President Donald Trump’s obsession with trolling his critics is as soon as once more overshadowing the disaster at hand. With the federal authorities grinding to a halt, Trump was seemingly extra centered on igniting petty feuds as a substitute of fixing the shutdown.
After being embarrassed by Democratic Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries’ viral clapback to his AI put up, Trump visibly struggled to recall the lawmaker’s identify throughout a White Home press briefing — then hours later reignited the battle with one other put up that critics say revealed the place his focus actually was.
Whereas repeating his false declare about reducing drug prices by 1,000 %, Trump awkwardly dismissed the lawmaker who had simply scorched him on-line.
“Even within the dialogue … Chuck Schumer was right here yesterday together with ahhh … a really good gentleman who I didn’t actually know. You already know who I’m speaking about,” Trump muttered.
The unusual stumble instantly raised eyebrows. Many weren’t shopping for the act, mentioning that Trump knew Jeffries effectively sufficient to focus on him simply hours earlier with a racist AI video — depicting the New York congressman in a sombrero with a handlebar mustache.
“Traditional Trump. Dismissing a key Black chief like he’s some random man at a rally. Jeffries isn’t only a identify to overlook, he’s a powerhouse holding the road for working households,” one individual wrote.
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One other piled on, “The Black man. Yeah him. What an a—gap.” Others have been much more direct, “He’s nonetheless pissed concerning the put up.”
Trump’s fumble got here because the U.S. federal authorities formally shut down at midnight Wednesday, the primary since 2018 throughout Trump’s first time period. The deadlock adopted failed negotiations over well being care funding, with Democrats demanding Republicans restore Medicaid cuts enacted over the summer time and prolong Reasonably priced Care Act subsidies set to run out at yr’s finish.
The lapse will furlough tons of of hundreds of staff, halt providers like passport processing, and depart the nation’s 1.3 million active-duty army with out pay. Nationwide parks, museums, and meals inspections are grinding to a halt as federal operations go darkish.
Even with Individuals bracing for the fallout, Trump turned his consideration again to trolling, leaving many shocked.
Late Tuesday night time, he mocked Jeffries and Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer once more by posting a behind-the-scenes photograph of Oval Workplace negotiations, planting Trump 2028 hats in entrance of the 2 Democrats and others whereas mockingly pointing towards Jeffries.
“As soon as once more, Trump proves he doesn’t simply lead the nation…he drags it straight into the gutter. Racism isn’t management; it’s cowardice masquerading as outrage,” one remark learn on X in response to the surprising timing of the put up.
Trump had already sparked outrage by sharing the racist AI deepfake of Jeffries and Schumer on Monday night. The video, slammed as “beneath the dignity of the workplace,” drew requires impeachment and was extensively ridiculed on-line.
The video was described as “one of the crucial demented issues” Trump has posted.
One other added on Threads, “He ought to sue Trump for 200 million {dollars}, for defamation and lies Trump ought to be referred to as out by republicans in congress for his infantile habits he’s UNFIT 25 Modification Now.”
Jeffries wasted no time in firing again. He resurfaced a photograph of Trump grinning beside Jeffrey Epstein with the caption, “That is actual.” The brutal counterpunch lit up X with reactions like “Lastly,” “Good!” and “It’s about rattling time. Take the gloves off!”
The next day Jeffries went even additional, daring Trump to confront him immediately, “The following time you have got one thing to say about me, don’t cop out by means of a racist and pretend AI video. After I’m again within the Oval Workplace, say it to my face.”
Regardless of GOP efforts to border Democrats because the accountable occasion for the shutdown, many observers identified that Republicans management the White Home and each chambers of Congress.
Nonetheless, the Trump administration doubled down on its narrative Wednesday, formally branding the stoppage because the “Democrat Shutdown.”
On the White Home web site, the administration accused Democrats of engineering the disaster, declaring, “This shutdown is 100% on Democrats, whose radical agenda is poisoning our politics and punishing our folks.”
The assertion went on to warn of ripple results throughout the nation, from lapses in meals help for low-income ladies and youngsters to suspended telehealth providers for Medicare sufferers, all whereas insisting that Trump and Republicans “won’t be held hostage” by what they referred to as “shameful political gamesmanship.”
Democrats, nonetheless, rejected that framing, with Schumer and Jeffries each emphasizing that restoring cuts to well being care was a non-negotiable a part of holding the federal government open.
