President Donald Trump ran TV ads featuring himself that were paid for by the federal government.
Oct 9, 2026, 5:43 PM CT
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The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is suing the Trump administration, alleging they violated anti-propaganda laws by airing television ads featuring the president which were funded by taxpayers.
The state party is working with Democracy Defenders Action and the campaign of Yee Leng Xiong, the Democratic nominee for state treasurer.
“While Wisconsinites can barely afford basic needs, the Trump administration is using our taxpayer dollars for illegal Republican campaign ads,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker. “The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has never rolled over in the face of threats from MAGA extremism— and we are joining Democracy Defenders Action and Yee Leng Xiong’s campaign to fight back against the Trump administration and his billionaire buddies’ attempt to buy another election in Wisconsin. When Wisconsinites turn on the TV, we want to watch the Brewers and Packers keep winning, not be insulted with our own tax dollars being wasted on ads to prop up a failing President.”
On Sept. 23, Trump began airing a series of political ads, all paid for by the federal government.
The funds were appropriated for the southern border and honoring Department of Homeland Security employees, including those who died in the line of duty, according to a complaint.
The attorney for the WisDems, Norman Eisen, writes in the complaint that the ads are tributes to the president and were “directed toward supporting the Republican Party and Republican candidates for partisan political offices in the upcoming election.” At no point do the ads direct the viewer to a government service.
Following backlash, Trump announced that his super PAC would pay for the ads moving forward, but he does not plan to reimburse the government for the ads.
The lawsuit seeks a judgement to find the ads unconstitutional and that Trump should reimburse taxpayers.
Drake Bentley is the general assignment reporter for the Milwaukee Courier, covering politics, sports and the community. He is an award-winning investigative journalist who has worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal, Newsweek, Heavy and The Sporting News. He is a northside Milwaukee native, former political staffer and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Nebraska.
