DNC lawsuit accuses Trump administration of diverting $20M in federal funds for 'propaganda' ads

The Democratic National Committee is suing the Trump administration, alleging it illegally diverted $20 million in federal funds to produce and broadcast partisan political advertisements.

The ad campaign was designed to boost Republican prospects in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections and shore up President Donald Trump’s approval ratings, a move the DNC argues constitutes unlawful "publicity or propaganda," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit claims President Donald Trump personally directed the campaign, violating the longstanding statutory ban on using federal appropriations for "publicity or propaganda purposes." REPUBLICAN PARTY TO HOST HISTORIC MIDTERM CONVENTION IN DALLAS, TRUMP ANNOUNCES ON TRUTH SOCIAL "President Trump’s political propaganda ads are an attempt to resuscitate his historically low approval ratings and avoid widespread Republican defeats in the 2026 midterm election," the lawsuit states.

"The President has nationalized the midterm election, made himself the center of a two-day ‘midterm convention,’ and repeatedly directed voters to ‘pretend that I am on the ballot.’" The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) transferred the funds from money authorized under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to court filings.

2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN The OMB approved reallocating the funds into a U.S.

Customs and Border Protection line item designated for "Commemorative Events," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also notes that congressional committee reports explicitly restricted that line item to line-of-duty death memorials, agency anniversaries and commendation ceremonies.

"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this week.

"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.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" The lawsuit highlights mounting pressure on Republicans, noting that polling numbers have dropped in traditional battlegrounds as well as in typically conservative states, which leaves Democrats "poised to take control of Congress, governor’s mansions , and state legislatures around the country." MADURO CLAIMS IMMUNITY, ASKS JUDGE TO DISMISS DRUG-TRAFFICKING CHARGES AGAINST HIM AND HIS WIFE Among the ads flagged in the filing is one featuring President Trump touting the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro .

In another spot, Trump directly addresses the audience: "With you at my side, we will demolish the deep state.