‘Say it to my face’: House minority leader slams Trump; calls US president ‘racist’ over deepfake video

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of being “racist” over a deepfake video posted to the social media platform, which depicted him wearing a sombrero.The fabricated video was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account on Monday night and featured Jeffries sporting an exaggerated handlebar moustache with mariachi music playing in the background. The video, released hours after Trump met with congressional leaders about the looming government shutdown, appeared aimed at mocking Democrats’ stance on federal benefits for migrants — a claim Democrats deny. Speaking on the steps of the Capitol, where numerous Democrats rallied for Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan spending bill, Jeffries stated, “Mr. President, the next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video.” He added, “When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face. Say it to my face.” Trump, known for attacking minorities and exacerbating racial tensions to energise his MAGA base, has a longstanding record that Jeffries, the first Black lawmaker to lead either party, has consistently opposed. Uploaded hours after Trump met with congressional leaders regarding the shutdown, the video parodied a press conference held by Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York outside the White House following that meeting. The fake audio portrayed Schumer attacking his own party as being deeply unpopular “because of all of our woke, trans bulls—.” It further asserted, “Not even Black people want to vote for us anymore.”