Kathrine Frich
Behind the latest pumpkin post lies a longer pattern of similar digital memes from the administration.
Holiday traditions in Washington usually bring out harmless seasonal cheer and staged photo opportunities.
Every October, social media teams across government offices roll out festive graphics ahead of the weekend celebrations.
This year, though, one official upload immediately sparked a fierce online backlash.
A carved controversy
According to the Irish Star, the official @WhiteHouse account on X shared a Halloween image ahead of the weekend that critics quickly condemned as a “racist” dig aimed at Mexicans. The post featured a picture of a pumpkin carved with what looked like a sombrero alongside the caption “Spooky szn is here.”
While the Irish Star noted that it remains unclear if artificial intelligence created the image, social media users wasted no time calling it out.
One commenter on X wrote: “Wow, another low-effort racist stereotype. Kewl.” Another user replied to the post by saying: “Yes…racism is spooky. Let’s avoid it.”
Some critics fought back by sharing their own AI-generated pumpkin designs to mock President Donald Trump, the Irish Star reported.
One digital carving showed Trump kneeling to roll out a red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin, while another displayed the words “Cheesecake Factory”, a nod to former President Barack Obama comparing Trump’s White House decor to the restaurant chain.
Months of sombrero clips
Behind the pumpkin post lies a longer pattern of similar digital memes from the administration.
Just days earlier, according to the Irish Star, the @WhiteHouse X account uploaded AI videos with the caption “Dems are washed up”, showing Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Ilhan Omar, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries playing instruments and singing Charlie Wilson’s song “Outstanding”. In that footage, both Schumer and Jeffries wore sombreros.
Republicans and the Trump administration also used similar clips last year while attacking Democrats over immigration policy, the Irish Star noted.
Days before the October 1, 2025 government shutdown, which became the longest in US history, the president shared a video on Truth Social showing Jeffries in a sombrero and mustache alongside a fake voice for Schumer.
Set to mariachi music, the fabricated clip showed Schumer claiming undocumented immigrants needed “free healthcare” to win back minority voters. In the video reported by the Irish Star, the fake voice declared: “There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Nobody likes Democrats anymore.”
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