Donald Trump controls the presidency, the Senate, the House, and has the Republican Party wrapped around his little finger. So, naturally, it’s the Democrats’ fault that the government has, once again, shut down. Make it make sense.
In a feeble effort to ensure that at least some government funding continues during the shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer miserably journeyed to the White House to partake in what’s at this point essentially ritualized humiliation.
They know they have no power over Trump. Trump knows they can’t do anything to him. But the Democrats have to be at least seen to be making some kind of effort. And so it’s time to troop into the Oval Office to be bullied and mocked.
On this occasion, it was achieved by a Trump staffer casually placing some “Trump 2028” caps on the Resolute Desk while they talked. Trump was apparently so proud of this moment that he chose to immortalize it on Truth Social:
Like playground bullies
Jeffries was quizzed on the moment and what he thought of it:
PHILLIP: When he tried to hand you that Trump 2028 hat, what was your reaction?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2025
JEFFRIES: He did not try to hand Leader Schumer and I the Trump 2028 hat. They just randomly appeared in the middle of the meeting on the desk. It was the strangest thing ever. And I just looked at… pic.twitter.com/TKwAvjkWGE
“He did not try to hand Leader Schumer and I the Trump 2028 hat. They just randomly appeared in the middle of the meeting on the desk. It was the strangest thing ever. And I just looked at the hat, looked at JD Vance who was seated to my left and said, ‘Don’t you got a problem with this?’ And he said, ‘No comment.” And that was the end of it.”
Perhaps simply ignoring this jab was the smart move. Then again, when you have a grinning tyrant sitting opposite you, practically begging you to call him out on his plans to smash term limits and install himself as a dictator, maybe you should call him out.
Ultimately, there was no good move for these poor Dems to make, with Trump and his team effortlessly boxing them into a corner. But, make no mistake, Trump is absolutely not kidding about his endless teases of seeking a third term.
The overly optimistic insisted throughout 2024 (and throughout 2016) that Trump just talks a big talk and would never actually do all the terrible things he promises. But here we are, with Democrat cities under threat of military occupation and the president authorizing lethal force against citizens who dare protest him.
The only thing that’ll stop Trump 2028 from happening is Father Time intervening. Here’s hoping those ‘Trump 2028’ hats end up as mere curiosities.
