DNC sues Trump, alleging misuse of federal funds for ‘propaganda’ ads

The Democratic National Committee is suing the Trump administration over advertisements the White House has placed on television using taxpayer dollars.

The Trump administration has spent over $20 million to roll out campaign-style public service announcements on television stations throughout 2026, with messages on each of the ads saying “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” The DNC filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the administration for the videos in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

“The Trump Administration is using taxpayer dollars to air political advertisements, a blatant violation of the statutory ban on the use of appropriations for ‘publicity or propaganda purposes,’” the DNC lawyers argue in the complaint.

The DNC mentioned five specific ads in their lawsuit: one called “The Country He Loves,” one celebrating the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, one called the “Final Battle,” one called “Mount Rushmore,” and one called “American Military Power.”

The five advertisements feature a smattering of imagery celebrating President Donald Trump’s policies and rhetoric, denouncing socialism and communism, and displaying American military might during the Iran war.

A White House official previously told the Washington Examiner that the “Country He Loves” ad, which omits references to political activities or voting, is “clearly not political” and does not “have a call to action.”

“I’m not promoting myself because I’m not running for office,” Trump said of the ads last week. “I’m promoting the country.”

As part of its requests to the court, the DNC asked the judge to declare that the Trump administration “acted unlawfully by developing and airing the propaganda ads using Congressionally appropriated funds.” They also asked the court to bar the Trump administration from using appropriated funds for future ads.

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The White House referred the Washington Examiner to Trump’s Oct. 5 post on Truth Social that read, “The Radical Left is upset with the fact that I am taking Ads, which I consider to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A., and paying for them with U.S.A. money. This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”

Trump announced on Monday that he would pay for the ads himself and with funds from his super PAC, MAGA, Inc., amid the backlash from Democratic lawmakers. But the White House told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that this did not include reimbursements to taxpayers for the already placed ads.