President Donald Trump has fired a new salvo in his social media war with Democrats, posting a mocking video that blames them for the government shutdown and says there will be no giving in to their demands to end it.
Newsweek has contacted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Trump, long known for his use of memes and trolling in political discourse, began sharing AI-altered images of Democratic leaders last month during delicate budget negotiations that ultimately failed to prevent the government from shutting down early on October 1.
Controversy over his videos highlights the role of social media and satire in shaping perceptions during high-stakes political standoffs, with both parties accusing each other of bad faith and bigotry amid the disruption of essential public services.
What To Know.
On Thursday, Trump posted a video on his Truth Social platform of a young man in a poncho and sombrero imitating the president’s speech pattern and gestures.
The “fake Trump” mocks Schumer and Jeffries, whom he refers to as “Cryin’ Chuck and El Hakimo Jefe Jeffries.”
“Welcome to the Schumer shutdown. We call it the Schumer siesta,” the fake Trump says.
An earlier AI-altered video that Trump posted showed Jeffries wearing a sombrero and cartoon mustache, with similar satirical depictions of Schumer. The clip used digitally generated voices that parodied Democratic positions on health care and immigration.
As in the earlier videos, Thursday’s clip repeats a Republican attack line that Democrats want to secure free health care for undocumented immigrants.
“They put the government on siesta to give illegal aliens your health care. We’re not going to let it happen,” the fake Trump says, making a claim Democrats have repeatedly denied.
According to Democrats, they are seeking to extend subsidies before they expire at the end of the year to prevent “15 million Americans” from being kicked off their health care plans because of the provisions made in the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The legislation would see health care provisions expire in 2027, including for legal immigrants accessing subsidies.
The fake Trump ruled out giving in to Democrats’ demands.
“We’re going to end the siesta. We’re going to reopen the government, and we will not give in to the demands of Chuck and El Jefe. We’re not going to do that,” he said in the latest video.
Democrats, including Schumer and Jeffries, have denounced Trump’s spoof videos as bigoted and racist. They have also cited them as evidence that he is not taking the government shutdown seriously.
What People Are Saying
Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Thursday: “Hakeem Jeffries said it was racist, and I know that he said that, and I honestly don’t even know what that means. Like, is he a Mexican American that is offended by having a sombrero meme? … The president of the United States likes to have a little bit of fun.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X on Wednesday: “JD Vance thinks we will surrender to the Republican effort to gut healthcare because of a Sombrero meme. Not happening Bro.”
What Happens Next
The government shutdown is expected to continue until bipartisan agreement is reached on a funding package. Both parties have remained publicly entrenched in their positions, with no compromise immediately in sight.