Judge Orders Stop To Trump Taxpayer-Funded TV Ads

October 12, 2026 5:13 am

A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote his political message. The administration said the ad campaign was already coming to an end. The judge sided with a coalition that challenged the ads as an illegal misuse of funds. She told the administration to cancel any remaining ads, including any set to air Sunday night, in granting a temporary restraining order. Asked for comment, the White House referred to an Oct. 5 social media post from Trump in which he defended the taxpayer-funded ads as “rather standard” but, amid backlash, said he would pay for them from his political fundraising.