Sen. Bernie Sanders became the latest focus of the U.S. President Donald Trump administration’s trolling campaign after a CNN town hall about the government shutdown on Wednesday night.
The move followed a 90-minute CNN event moderated by Kaitlan Collins.
Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, appeared alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York.
Highlights
- Sen. Bernie Sanders became the latest target of Trump’s trolling campaign after a CNN town hall on the government shutdown.
- The White House posted a video mocking Sanders and other Democrats, including sombreros and mariachi music.
- The shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and stalled key government services.
- Democrats demand extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, linking the shutdown's end to health-care stability.
The White House trolled Bernie Sanders after a CNN town hall
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Both lawmakers criticized Republican leaders over the ongoing federal government shutdown and defended their demands for an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
The White House’s official X account posted a video of Sanders speaking about Republican social media clout, captioned “Great question.”
They also superimposed a sombrero on his head and added Latin music in the background.
The Trump administration made a similar video for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, depicting him wearing a sombrero and a mustache, set to mariachi music.
Throughout the broadcast, the White House’s RapidResponse47 account posted live reactions mocking Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.
At one point, Sanders said Republicans had learned to use social media effectively. He mistakenly claimed that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns X, confusing him with Elon Musk.
MAGA supporters quickly circulated the clip, calling Sanders “Biden 2.0.”
RapidResponse47 shared the same video, mocking his remarks with laughing emojis.
The trolling continued when a student, Rohan Naval, asked Sanders about Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s role in the shutdown.
Sanders shifted the blame toward House Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump.
“I think it reflects more on Mike Johnson’s leadership and President Trump’s leadership,” Sanders said.
The ongoing impasse has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay
Image credits: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
“How do you feel, you tell me? You think it’s a good idea to give a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the richest people in the country and then make massive cuts to health care for working-class people?” Sanders asked Naval.
Naval said, “I think Chuck Schumer has voted for continuing resolutions 13 times in the last four years and he has the opportunity to vote for one again, but he’s refusing to come to the table.”
RapidResponse47 shared the interaction, captioning it, “Crazy Bernie just got wrecked on national television.”
Sanders also criticized Trump’s use of ICE raids, calling them part of “a movement toward authoritarianism.”
The White House account called him “Absolutely deranged,” saying, “Crazy Bernie says ICE raids—in which some of the most dangerous criminals on earth have been taken off American streets—are about a movement toward authoritarianism.”
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
“Republicans aren’t in town,” Sanders said. “How do you negotiate with people who refuse to even show up and do their job?”
Both lawmakers argued that the stakes were high for the nation’s healthcare system if the shutdown does not end soon.
White House communications director Steven Cheung also joined the online barrage. He mocked Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, calling them “Wacky Bernie and AOC From the Block.”
“The Shutdown Democrats can’t even get their message straight. When Wacky Bernie and AOC From the Block are the party’s messengers, you know they are screwed,” he said.
The trolling reflects a familiar strategy from Trump’s team: using memes and edited videos to mock their critics.
The federal government shutdown entered its 16th day as the Senate prepared for an 11th vote on a short-term government spending bill backed by Republicans.
The measure, which requires 60 votes to advance, failed again yesterday. The ongoing impasse has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay and stalled key government services.
The government shutdown will likely continue into next week
Image credits: Tom Williams/Getty Images
Democrats are refusing to support the funding bill unless Republicans agree to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
They argue that allowing the subsidies to lapse would lead to skyrocketing health insurance premiums and destabilize the health-care system.
The Senate will also vote on a procedural motion to begin work on the Defense Department appropriations bill today. If approved, it could ensure continued military pay even during the shutdown.
Lawmakers are expected to leave Washington, D.C. for the weekend after the votes, meaning the shutdown will likely continue into next week.
Meanwhile, in a new video, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown. The video is playing at airport security checkpoints across the U.S.