Democrats sue to stop Trump from using taxpayer funds for self-promoting ads

The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration in federal court on Wednesday, seeking a judge in Washington to halt the president from using taxpayer funds to air a campaign series of ads promoting himself, arguing that such materials constitute illegal government‑sponsored propaganda.

The ads, many of which have been repurposed from the 2024 presidential bid, have already cost taxpayers more than $12 million, according to media tracker AdImpact.

Ken Martin, the DNC chair, said in a statement that Trump was misusing taxpayer dollars in “a last‑ditch attempt to boost Republicans in November. Americans deserve better than to have their hard‑earned money fund Trump’s illegal schemes.”

Following a bipartisan opposition to the misuse of public money during the final weeks of the midterm campaign, Trump announced on Monday that the Maga Inc Super Pac he controls will finance the ads rather than the Treasury.

However, two days later the White House clarified that the political action committee will not reimburse the government for prior expenditures, and a subsequent ad—celebrating Trump’s military operation in Venezuela—was funded by the United States government as well.

The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleges that the ads breach federal statutes prohibiting the use of congressionally appropriated funds for “publicity or propaganda.”

“President Trump personally directed this illegal activity. The White House office crafted the partisan message. The Office of Management and Budget redirected $20 million to cover the costs. And U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) executed the rollout. These unlawful actions are ultra vires and violate the Administrative Procedure Act,” the filing reads.

The suit further notes that the opening advertisement features an image of FIFA president Gianni Infantino handing Trump a “Football Peace Prize” to underscore the claim that the entire series breaches the ban on taxpayer funding for self‑aggrandizement.

Additional allegations cite recent polling from Reuters/Ipsos indicating that an overwhelming majority view the practice as inappropriate: 86 percent oppose using taxpayer funds for TV ads featuring the president around an election, while 80 percent of Republicans called the ads unacceptable and only 17 percent of the president’s own party approved.

Broadcast venues for the advertisements include ABC, NBC, MS Now, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and Newsmax, and they have appeared during televised events such as NFL matches, NCAA games, and talk shows including *Meet the Press*, *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*, and *Saturday Night Live*.

The litigation also references eight other spots prepared for air that were stored in a Dropbox account controlled by LMD Agency Inc., the government contractor overseeing the ad production.

Details of those forthcoming ads describe: a celebration of UFC bouts held at the White House on Trump’s sixth birthday; a fan‑generated hymn titled “God Made Trump” shown at the 2024 Republican national convention; the documentary‑style piece “Resilience,” which intercuts images of Trump’s 2015 presidential announcement, his 2023 Georgia arrest conviction, and footage of a shooter target on election day; and “King of the Jungle,” a lion‑threat imagery segment that disparages political rivals such as former President Barack Obama.

In February, Trump posted a provocative animal metaphor comparing him to a lion and opposing candidates—such as Joe Biden—to chimpanzees wearing auto‑pens parked outside the White House.

CNN, which accessed the Dropbox folder last week, reported the addition of an extra ad that attacks Joe Biden by displaying a satirical picture of the former president depicted as an auto‑pen installed along the exterior wall of the White House.

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