● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
Trump Campaign Ads Continued Airing After Court Order to Block Them
Key points
- Government-funded Trump ads aired after a judge issued a TRO.
- The order blocked ads due to potential violation of anti-propaganda law.
- Ads continued airing on October 11 and 12 despite the order.
- A US attorney apologized to the court for the non-compliance.
Court Order Issued Against Government-Funded Ads
US District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Sunday, October 11, blocking government-funded commercials featuring Donald Trump. The order took effect at 6:45 pm that night, citing a likely violation of a US law prohibiting government-funded publicity or propaganda. The judge's order specifically mandated the cancellation of ads, including those scheduled for the evening of October 11.
Continued Airing Despite Judicial Block
Despite the court order, the commercials continued to air on the night of October 11 and into October 12. The Trump administration had previously informed the court on October 10 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advertising purchases were set to expire on October 11 and would not be renewed. This non-compliance occurred even after Trump's October 5 statement that he would personally fund the ads.
Content of the Commercials
The commercials included various messages, with the most widely aired one featuring Trump criticizing perceived enemies and stating his intention to "liberate America from these villains once and for all." Other ads praised Trump's presidential record, declared the US the "most exceptional nation ever," and discussed topics like the Iran war and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Government Apology and Explanation
A US attorney filed a status report and issued an apology for the continued airing of the ads. US Attorney Jamie McDonald stated that the court emailed the TRO to the parties at 6:46 p.m. on October 11, and government counsel emailed it to agency counsel at 7:58 p.m. Agency counsel reportedly did not become aware of the email until the following morning, leading to the delay in compliance.
Advertising Contract Details
The ads were part of a $20 million purchase order made by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on September 20 with LMD Agency, an advertising firm. The DHS informed the court that the ad placements through October 11 had cost $19 million.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
Commercials paid for by the US government, featuring Donald Trump, continued to air on television despite a judge issuing a temporary restraining order blocking them due to potential violations of a law against government-funded propaganda. The ads, part of a $20 million purchase by US Customs and Border Protection, aired on October 11 and 12 after the order took effect on October 11, leading to an apology from a US attorney to the court.