JD Vance promises 'sombrero memes will stop' for Hakeem Jeffries if Dems cave

Vice President JD Vance made an unusual promise while speaking at a White House presser on Wednesday that if Democrats compromise with Republicans to reopen the government, President Donald Trump’s deepfake video mocking House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) “will stop.”

Vance held the news conference amid the ongoing government shutdown, which kicked off at midnight Wednesday after Democrats refused to go along with a Republican-proposed temporary spending measure, a move sparked by Republicans’ own refusal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Amid the chaos, Trump has posted to social media two deepfake videos depicting Jeffries wearing a sombrero with a handlebar mustache, and mariachi music playing in the background, in what critics have labeled as “deeply racist.”

During the news conference, a reporter asked Vance whether he believed it was “helpful” to share such controversial content, given the stakes lawmakers face as the federal government grinds to a halt.

“Oh, I think it's funny! The president's joking! And we're having a good time,” Vance said, smiling.

“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 poking some fun at the absurdity of the Democrats themselves. I'll tell Hakeem Jeffries right now: I make this solemn promise to you that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop. I've talked to the president of the United States about that.”

Both Democratic and Republican Party leaders have largely dug their heels in the sand in their positions, leaving some experts to speculate that the ongoing shutdown could reach, or even surpass, the United States’ longest shutdown in history, which occurred in 2019 and lasted 35 days.