Taxpayer-funded advertisements featuring President Donald Trump aired hundreds of times after a judge issued a temporary restraining order, CNN reported in its early October 13, 2026, broadcast.
A Justice Department lawyer apologized for the subsequent airings, according to CNN. The department said it had not learned of the Sunday order until Monday. CNN reported that $19 million in taxpayer money had already been spent on the ads.
The order was requested by a coalition led by nonprofit watchdog Common Cause. CNN described it as a 14-day restriction, rather than a final ruling in the case.
Common Cause senior vice president for policy and litigation Omar Noureldin told CNN the group was examining the ads’ presence on the White House YouTube page, branded Trump TV. He said the group would first speak with the Justice Department. Seeking an order to remove the ads from YouTube was a possible next step under discussion.
The broadcast also included a CBS interview clip in which Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended public service announcements praising America.
