Judge orders Trump administration to take down three taxpayer-funded ads days before midterms
A federal judge in New York ordered the Trump administration to remove three government advertisements that a coalition including Common Cause said used public money for "partisan propaganda". The White House called it a "lawless order".
US District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon in New York on Friday 30 October blocked the Trump administration from airing three advertisements that a lawsuit said broke restrictions on using taxpayer money for “publicity and propaganda,” The Washington Post reported.
The judge ordered the ads, titled “$5,000 to Americans,” “Every Democrat Voted Against No Tax on Tips” and “Cost of Socialism,” removed from government websites and social media accounts, and said any planned distribution through third parties must be cancelled. The order is in effect for 14 days, covering Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The case was brought by a coalition including the nonprofit group Common Cause, which said the ads “use public funds for partisan propaganda.” The plaintiffs had sought the removal of at least 13 ads, but the judge declined to order the others taken down, the Associated Press reported, according to the Post.
Rochon said there was no reason to delay removing the ads because the order came on a Friday, noting that an earlier order over a weekend had not been followed immediately. “Everyone is here. Everyone can hear my order,” she said, according to AP.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement: “This Biden-appointed activist judge issued a lawless order to stop the administration from sharing patriotic videos.”
Sources
- Judge blocks Trump administration from airing 3 taxpayer-funded ads · The Washington Post
Related coverage
All world news →
Federal judge bars Trump administration from threatening election officials over ballots before Tuesday's midterms
US District Judge Trina Thompson issued an order on Friday night barring the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security from threatening or coercing state and local election officials to stop processing ballots of voters the administration alleges are ineligible. The order runs until 16 November.
Virginia and Washington DC sue to stop construction of Trump's triumphal arch at Memorial Circle
Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit on Saturday seeking to block construction of President Donald Trump's planned triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, which the administration says will begin on 5 November. The White House said the arch would be "one of the most iconic landmarks" in the world.
Federal judge blocks Trump administration's narrower 'medically frail' definition in Medicaid work requirement rule
US District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston ruled that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unlawfully limited who counts as 'medically frail' and therefore exempt from new Medicaid work requirements, siding with 25 states and the District of Columbia. He upheld other parts of the rule.
US judge rules Justice Department unlawfully fired prosecutor Maurene Comey and orders her reinstatement; department says it will appeal
Judge Jesse Furman ruled in Manhattan on Monday that the firing of Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor and daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, in July 2025 was unlawful. He ordered her retroactive reinstatement with back pay. The Justice Department said it disagreed and would appeal.
US Supreme Court leaves in place order blocking Trump administration's policy on care for transgender federal inmates
The Supreme Court declined to pause a federal judge's order that bars the Bureau of Prisons from enforcing a policy ending hormone therapy and other accommodations for transgender inmates. Justices Thomas and Alito would have granted the administration's request.
Katie Zacharia out as White House press secretary after five days
Officials said she is moving to a new role. Her exit followed a short first briefing and her acknowledgement that she had not passed the bar exam.
