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JD Vance declares a meme war… and Democrats are furious

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Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s sombrero memes depicting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., will continue until Democrats reopen the government.

It’s a meme war… and Democrats are furious.

Vance brushed off outrage over the AI-generated videos showing Jeffries wearing a sombrero and fake mustache.

“Oh, I think it’s funny,” Vance said. “The president’s joking and we’re having a good time. You can negotiate in good faith while also poking a little bit of fun at some of the absurdities of the Democrats’ positions and even, you know, poking some, some fun at the absurdity of the Democrats themselves.”

“I’ll tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make this solemn promise to you: If you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop,” Vance said, drawing laughs in the briefing room.

Take a look —

The administration has pinned blame on Democrats for the government shutdown, arguing members of the party are trying to push through a measure that would provide healthcare to illegal immigrants. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., confirmed Tuesday that Democratic demands include healthcare for illegal immigrants. Democrats have denied this is their primary concern.

House Republicans tried to move a clean continuing resolution, but Senate Democrats thwarted the stopgap funding measure.

Trump posted the first meme Monday night to Truth Social after Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer visited the White House for talks on funding the government. The AI-generated video edited Schumer’s words and put a cartoonish mustache and sombrero on Jeffries while mariachi music played in the background. An AI-generated voice said “nobody likes Democrats anymore” due to “our woke, trans” agenda.

Trump posted a second AI meme Tuesday that edited an interview between Jeffries and MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell. The video showed four AI-produced Trumps playing in a mariachi band as a sombrero and mustache came into frame and landed on Jeffries’s face.

The White House also posted on X —

Sen. Ted Cruz posted his own sombrero content with the caption: “The 44 Senate Democrats who voted for Schumer’s Shutdown should know that the Sombrero posting will continue until they re-open our government. 🎶 Hey, Macarena! 🎶”

Take a look —

Jeffries and other Democrats complained the videos were racist.

“Mr. President, the next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video,” Jeffries saID. “When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face.”

Vance said he was confused by the racism claims since Jeffries is not Mexican-American.

“Hakeem Jeffries said it was a 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?” Vance said.

“And I saw one of the major TV stations put the meme up and then say, this is AI generated. And he had like the curly animated mustache, too. … Do you really not realize the American people recognize that he did not actually come to the White House wearing a sombrero and a black, curly animation mustache? Like, give the country a little bit of credit,” he said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s social media posts.

“He likes to share memes. He likes to share videos, he likes to repost things that he sees other people post on social media as well. And I think it’s quite refreshing that we have a president who is so open and honest directly himself,” she said.

About the Author

Stephen is a U.S. Army veteran with over a decade of combined experience in political commentary, economics, and news.