As the U.S. government shutdown continues, President Donald Trump has been posting memes and AI-edited videos online, even one that shows his budget director, Russell Vought, as the Grim Reaper. The strange clip, which many online have called “incredibly weird,” has fueled anger over the president’s casual attitude during a crisis that’s left hundreds of thousands of Americans without pay.
Vought isn’t new to Trump’s circle. He worked under Trump during the first administration and is now head of the Office of Management and Budget. Between Trump’s two terms, he also created Project 2025, a sweeping plan that laid out how a future Trump presidency could reshape the government from the inside out.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump tried to distance himself from Project 2025, calling it someone else’s idea. But now, he openly works with Vought again and praises his efforts to “identify scams” in the government agencies Trump says he plans to shrink or even eliminate. So far, he’s already set his sights on the Department of Education and USAID, claiming both waste taxpayer money.
Vice President Kamala Harris recently reminded Americans on X (formerly Twitter) that Project 2025 was never just a campaign rumour. She warned that the plan is designed to expand Trump’s power while reducing individual freedoms. The document itself is hundreds of pages long, but its key points include allowing businesses to discriminate based on religion, blocking new gun control measures, and lifting rules on online platforms, except when Trump wants tighter control over them himself.
Trump’s social media behaviour during the shutdown has drawn heavy criticism. As many as 750,000 federal workers are currently without pay, yet the president continues posting jokes and memes that make light of the situation. For many families struggling to cover bills, the tone feels cruel.
When reporters asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt why she called the shutdown “unfortunate” while the president seemed to be mocking it, she said Trump simply “likes to have a bit of fun with trolling.” She added that he can care about the situation and still post humour online. Her comments didn’t go over well. Critics called the defence tone-deaf, with one user saying that only “sick people” would laugh while others lose their income.
Behind the jokes, though, some analysts say there’s a strategy. Trump may be using the shutdown to quietly push through the federal cuts he’s wanted for years, using the crisis as an excuse to downsize agencies and fire staff while trying to blame Democrats for the chaos. But that plan might not be working as he hoped. Public frustration is growing, and most polls show the blame landing squarely on Trump himself.
Now, as negotiations are set to resume, the president faces a tough choice. He must find a way to reopen the government without looking like he’s backing down, all while dealing with slipping approval ratings. For someone who thrives on popularity and control, the next few days could be crucial.
