‘Trump 2028’ hats in White House
US President Donald Trump continued to mock Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday, sharing photos from their Oval Office meeting showing the two Democratic leaders sitting next to “Trump 2028” hats.During the meeting, Trump reportedly placed the hats on the Resolute Desk in front of Schumer and Jeffries, alongside a pair of Diet Cokes. According to Punchbowl News, the hats were offered to the Democratic leaders, though they did not accept them. Later, Jeffries clarified about the situation while speaking to CNN and claimed the hats “just randomly appeared in the middle of the meeting on the desk” and described the moment as “the strangest thing ever”. “And I just looked at the hat, looked at JD Vance who was seated to my left and said, ‘Don’t you got a problem with this?”, he further said, to which the vice president responded, “No comment,” prompting laughter in the room, according to Punchbowl News.Following the session, Trump posted several images on Truth Social, highlighting Schumer and Jeffries seated beside the hats. The photos came as the federal government officially shut down at midnight Wednesday due to stalled negotiations over a funding bill, marking the first shutdown since 2019. The meeting was part of broader discussions with Trump, house speaker Mike Johnson, Senate majority leader John Thune, Schumer, and Jeffries aimed at averting a shutdown. However, talks broke down over Democratic demands for healthcare provisions and other funding priorities. Trump has also continued to taunt Jeffries with AI-altered videos, including one showing the House minority leader wearing a sombrero and moustache, a move Jeffries denounced as “racist”.The shutdown affects hundreds of thousands of federal employees, with essential services continuing but non-essential offices, such as museums, National Parks, and environmental inspections, being closed or delayed.
