EXCLUSIVE: Judge Blocks $20Million Trump Ad Blitz Featuring Pete Hegseth as White House Faces New Court Deadline
Trump’s $20million taxpayer-funded ad campaign, featuring Pete Hegseth, has been blocked by a federal judge.
Oct. 29 2026, Published 6:45 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump's $20 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign has been dealt another courtroom blow after a federal judge blocked a series of promotional commercials – including one featuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praising the president's military leadership – RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan issued a temporary restraining order on October 28, prohibiting federal agencies from developing, airing, or continuing to distribute five advertisements challenged by the Democratic National Committee.
Pete Hegseth's Military Message Under Scrutiny
Hegseth's voiceover praising Trump's military leadership appeared in one of five advertisements.
The ruling also orders the Trump administration to submit a compliance report by October 30, just days before the November 3 midterm elections.
Among the advertisements identified in the 35-page ruling is a commercial titled American Military Power, which began airing September 30. The advertisement highlights American military operations in Iran, combining footage of military action with clips of Trump.
Hegseth delivers a voiceover declaring that Trump has "reminded the world, as he has time and time again, that being an American means something unbreakable."
Court records reveal that a version of the commercial was uploaded to the White House's official YouTube channel on September 11. Although Hegseth appears in the advertisement, the ruling does not accuse him personally of authorizing improper expenditures.
$20Million Spending Decision Exposed
Federal records show $20million in border-security funds were redirected toward a national advertising campaign.
The controversy centers on money originally appropriated for border-security activities.
According to the ruling, Customs and Border Protection requested an additional $20million for commemorative events on September 19. The Office of Management and Budget approved the request less than two hours later.
The following day, the Department of Homeland Security issued a $20million purchase order to advertising contractor Lepugh Inc., operating as LMD Agency, for a national media campaign. The campaign included advertising placements on major television networks, cable news programs, and football broadcasts.
The DNC argued that taxpayer dollars were being improperly used to finance political messaging benefiting Trump and Republican candidates
Judge Questions Government's Defense
Government attorneys did not defend the advertisements' legality under the federal spending laws.
The challenged commercials included Final Battle, an advertisement featuring Trump promising to "demolish the Deep State" and confront his political opponents. The DNC alleged that the commercial closely resembled Trump's 2024 campaign advertising.
Government attorneys argued that additional court intervention was unnecessary because federal agencies had already stopped purchasing new advertising placements. However, the judge found that the DNC demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on its Administrative Procedure Act claim.
The ruling also noted that government attorneys had not defended the advertisements' substantive legality under the federal spending statutes cited in the lawsuit.
White House Faces October 30 Deadline
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Trump's administration must report its compliance with the judge's temporary restraining order by October 30.
Trump previously announced that he intended to finance the advertisements himself, alongside money raised for the MAGA Inc. political organization.
Nevertheless, court records indicate that some challenged commercials continued airing after that announcement. AliKhan ordered OMB and DHS to halt distribution of the five advertisements, including through authorized third parties. The agencies must now explain their compliance in a court filing due October 30.
The temporary restraining order remains effective for 14 days from October 28, subject to extension. The parties must also propose a schedule for further injunction proceedings by November 2, setting up another courtroom confrontation over the administration's advertising campaign.
