President Trump used an AI-generated video to mock Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Monday, hours after he met with the Democratic congressional leaders at the White House to discuss the looming government shutdown.
The faux footage, posted by Trump on Truth Social, shows Jeffries – depicted with a mustache and sombrero – standing silently next to Schumer, who, in a fake voice, argues in favor of giving “illegal aliens free healthcare” as part of an effort to court “new voters” for the Democratic Party.
A traditional Mexican folk song plays over the 35-second video, for which the White House appears to serve as the backdrop.
Schumer and Jeffries both slammed Trump over the post.
“If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums,” Schumer wrote on X, sharing the digitally-altered video.
“Bigotry will get you nowhere,” Jeffries tweeted. “Cancel the Cuts. Lower the Cost. Save Healthcare. We are NOT backing down.”
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Trump posted the fake clip about four hours after the Democratic congressional leaders emerged from the White House and said “very large differences” remain over cuts to various healthcare programs, with just over 24 hours left to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown.
Republicans have accused Democrats of wanting to provide illegal migrants access to government-subsidized healthcare programs as part of their pitch to keep the government open — a claim Democrats have denied.
Vice President JD Vance, who attended the meeting with Trump, Schumer, Jeffries and Republican congressional leaders, told reporters after the get-together that he believes the government was “headed into a shutdown.”
Lawmakers face an 11:59 p.m. Tuesday deadline to pass legislation to keep the government funded.
If no bill is passed, after the deadline, all nonessential government operations will cease for the first time since the 35-day shutdown in late December 2018 and early January 2019.
