Government Shutdown Meme Report

Congress failed to pass a funding bill on time which resulted in the government entering shutdown mode. . . Again! This time around, the main point of contention is over healthcare for illegal aliens. Or, is it over memes?

Either way, you can guess how this particular sub-plot is playing out. Democrats want healthcare for illegals and republicans don’t. But, that’s not all that’s being memed about in week 1 of the shutdown.

Government shutdowns, as we know, quickly devolve into an all out war of attrition. Each party vying to convince the American people the other side is to blame. Basically, business as usual. The only problem for democrats is that they don’t know how to meme like republicans do these days.

The most ubiquitous shutdown meme so far is the sombrero. A symbol that draws attention to illegal aliens who would receive free healthcare if the democrats get their way.

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President Tump got in on the fun and posted a clip of a sombrero clad comedian who coined a handful of other fresh memes. The “Schumer shutdown” is the de facto trend as of late. Unfortunately for democrats, the “Trump shutdown” doesn't have the same ring to it. Other honorable mentions include “el Hakeemo Jefe” and “dollar store Obama,” referring to Hakeem Jeffries.

The most clever meme on the scene is by far “Russ the Reaper.” It strings together multiple meme-worthy themes into a single cohesive ubermeme. 1) Russell Vought - Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 2) The Trump administration’s increased ability to cut government programs during the shutdown and, 3) “Don’t Fear The Reaper” - a 1976 song by Blue Oyster Cult.

To get an idea of the competition from democrats in the meme dogfight, or lack thereof, look no further than the new and improved Gavin Newsom Press Office. His social media ramped up this year (or was taken over by Karens?) ahead of a likely 2028 presidential campaign. One of Newsom’s most viral posts is a scantily memeable attempt to portray JD Vance as a couch connoisseur, given accusations about his posture.

While Newsom’s post gathered a whopping 10 million views, it is a rather cringy attempt to meme with the likes of Trump, Vance and the republicans, which is no small task. He shoehorned in a jab at tariffs on the X post that appeared nowhere else in the couch meme itself. Connecting the dots is like a game of Madlibs. It comes across as a desperate ploy to copy the opposition.

Every time democrats poke fun at republicans, the comment section laughs with the republicans, not at them. Democrats end up being the brunt of their own joke. This is why Newsom and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez deactivate comments on their Youtube channels. As Mike Johnson demonstrates below, the republicans are impervious to being made fun of.

So, if Minions memes and AI slop are the best democrats can come up with then we’re in good shape. President Trump and Russ Vought can continue to cut costs while democrats take the heat for the shutdown. In other words, don’t expect the shutdown to last long.