Judge orders Trump administration to immediately stop taxpayer-funded TV ads

A federal judge on Sunday ordered the Trump administration to stop any remaining television ads paid for with taxpayer money and promoting the president’s political message.

The temporary order lasts two weeks. It bars officials from entering into, renewing or expanding agreements to develop or air the challenged ads. The judge directed the administration to cancel any remaining commercials, including those scheduled for Sunday night.

The Department of Homeland Security allocated $20 million for the campaign. The administration had said the ads were coming to an end, and the Justice Department argued in a court filing that an order was unnecessary because the campaign would end the next day.

A DHS official said the money came from congressional appropriations that could be used, among other things, to commemorate border-security efforts. Legal experts cited in the reporting questioned whether the spending violated federal restrictions on using public funds for publicity or propaganda.