Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) instructed Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) that he ought to ignore the AI-doctored movies President Trump has posted picturing him in a sombrero, calling them a “sideshow” distracting from ending the federal government shutdown.
Johnson in a press convention Thursday introduced up Jeffries being “all alarmed” by movies that Trump has posted, which edit a sombrero and mustache onto Jeffries — an obvious reference to Republicans’ shaky claims that Democrats are demanding free well being look after immigrants within the nation illegally. Jeffries had referred to as the video “racist,” difficult Trump to “say it to my face.”
Johnson downplayed the movies.
“These are games. These are sideshows. People are getting caught up in — in battles over social media memes,” Johnson mentioned. “This is not a game. We’ve got to keep the government open for the people. I don’t know why this is so complicated.”
“And to my friend Hakeem, who I was asked about: Man, just ignore it,” Johnson mentioned.
The Speaker introduced up California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) posting a video depicting Johnson as a yellow cartoon minion from the “Despicable Me” cartoon.
“I mean, Gavin Newsom was trolling me last night. He painted me like a minion. He painted me yellow with big glasses and overalls. And I thought it was hilarious. You don’t respond to it. Don’t respond to it,” Johnson mentioned.
“Get to work, do the people’s business, and let’s get on with it.”
Johnson was confronted by Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) over the preliminary crude AI-generated video of Jeffries and Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) earlier this week.
CNN’s Manu Raju posted a video of the confrontation, with Johnson saying the video “wasn’t my style.”
“Not your style? It’s disgraceful. It’s bigoted. It’s racist. You should call it out,” Dean responded.
Vice President Vance on Wednesday mentioned he thought the video was humorous.
The president’s joking, and we’re having an excellent time,” Vance mentioned. “You possibly can negotiate in good religion whereas additionally poking somewhat little bit of enjoyable at a number of the absurdities of the Democrats’ positions.”
Vance mentioned that if Jeffries helped reopen the federal government, “the sombrero memes will stop.”
