President Trump and other Republican officials are spreading videos of Democrats wearing sombreros and handlebar mustaches on social media, prompting backlash from across the aisle.
Why it matters: The references to Latino culture allude to Republican claims that Democrats shut down the government to fund health care for undocumented immigrants, an allegation that party leaders have denied. • Democrats have said they want to extend the Affordable Care Act's tax credits, which could cause premiums to skyrocket if they expire at the end of the year. • Both Democratic leadership and rank-and-file members have called the posts "racist."
Driving the news: Trump has posted two different AI-generated videos this week of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in a sombrero and mustac