U.S. President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence (AI) video on his social media page mocking Democrats and their popularity while also underscoring a Republican attack line that Democrats will shut down the government if they can’t secure free health care for illegal immigrants.
Why It Matters
The U.S. is on the brink of a government shutdown after high-stakes negotiations at the White House between Trump and congressional leaders ended in a stalemate.
The funding crisis, largely centered on health care policy disputes, threatens widespread disruption to federal operations and could put the income and benefits of thousands of government workers and services at risk.
To avoid a government shutdown, a deal would need to be struck by Wednesday.
What To Know
The AI video that Trump posted shows Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer talking at a podium with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, shown wearing a sombrero, standing next to him.
“Look guys, there’s no way to sugarcoat it, nobody likes Democrats anymore,” the digitally altered Schumer says. “We have no votes left because of all of our woke, trans bulls***. Not even Black people want to vote for us anymore, even Latinos hate us, so we need new voters, and if we give all these illegal aliens free health care, we might be able to get them on our side so they can vote for us.”
“They can’t even speak English so they won’t realize we’re just a bunch of woke pieces of s***, you know, at least for a while until they learn English and they realize they hate us too,” the fake Schumer says.
The funding crisis is largely centered on health care policy disputes but the Democrats say undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in federally funded health coverage under existing law or under their Democrats’ funding proposals.
The real Schumer responded to Trump’s post with his own social media comment, saying on X: “If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums.”
Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he thinks the government is headed for a shutdown because “Democrats won’t do the right thing” after Trump met Democratic Party leaders at the White House.
Schumer said after the meeting: “There are still large differences between us.”
What People Are Saying
Vance, on X September 25: “Democrats are about to shutdown the government because they demand we fund healthcare for illegal aliens.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, in an interview with CNN on Monday: “Chuck Schumer … wants to reinstate free health care for illegal aliens paid by American taxpayers. We are not doing that. We can’t do that.”
U.S. Senator Patty Murray, top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said in a statement, as reported by The New York Times: “Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in federally funded health coverage under existing law or Democrats’ funding proposal — but millions of American citizens will see their health care premiums double next year if Republicans keep refusing to act.”
What Happens Next
To avoid a government shutdown, a deal needs to be struck by Wednesday. A shutdown would bring widespread disruption to federal operations and could imperil the income and benefits of thousands of government workers, along with services.
