DNC sues Trump administration over taxpayer-funded TV ads

The Democratic National Committee sued Donald Trump on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking a court order blocking his administration from using taxpayer money for election-related TV ads (Reuters). The suit accuses Trump of a “blatant violation of the statutory ban on the use of appropriations for ‘publicity or propaganda purposes.’”

Taxpayer-funded ads glorifying Trump began airing in late September, sparking bipartisan backlash. On Monday he said on Truth Social he considered them “a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” but that they would no longer be taxpayer-funded; his MAGA Inc. super PAC would fund them instead (Reuters; AP).

The DNC says the ads kept airing, stating: “With less than 30 days remaining before the midterm election and millions of public dollars apportioned to pay for propaganda ads still unspent, the DNC has no choice but to take action in defense of free and fair elections” (Reuters).

The ads ran during football games as recently as Sunday, and The New York Times reported Trump personally directed the White House budget director to use taxpayer money for the spots; per media tracking firm AdImpact they have cost over $12 million to run, with $20 million in Homeland Security Department funding tapped (Reuters; AP).

A fifth ad began airing Tuesday with the notice “paid for by the U.S. Government,” promoting Trump’s military actions in Venezuela earlier this year; a source told Reuters the government-funded ads will end this week, with outside groups taking over (AP; Reuters).

DNC Chair Ken Martin called it “a last-ditch attempt to save Republicans in November.” The spots end with a U.S. government disclaimer and feature Trump declaring “America will never be a communist country” while a chorus repeats “love me,” Mount Rushmore imagery praising a “golden age of America,” and ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro; the White House said the PAC won’t reimburse taxpayers for ads already run (AP; Reuters).