Trump posts racist, vulgar AI deepfake of Schumer and Jeffries amid shutdown standoff

AI-altered video escalates shutdown standoff as talks stall

President Donald Trump on Monday posted a profane, apparently AI-modified video featuring Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, mocking his main negotiating partners as a potential shutdown nears.

In the clip, a digitally altered Schumer says "nobody likes Democrats anymore" because of "all of our woke trans bulls***," and claims Democrats want to give undocumented immigrants healthcare to gain "new voters." A silent Jeffries stands beside him wearing a sombrero and a handlebar mustache.

The healthcare claim misstates current policy. Undocumented immigrants cannot access most federally backed healthcare programs. Democrats are pushing to maintain expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and other health funding available to citizens and "lawfully present" immigrants-not to undocumented people.

Jeffries condemned the post, calling it a "malignant distraction from people who are determined to continue to rip healthcare away." He added, "It's a disgusting video and we're gonna continue to make clear bigotry will get you nowhere. We are fighting to protect the healthcare of the American people in the face of an unprecedented Republican assault." He also posted a photo of Trump with the late Jeffrey Epstein, captioned, "This is real."

Rep. Ro Khanna called the video "abnormal," adding, "You don't mock someone and put a video out about how they look. You don't ever mock people's ethnicity. How do you negotiate with that?"

Sen. Roger Marshall defended the president's post as "said in jest," saying it was meant to toy with the press "like a little boy" taunting a dog with a flashlight.

Despite a Monday meeting among Vice President JD Vance, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Jeffries, and Schumer, the parties appeared no closer to an agreement. A shutdown is slated to begin late Tuesday absent a deal.

Why this matters for government employees

• Operating posture: Shutdown planning, comms, and service continuity are in the spotlight. Mixed signals or misinformation can complicate readiness.
• Information integrity: AI-altered content can distort policy debates, trigger harassment, and confuse stakeholders. Rapid verification is essential.
• Negotiation climate: Personal attacks increase friction, making last-minute compromises harder and extending uncertainty for programs and personnel.
• Public trust: Racial and ethnic stereotypes in official-adjacent content can damage institutional credibility and invite scrutiny of agency culture and conduct.

Practical steps for agencies and teams

• Tighten verification: Route viral clips through established review before referencing or reacting. Use media forensics tools and a second-review rule for leadership comms.
• Unified messaging: Keep talking points on service status, points of contact, and what is and is not affected by a shutdown. Avoid engaging with taunts or personal content.
• Fact baseline on healthcare: Reaffirm that undocumented immigrants are generally ineligible for most federal health benefits; ACA subsidies apply to citizens and "lawfully present" immigrants. Maintain a short FAQ for frontline staff.
• Conduct standards: Remind employees of policies on harassment, discrimination, and official-use channels. Flag content that depicts protected classes or stereotypes for immediate review.
• Incident reporting: If AI-altered media targets your agency or personnel, log the incident, preserve evidence, and notify legal, CIO/CISO, and PA/Comms per protocol.
• Scenario drills: Rehearse 24-48 hour shutdown comms, including out-of-office templates, call center scripts, and website banners. Pre-clear language with counsel.
• AI awareness: Circulate short guidance on spotting deepfakes and synthetic audio/video. CISA's deepfake primer is a useful starting point. See CISA guidance.

Current policy context on immigrant health coverage

Claims in the video conflict with established policy. Federal law generally bars undocumented immigrants from Medicaid, Medicare, ACA marketplace subsidies, and CHIP, with limited exceptions for emergency care. Some health funding proposals at issue involve maintaining ACA subsidies and support that apply to citizens and lawfully present immigrants.

For a neutral explainer on immigrant eligibility, see the Kaiser Family Foundation's overview. KFF fact sheet.

What to watch

• Shutdown timing: Whether leaders can pass a short-term continuing resolution before the deadline.
• Message discipline: If official statements move back to policy details (funding levels, conditions) versus personal attacks.
• Senate leverage: How health funding and ACA subsidy extensions are packaged in any deal that reaches the floor.
• Digital risk: Additional AI-altered content entering the debate and its impact on negotiations, employee safety, and public service workflows.