Democrats Sue US Administration Over Taxpayer-Funded Ads Praising President

 

Democratic Party officials have filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent US President Donald Trump’s administration from spending public money on television advertisements that praise him, arguing that the campaign violates restrictions on the use of government funds for political propaganda.

 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) filed the case in a federal court in Washington, alleging that the advertisements breach a statutory prohibition on using appropriated funds for “publicity or propaganda purposes”.

 

The advertisements, which began airing in late September, have triggered criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over the use of taxpayers’ money to promote the president.

 

A separate lawsuit was filed in New York on Wednesday by watchdog group Common Cause, a public employee union and a candidate for the Alabama state legislature. The plaintiffs are also seeking a court order to stop the advertisements, arguing that they amount to personal publicity and political propaganda rather than public-service announcements.

 

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump described the advertisements as “a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” but said they would no longer be financed by taxpayers. The White House subsequently said his political action committee, MAGA PAC, would fund the campaign.

 

However, the DNC said the advertisements continued to run after Trump’s announcement, prompting it to pursue legal action.

 

“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 defence of free and fair elections,” the lawsuit stated.

 

The advertisements were broadcast during football games as recently as Sunday, as well as during other television programmes. The New York Times reported that Trump had personally instructed the White House budget director to use taxpayer money to pay for the television spots, citing people familiar with the matter.

 

One advertisement features Trump declaring that “America will never be a communist country”, while a chorus repeats the words “love me”. Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of the president describing the period as a “golden age of America”.

 

A more recent advertisement also features ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. A source briefed on the matter told Reuters that the government-funded advertisements were expected to end this week.

 

The White House has said MAGA PAC will not reimburse taxpayers for advertisements that have already aired. The television spots conclude with a disclaimer stating that they were paid for by the US government.