Congress for other purposes to influence election outcomes.
Common Cause President and Chief Executive Virginia Kase Solomón said the legal fight was not over. She said the group would continue to seek accountability and work to prevent future administrations from using public money for political messaging.
The dispute centers on whether the government can use public funds for advertising that critics say promotes the president rather than serving a clear public purpose. Government agencies often use advertisements to share information about services, policies and public safety. The legal question in this case concerns the specific ads challenged by the plaintiffs and how federal funds were used to support them.
Critics had drawn attention to one advertisement that was described as nearly identical to a Trump campaign ad from 2024. They argued that the similarity raised concerns about whether government resources were being used for political purposes.
The case also comes amid broader debate over the use of federal agencies and public funds during an election period. The plaintiffs say the restrictions are needed to protect public resources from being used to influence voters.
The administration’s earlier decision to stop buying additional advertisements did not end the dispute. The court’s order now requires the challenged ads to be cancelled, including those already scheduled to run.
The ruling does not settle every legal question surrounding government-funded advertising. However, it places an immediate limit on the administration’s use of Homeland Security funds for the specific advertisements at the center of the case.
Further legal proceedings may determine how the order is applied and whether additional action is needed. For now, the administration must comply with the judge’s directive and stop the disputed advertisements from being aired or distributed.
