The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has filed a lawsuit against United States President Donald Trump regarding television advertisements that were funded by taxpayers and allegedly used to promote his political policies. Ken Martin, chair of the DNC, stated on Wednesday that the ads were intended to improve Republican prospects in the upcoming midterm elections on November 3. Martin claimed, "Donald Trump is misusing millions of taxpayer dollars to fund pure propaganda ads in a last-ditch attempt to save Republicans in November."
On the same day, the democracy watchdog group Common Cause filed a second lawsuit concerning the same advertisements, arguing that they were "overtly political" and violated laws prohibiting the use of public funds for political propaganda. Common Cause stated, "These ads are not public-service announcements; they are personal publicity and political propaganda through and through."
Both lawsuits assert that Trump directed the White House to repurpose $20 million in funds allocated by Congress for commemorative activities related to border security to create the ad campaign, which they argue violates the separation of powers established in the U.S. Constitution. Common Cause's lawsuit noted, "The founders made clear more than 200 years ago that the executive can spend money only according to Congress’s direction."
The lawsuits also reference a provision in Congress's appropriations bills that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for "publicity or propaganda purposes." Both complaints seek to have the ads declared illegal, stop further expenditures, and recover any funds already spent on the advertisements. The DNC's lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., while Common Cause's complaint will be heard in the Southern District of New York.
Trump has faced criticism over the ads, which began airing in September and have reportedly cost over $12 million, according to media tracking firm AdImpact. The $20 million used for the ads comes from a $175 million package allocated to the Department of Homeland Security as part of Trump's immigration enforcement agenda. Critics have noted that one of the ads closely resembles a television spot from Trump's 2024 re-election campaign.
Three ads have aired thus far: one features a choir singing "love me" alongside Trump declaring the U.S. will "never be a communist country"; another showcases images of Mount Rushmore as Trump announces a new "golden age of America"; and the third presents Trump in black and white warning of a "final battle" against the "deep state" and other perceived enemies.
A recent poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos indicated that the ads are unpopular, with 86 percent of Americans surveyed, including four out of five Republicans, deeming it inappropriate for Trump to use public funds for them. Trump has defended the ads as "promotion for the country," claiming they are similar to outreach campaigns from previous administrations. However, following bipartisan criticism, Trump announced on Monday that taxpayer funds would no longer be used for future advertisements, though he did not commit to reimbursing the money already spent on the existing ads. Members of Trump's Republican Party have also criticized the ad campaign, with Senator Thom Tillis comparing the advertisements to those produced by former Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged agreement with one of the advertisement's messages but stressed that it should not be funded by taxpayer dollars.