A Halloween post from the Trump White House, featuring an image of a pumpkin with a carved sombrero, resurfaced on Wednesday and quickly drew criticism online, with many users decrying it as "insanely racist."
The post, which included the caption "Spooky szn is here," appeared to reference AI-generated videos previously shared by Donald Trump and other Republicans. Those videos, which depicted prominent Democrats wearing sombreros, were widely condemned as racist attacks on immigration.
The White House's use of a similar theme prompted a backlash, with some critics responding by using AI to create their own images, including those depicting the president and Jeffrey Epstein.
Online reactions ranged from calling the post "low-effort racist stereotype" and "blatant racism" to expressing exhaustion with what was described as a "racist fuckass administration."
One user questioned the timing of the post, stating, "What better way to shore up your support with the Hispanic community 6 days before an election?"
Another comment read, "This can’t be an official goverment account of a world super power. Can’t be."
The controversy echoes past instances where the Trump administration faced accusations of using racially insensitive imagery. The image itself, a pumpkin with a sombrero, was shared widely and analyzed for its potential AI generation.