Judge Extends Block on $20M Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon extended a temporary restraining order that blocks a nearly $20 million advertising campaign funded through Customs and Border Protection money and featuring President Donald Trump. The Sunday, Oct. 11 order required the administration to stop airing the ads and cancel remaining placements; on Wednesday she kept the block in place through Nov. 8. The ads included at least five videos with a paid-for-by-the-U.S.-government disclaimer. One used JMSN’s song Love Me; the musician said the White House lacked permission. The case is Common Cause v. Department of Homeland Security in SDNY. Plaintiffs include Common Cause, Democracy Forward, SEIU Local 32BJ, and an Alabama House candidate; the DNC sued separately in D.C. The Justice Department argued the suit was moot because the campaign was set to end the night of Oct. 11. The judge rejected that claim. Plaintiffs said spots continued into Monday afternoon. DOJ lawyers apologized, saying some federal employees did not see the order until Monday morning. The White House pointed to a Truth Social post in which Trump wrote that the Radical Left is upset he is taking ads he considers positive promotion for the U.S.A. paid for with U.S.A. money, and that he has decided to do the patriotic ads and pay for them himself and with money raised for MAGA, Inc. The administration has called the spots public-service announcements akin to prior administrations’ messaging. A hearing on a more permanent order is set for Nov. 4 per WOAI; IJR cites an Oct. 13 date; The Hill reports a separate DNC hearing in Washington for Thursday morning.