A federal judge has extended a temporary ban on taxpayer-funded television ads praising President Trump until November 8, ensuring the ads stay off the air past Election Day, and scheduled a November 4 hearing on whether to make the restriction permanent.
The ruling continues an earlier court order that bars the Trump administration from airing the ads. With midterm elections approaching, the extended ban means the government cannot run the pro-Trump spots at least until after voters have cast their ballots. The judge set the November 4 hearing to consider arguments for a longer-term injunction.
The decision keeps the taxpayer-funded ads, which laud the president, from airing in the final stretch of the campaign. The administration is prohibited from broadcasting them under the current order through at least November 8. Further details on the ads’ content, the original lawsuit, or the specific legal grounds for the ban were not outlined in the immediate ruling.