Vice President JD Vance laughed off questions about the White House's memes, depicting several members of Congressional Democrats in sombreros with fake mustaches.
"Every day Democrats keep the government shut down, the sombrero gets 10x bigger. DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN," read an X post by the White House.
Every day Democrats keep the government shut down, the sombrero gets 10x bigger. 🪇
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 1, 2025
DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN™️ pic.twitter.com/WzfsvlgTDm
The 44 Senate Democrats who voted for Schumer’s Shutdown should know that the Sombrero posting will continue until they re-open our government.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 2, 2025
🎶 Hey, Macarena! 🎶 pic.twitter.com/coNBfnGXcY
"Oh, I think it's funny," Vance said on Wednesday when asked if the sombrero memes were "helpful." "The president's joking and we're having a good time. You can negotiate in good faith while also poking a little bit of fun at some of the absurdities of the Democrats' positions and even, you know, poking some, some fun at the absurdity of the Democrats themselves."
"I'll tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make this solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop," he continued.
If @RepJeffries helps us open the government right now, the sombrero memes will stop.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 1, 2025
This is my solemn promise. pic.twitter.com/pL99Wsun4i
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, other Democrats, and several media outlets have decried the sombrero meme's as "racist."
"Mr. President, the next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video. When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face," Jeffries said on Tuesday, according to Politico.
Vance, however, seemed confused that Rep. Jefferies and others found the joke racist, as the House Minority Leader is not a Mexican-American.
"Hakeem Jeffries said it was a racist, and I know that he said that. And I honestly don't even know what that means. Like, is … he a Mexican-American that is offended by having a sombrero meme?" Vance said. "And I saw one of the major TV stations put the meme up and then say, this is AI generated. And he had like the curly animated mustache, too. … Do you really not realize the American people recognize that he did not actually come to the White House wearing a sombrero and a black, curly animation mustache, like, give the country a little bit of credit."