House Speaker Johnson Tells 'Friend' Jeffries to Ignore Trump's Sombrero Memes: 'These Are Games'

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) urged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to disregard AI-generated videos posted by President Donald Trump that depict him wearing a sombrero and mustache, calling them distractions from ongoing efforts to end the government shutdown. Jeffries previously called the videos "racist".

"These are games. These are sideshows. People are getting caught up in battles over social media memes," Johnson said during a press conference. "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."

Addressing Jeffries directly, Johnson added: "And to my friend Hakeem, who I was asked about: Man, just ignore it."

The AI-doctored clips, set to mariachi music, have circulated on Trump's social media accounts in recent days and have drawn widespread attention as lawmakers remain at an impasse over funding the government. Besides Jeffries aforementioned reaction, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer added that Trump "is busy trolling away on the internet like a 10-year-old."

Johnson compared the incident to a video posted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that depicted him as a yellow cartoon character from the "Despicable Me" franchise. "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 said according to The Hill.

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) pressed Johnson earlier this week to condemn the videos of Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), which Trump also posted. Johnson responded that the video "wasn't my style," prompting Dean to call it "disgraceful" and "racist."

Vice President JD Vance also addressed the controversy on Thursday, saying at the White House that he thought the video was "funny" and that "you can negotiate in good faith while also poking a little bit of fun at some of the absurdities of the Democrats' positions." Vance added that "if Jeffries helped reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop."