For a man who has been so intertwined in the meme world during his ascent to the Vice Presidency, JD Vance sure doesn’t seem to know how to tell the difference between a “good” meme and a “bad, wildly racist” meme.
When Donald Trump posted the latest in a long line of AI-generated, very clearly unhinged, videos to his Truth Social account, anyone with even the most base form decency could see that it was incredibly offensive to just about anyone from any cultural background.
The deep fake video depicted Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero and a mustache with mariachi music playing in the background. The video was an attempt to drive home the false Maga claim that Democrats are trying to provide healthcare for illegal immigrants. It wasn’t funny. It was racist. Two points JD Vance got wrong in his defense of his dear leader.
JD Vance: “On the sombrero thing, Hakeem Jeffries said it was racist. And I don’t even honestly know what that means. Like, is he a Mexican-American that is offended?” pic.twitter.com/80nxaUZHU7
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2025
“It was just a joke” and “Come on guys, relax” probably wouldn’t hold up in court. Vance is openly defending racism. Even more shameful, Vance went on to threaten Jeffries by saying he will only stop the “sombrero memes” once the government shutdown comes to an end. (The very same shutdown Vance and his majorities can end whenever they please.)
Three more years to go, people. Deep breaths.
1.
He knows exactly what it means and he knows it’s racist. He just doesn’t care that it’s racist because he’s also racist and he would never say anything negative about his cult leader.
— Bluedog (@HereLiesBlueDog) October 1, 2025
2.
Vance is a racist so he wouldn’t recognize racism from another person.
— Carol Dahlberg (@RVnGrammy) October 1, 2025
3.
Everything is ‘funny’ when Trump does it.
Whenever anyone else says or does anything they like, pearls are clutches, calls for cancellation come fast, and the right inveigh against free speech and in favor of ‘civility’. https://t.co/j2yK1CSGq6
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 1, 2025
4.
If he doesn’t know that’s racist, he needs to step down. He’s too fucking dumb to be there.
— Brown Eyed Susan (@smc429) October 1, 2025
5.
“We’re having a good time!”
…while we continue to build a golden ballroom & not pay the men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line for this country, while farmers are going bankrupt, while rural hospitals are closing & millions are going without healthcare. pic.twitter.com/49Woc5uyQR
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 1, 2025
6.
JD Vance thinks we will surrender to the Republican effort to gut healthcare because of a Sombrero meme.
Not happening Bro. pic.twitter.com/TDVpPSSG6A
— Hakeem Jeffries (@hakeemjeffries) October 1, 2025
7.
This is absolutely disgusting.
The Trump WH is playing the racist@hakeemjeffries
Sombrero video in the WH press briefing room.This is Trump’s America.pic.twitter.com/Cw4j5t2bk7
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) October 1, 2025
8.
Calling JD a pig is an insult to pigs.
— Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) October 1, 2025
