The Democratic National Committee sued President Donald Trump and parts of his administration on Wednesday over a series of recent taxpayer-funded video advertisements that the complaint calls "a blatant violation of the statutory ban on the use of appropriations for 'publicity or propaganda purposes.'" "President Trump personally…
Page B40From§Eachthe morning edition — 8 October 2026
THE INVOICE
DNC sues to stop $12 million in taxpayer-funded Trump ads his own Super PAC still hasn't paid back.
As it ran on the front
Ruth here, money desk. Let's run the filing against the table.
Begin with the schedule. The president priced a Republican Congress at five thousand dollars a head. This month the Treasury started mailing the first installment, and the first installment is ninety dollars.…
…(cont) Now the ad money, because that's where the ledgers meet. Common Dreams reported on September 25th that a thirty-second spot glorifying the president was airing on Fox, Newsmax, and CBS. By September 29th, the Wall Street Journal and congressional Democrats had traced the financing to the Department of Homeland Security, through Customs and Border Protection.
By this week the running total, per the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, was more than twelve million dollars. The DNC's complaint, filed Wednesday in federal court in Washington, itemizes it further: the White House Office wrote the ads, the Office of Management and Budget moved twenty million dollars to fund them, and CBP put them on the air. That is three line items across three agencies for one man's name recognition, which is not how an appropriation is supposed to read.
Here is the number that does the reconciling. The ads promote a candidate. The campaign has a Super PAC. The Guardian reports that Super PAC has refused to reimburse the Treasury for any of it. So the taxpayer fronted twelve million dollars for a campaign ad, and the campaign — the entity whose job is paying for campaign ads — has declined to pay this one. The bill sat on the desk long enough that the DNC had to go to a federal judge to get it paid, or stopped.
The lawsuit asks a court to halt the ads outright. It calls the spending, in the statute's own words, "publicity or propaganda purposes" — the exact category Congress wrote a ban around when it appropriated the money in the first place.
Ninety dollars. Twenty million. Twelve million. Zero reimbursed. The checks went out slower than the ads did, hon, and only one of those two mailings had anyone's reelection riding on it.
“They took twenty million out of the border budget to run ads telling you how great the guy running the border budget is. The campaign that benefits from those ads won't pay a dime of it back, so you're not watching a commercial, you're watching a loan you never co-signed. Ninety bucks shows up in your mailbox the same month twelve million shows up on your TV, and only one of those numbers was ever about you.”
“Look, the government communicates with citizens all the time, that's — that's just public information, it's not a campaign ad. Okay, it ran a recycled 2024 campaign spot on Fox and Newsmax, but the statute's really about intent, and intent is a gray area — did I just defend the border budget for funding his greatest-hits reel? That's not — forget I said that.”
Earlier in this story
- New York Post crowns Social Security's 2027 raise before Social Security announces what it is. By Ruth · the noon edition, 7 October 2026
- Trump pledges $5,000 for a Republican Congress, delivers $90 to seniors instead. By Ruth · the coffee break edition, 7 October 2026
- Republicans go quiet on the border promise they kept; the $90-for-$5,000 count continues. By Ruth · the sunrise edition, 7 October 2026
- Republicans' promised $5,000 arrives as $90, a $4,910 shortfall Treasury won't explain. By Ruth · the matinee edition, 6 October 2026
- Treasury mails the promised $5,000 in a $90 deposit, won't name the account that paid it. By Ruth · the noon edition, 6 October 2026
- GOP sells $90 as proof $5,000 is coming, then admits on record it won't buy the senior vote. By Ruth · the breakfast edition, 6 October 2026
The receipts
Ads promoting the president have cost more than $12m and his Super Pac has refused to reimburse taxpayers Sign up to The Stakes 2026: your weekly guide to the US midterms The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration in federal court on Wednesday, asking a judge in Washington DC to stop the president from using taxpayer…
Sen. Blumenthal: the Secret Service diverted $1.17 billion in appropriated funds toward the ballroom project Sen. Blumenthal, official release
DNC sues Trump administration over taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting presidentThe Democratic National Committee sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday over taxpayer-funded television ads promoting his political message, alleging illegal government propaganda. The lawsuit seeks to halt federal funding for the ads, which have cost more than $12 million to air ahead of November’s midterm elections…
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· 'Pure Cult Propaganda': Outrage Grows Over 'Illegal' Taxpayer-Funded Ad of Trump Begging for Your Love from the morgue, 25 Sep 2026
· House Democrat 'far less worried' about democratic socialists than Republicans 'complicit' with Trump from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies from the morgue, 4 Oct 2026
· Trump says Ukraine and Russia have agreed to energy target ceasefire from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Witkoff touts 'substantive progress' after peace talks with Ukraine, Russia from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Trump envoys hail ‘encouraging’ talks in Kyiv to end Russia-Ukraine war from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Witkoff, Kushner to visit Moscow and Kyiv in renewed push to end Russia-Ukraine war from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Trump says US to send one-time $90 payment to 20m seniors enrolled in Medicare from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Trump announces US will send $90 checks to 20 million seniors enrolled in Medicare from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Analysis Finds Up to 10 Million People Have Lost Healthcare Coverage During Trump's Second Term from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· Treasury confirms plan to auto-enroll millions of children in Trump accounts from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· The Big Beautiful Bill Is Starting to Bite Before the Election from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· 'Sickening and Unacceptable': Anger Mounts as Trump and Vance Gleefully Rip Healthcare From 750,000 from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Many Americans are relying on multiple forms of credit to cover expenses. When is it a warning sign? from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Trump gave ‘the red meat,’ Vance was playing for independents: Bob Cusack from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Fox News’s Baier presses Vance on Trump’s $5K dividend promise from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Pritzker: Vance is Trump's 'chief bootlicker' from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Bessent Defends Faltering Bond Market Intervention from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Bessent says Treasury is ‘examining’ ability to cut $5,000 checks without Congress from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Bessent’s move to tamp down rising rates backfires as bond yields jump, stocks tumble from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· The bond market is revolting — and your mortgage is the first casualty from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Fiscal hawks skeptical of Bessent’s claim that US can ‘grow our way out’ of $40 trillion debt from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026
· Bessent blasts Warren’s ‘sciolistic’ letter about yen policy from the morgue, 29 Aug 2026
· Soros-funded Philadelphia district attorney insinuates Trump is a ‘35-time felon,’ calling $5,000 dividend a bribe from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Soros-funded Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Thursday from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Voters have a blunt message for Trump about his idea to dole out $5,000 checks from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Why Donald Trump has a Joe Biden problem from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Does Trump have a 'Biden problem' on the economy? from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Trump’s $5,000 dividend falls flat with GOP senators from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Trump sees backlash over $5K dividend pledge from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump plan to raise debt limit on shaky ground from the morgue, 26 Aug 2026
· 5 things to know about Trump's $5K dividend pledge from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Vance strikes back at concern $5,000 Trump dividend will stoke debt: ‘Wealth will go back to the people’ from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Marshall backtracks on support for $5,000 Trump dividend in Kansas Senate debate from the morgue, 12 Sep 2026
· Vance and MAGA Inc. work to defend Roger Marshall in redder Kansas from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Roger Marshall Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator. from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Conservatives would scream ‘bloody murder’ if Democratic president offered dividend to maintain power: Guy Benson from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Will Trump's payout promises boost Republican appeal to white women? from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Republicans need a Reagan-style vision to win the battle over America's future from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Trump’s promised $5,000 ‘dividend’ checks: What to know from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump’s Reckless $5,000 ‘Dividend’ from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Republicans bet the House on Trump from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Axelrod dismisses the idea of the proposed $5000 ‘Trump dividend’ from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump pledges $5K 'Trump dividend' if Republicans hold onto Congress from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump says $5K dividend checks to Americans will 'happen 100 percent' from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Lawler deflects on supporting Trump's $5K dividend pledge: 'How do you pay for it?' from the morgue, 13 Sep 2026
· GOP rep says priority 'needs to be the military,' not $5K checks from the morgue, 13 Sep 2026
· Susan Collins calls Trump’s $5,000 dividend proposal with no cap ‘extraordinarily costly’ from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Bret Baier presses Paxton on Trump $5K dividend payment support from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Gavin Newsom calls Trump’s $5K voter payout ‘bulls—’ and a ‘desperate’ power grab from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Trump pitches $5,000 checks, but only if GOP wins House and Senate from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump's $5,000 payments would reignite inflation, economists say from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Why Trump's promised $5,000 payments to Americans are unlikely to happen from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Bond yields rise modestly after Trump's dividend pledge from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· GOP leaders blindsided by Trump’s promise of $5K checks from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump promises Obamacare rebates to people in swing states from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Steve Scalise says details of $5,000 dividends would "obviously have to be worked out by Congress" from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump’s $5,000 dividend pledge divides Republicans over spending from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Many Republicans skeptical about Trump plan to tie $5,000 dividends to GOP wins from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Anger Grows Over 'Pathological Liar-in-Chief' Donald Trump's $5,000 Midterm Bribes from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Spiking Bond Yields Pay the Rich and Squeeze Everyone Else from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump-aligned group releases first midterm ads — and they’re all about him from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· The Memo: Bond market turmoil heightens midterm risks for Trump and GOP from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump’s Plan To Cut $5,000 Checks For Americans Not Landing With Many Midterm Convention Attendees from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Texas Democrat Gina Hinojosa backs Trump’s $5,000 dividend but rejects conditional payout from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Voters may accept Trump’s bribes, but the bond markets aren’t biting from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· In Trump's Second Term, Average US Family Forced to Spend $3,800 More on Essentials from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026
· Why not to bank on Trump's $5,000 dividend checks happening from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump shares details on $5,000 dividend with CBS News Texas from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Some Republicans Balk at Trump’s $5,000 ‘Dividend’ Offer from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· The political risk behind Trump’s $5,000 pledge: From the Politics Desk from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Bob Cusack raises concerns over Trump’s $5,000 check proposal: ‘Deficits matter, debt matters’ from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Global sell-off in government bonds intensifies from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Trump vs. the Bond Market from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· The United States House of Representatives passes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 by 227 votes to 203. After being sent to the United States Senate for a vote, the Senate's parliamentarian found tha from the morgue, 19 Dec 2017
· The attorney general of New York announces she is suing the Donald J. Trump Foundation and its directors, President Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump. (CNBC) from the morgue, 14 Jun 2018
· Trump gambles big on midterm elections with convention spotlight from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Vulnerable Republicans divided over wisdom of Trump’s midterm convention from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Republican strategist knocks Trump for not spending more on GOP candidates from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Republicans ready for 'very hasty' 'Trump-a-palooza' convention in Texas from the morgue, 30 Aug 2026
· Some Republicans are planning to skip Trump’s GOP convention from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· Trump promises $5,000 ‘dividend’ for adult Americans if Republicans win midterms from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.