U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, (R-LA) speaks to the media following a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on a stopgap spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown that would otherwise begin October 1, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. U.S., September 19, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) berated House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) at the Capitol on Tuesday over a social media post President Donald Trump made that she called "racist."
On Monday, Trump posted an AI-generated video of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) after the two top Democrats departed the White House from a budget negotiation meeting with the president. The video features Jeffries in a sombrero and was dubbed with mariachi music.
Video captured by CNN shows Johnson telling Dean that the video is "not [his] style."
"Not your style?" Dean shot back. "It's disgraceful. It's bigoted. It's racist. You should call it out!"
"Is it racist?" Johnson asked.
"Is it racist? You put a sombrero on a Black man who is the leader of the House. You don't see that as racist?" Dean said. "We need you to lead on this!"
The exchange stunned CNN's Jake Tapper and his guests, who discussed the video on Tuesday's broadcast of "The Lead."
"Republicans don't really seem to have an answer for that kind of post by the president," Tapper said.
Tapper's guest, journalist Jonah Goldberg, said the exchange was "remarkable."
"The Republican caucus is so cowed that they don't know how to draw any distinctions about defensible behavior, indefensible behavior, and truly venal, corrupt behavior," Goldberg said.