The White House's attempt to troll top Democrats with a Cinco de Mayo post backfired after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded with a meme linking President Donald Trump to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The White House shared an AI-generated image on Tuesday showing Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing sombreros and drinking margaritas, with a sign reading 'I love illegal immigrants.' The post was captioned: 'Happy Cinco de Mayo to all who celebrate!'
Cinco de Mayo, or the 'fifth of May,' commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French in 1862. While it remains a significant historical date in Mexico, it is often celebrated in the United States with Mexican food, drinks, and music.
In a swift rebuttal, Schumer posted a real photo of Trump and Epstein from decades ago, when they moved in similar social circles. The image was doctored to add sombreros to both men's heads. Trump's past association with Epstein has been a subject of scrutiny during his second term, though the president has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing. Epstein, a wealthy financier, died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving minors.
Trump initially appeared reluctant to release government files related to Epstein, but Congress passed a bill compelling the Justice Department to disclose the documents. The DOJ subsequently released millions of documents and images, though critics allege not all files were disclosed and some were excessively redacted.
This is not the first time Trump has used AI-generated content to target Democrats. Last fall, he shared a similar video of Jeffries in a sombrero during a government shutdown standoff, which drew accusations of racism. In that video, a character resembling Schumer said: 'If we give all these illegal aliens health care, we might be able to get them on our side so they can vote for us.' The posts were used to criticize Democratic demands for affordable healthcare, which Republicans claimed would fund care for undocumented immigrants—though such groups are ineligible for federal programs.
Trump's social media activity has previously sparked controversy, including a February post that superimposed the faces of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama onto dancing primates, widely condemned as racist.
