Trump’s Memes and Deepfakes Spark Controversy During Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House defended President Donald Trump‘s use of AI-generated videos and social media posts while trolling Democrats during the ongoing government shutdown on Friday.

On Thursday, Trump posted a video featuring Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought as the ‘Grim Reaper,’ as his administration threatens mass layoffs of federal workers. The video displays Vought walking through the Capitol dressed as the Reaper, while a voice declares, ‘Here comes the Reaper.’

Earlier that day, Trump met with Vought, who co-authored Project 2025, a conservative playbook advocating for significant cuts to federal agencies and staffing levels. Following the video post, Vought announced he would withhold federal funding for transit projects in several Democratic-run cities, including Chicago, New York, and New Jersey.

In a separate post, Trump shared another AI-generated video of himself wearing a ‘TRUMP 2028’ hat while mocking House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The video depicted Jeffries with a fake mustache and sombrero, which Jeffries condemned as ‘racist’ and ‘bigoted’ during an MSNBC interview on Friday.

Jeffries criticized the president’s approach, claiming it demonstrated Republicans’ intent to shut down the government. ‘Donald Trump is in the presidential witness protection program,’ he said. ‘No one can find him when it comes to the government shutdown issue because he knows he’s responsible for having caused it.’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Jeffries’ comments as ‘ridiculous fodder,’ stating that Trump enjoys having fun but also has to make tough decisions regarding federal employment during the shutdown.

‘Nobody wants to lay people off,’ Leavitt stated. ‘But sometimes in government, you have to make the tough decisions.’ When pressed about potential layoffs after the shutdown, she avoided direct answers.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance defended Trump’s memes, asserting they were meant as jokes and insisted that Trump’s approach was simply part of his style. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed this, acknowledging that while the situation was serious, people were engaging with the memes for entertainment.

Johnson stressed support for federal workers, noting that Vought does not seek to fire anyone if it can be avoided. Legal experts have pointed out that only Congress has the power to declare cuts to federal agencies, questioning the legality of Trump’s social media threats regarding layoffs.

The White House has yet to clarify its stance on the legality of the claims and the potential impact of firing unpaid employees.