Washington, DC — The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration Wednesday, alleging that millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded television advertisements promoting President Donald Trump amount to illegal government propaganda.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, asks a judge to stop federal money from financing the campaign and declare the advertisements unlawful. The spots began airing in September and have cost more than $12 million to broadcast, according to AdImpact. The broader campaign was funded through $20 million allocated by the Department of Homeland Security.
The advertisements feature Trump praising his administration’s accomplishments and closely echo themes from his political campaigns. They have aired less than a month before the midterm elections and carry disclaimers stating they were “paid for by the U.S. Government.”
Trump recently said future advertisements would instead be financed by MAGA Inc., the super PAC aligned with him. However, another taxpayer-funded spot aired afterward, and the administration has not committed to reimbursing money already spent.
The White House maintains the spots are legitimate public-service announcements similar to messaging used by previous administrations. Critics from both parties have questioned whether the campaign violates federal restrictions on using appropriated funds for publicity or propaganda. A separate lawsuit challenging the advertisements has also been filed by a coalition led by Common Cause.
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