Meme lovers throughout the Trump administration just posted a series of artificial intelligence remixes based on Grand Theft Auto VI, drawing on the viral internet craze behind the game. 
After months of radio silence from Rockstar Games, the makers of the GTA series, the long-anticipated cover art for the new game finally <a href="https://rockstarintel.com/new-gta-6-cover-art-wallpapers-logo-released/">dropped</a> on Thursday — immediately taking the internet by storm. 
The White House, the Department of Labor, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection quickly capitalized on the craze, posting some of their own takes on the cover art. The Department of Health even came out with a short video.
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We really saved America before GTA 6 <a href="https://t.co/W0ZRsLsVCj">pic.twitter.com/W0ZRsLsVCj</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2067649794705625135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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We flipped the food pyramid before we got GTA 6. <a href="https://t.co/UT1bSASfCk">pic.twitter.com/UT1bSASfCk</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/2067681064915517629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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We really secured the border before GTA 6.
Read more here: <a href="https://t.co/vrNPsYfD0X">https://t.co/vrNPsYfD0X</a> <a href="https://t.co/prUvONQiLV">pic.twitter.com/prUvONQiLV</a>
— CBP (@CBP) <a href="https://x.com/CBP/status/2067710579842646399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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We’re Making America Skilled Again before GTA 6 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/EFyI9yjKK7">pic.twitter.com/EFyI9yjKK7</a>
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) <a href="https://x.com/USDOL/status/2067981022587736424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Grand Theft Auto is the fifth best-selling video game series of all time, even outselling Minecraft, according to the <a href="https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Best-selling_game_franchises">Video Game Sales</a>. GTA V has sold a staggering 230 million copies, the WorldoMeter&#8217;s population review <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/">states</a>, which is more than one copy for each person in Japan, the UK, and Poland combined. 
Since GTA VI has been in development for 12 to 13 years, the internet’s favorite running joke is to track new inventions and events by saying, “We got this before GTA VI.” The posts from the administration play on the meme with comments such as “We really saved America before GTA 6.”
But not everyone is thrilled. Some critics have pointed out that the Grand Theft Auto series glorifies violence and sexual promiscuity — a far cry from “conservative family values.” Additionally, the main antagonist of the series is the Federal Investigation Bureau, which those on the Left have compared to ICE. Some have also said that government entities should not be allowed to have fair use of private IPs for “propaganda.”

Screenshot 2026-06-19 at 3.18.41 PM

The Trump Team Just Went Full Grand Theft Auto

Department of Health and Human Services

Internet

Memes

Social Media

Trump Administration

Video Games

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has added yet another title to his growing list of jobs: wedding deejay.
Rubio, who inspired thousands of memes as President Donald Trump persisted in heaping more and more responsibilities onto his plate, was caught on video — initially shared by Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino — as he took a turn behind the turntables at a family wedding.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/I6ioZK5tXA01oPIzSr29U35kk00qVh02J0001?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=906ed112-d2ef-4c53-95d5-a8d2b6635473&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Marco%20Rubio%20adds%20DJ%20to%20his%20resume%20after%20taking%20over%20at%20a%20family%20wedding&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2Fdfa58b14-611e-43fd-8e3f-ce96052ffce6.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Rubio has held several official jobs within the Trump administration, where he was initially confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Secretary of State on January 20, 2025. By February 3, however, he had already been handed his second role: Acting Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Later that same month, when Trump fired the archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Rubio slid into the role of Acting Archivist.
In the months since, Rubio has been nicknamed The Secretary of Everything — and thousands of memes have depicted him doing everything from Cuba&#8217;s new leader to a minesweeper in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Marco Rubio preparing to run Cuba after the U.S takes control. <a href="https://t.co/YKYJy3Hp4s">pic.twitter.com/YKYJy3Hp4s</a>
— Planet Of Memes (@PlanetOfMemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/PlanetOfMemes/status/2050385947175289314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Rubio on his way to the strait of Hormuz to locate Irans lost underwater mines 😂 <a href="https://t.co/p91fFGk0Wm">pic.twitter.com/p91fFGk0Wm</a>
— Politi_Rican 🇵🇷 𝕏 🇺🇸 (@TheRicanMemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRicanMemes/status/2042787254590927134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Rubio has leaned into the memes, and even used them to play a few practical jokes of his own. The day after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt began her maternity leave, for example, Rubio popped into the press room to take a photo of himself posing as the &#8220;Acting Press Secretary.&#8221; Prompting laughter around the room, he asked the reporters who witnessed the gag to refrain from posting anything until he&#8217;d had the chance to share the joke with the person for whom it was meant.
&#8220;I&#8217;m just here to take a quick picture &#8230; you&#8217;re going to ruin my joke,&#8221; he complained. &#8220;You guys can&#8217;t put this out, is that okay? &#8230; Can you guys hold for at least an hour, please, or you&#8217;re going to ruin the joke &#8230; it&#8217;s not a joke on the public, it&#8217;s a joke on one person.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 LMFAO! Marco Rubio just walked into the press briefing room to pretend he’d been appointed White House Press Secretary, as Karoline Leavitt’s on maternity leave
Can’t help but love this guy 🤣
NOBODY would be surprised if it was true! 😂 <a href="https://t.co/bqwe8tacKI">pic.twitter.com/bqwe8tacKI</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2049575801482359227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Marco Rubio Adds Another Job Title To His Resume

Donald Trump

Marco Rubio

Politics

Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded after dozens of memes flooded X with potential new jobs or responsibilities that President Donald Trump might ask him to take on.
&#8220;I do not normally respond to online rumors but feel the need to do so at this moment,&#8221; Rubio said in his own <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/2009297348799942872">X post</a>. &#8220;I will not be a candidate for the currently vacant HC and GM positions with the Miami Dolphins. While you never know what the future may bring right now my focus must remain on global events and also the precious archives of the United States of America. Thank you.&#8221;
Rubio, who is currently the acting National Security Adviser in addition to holding the top post at the United States Department of State, was responding to memes suggesting he&#8217;d be put in charge of everything from the state of Minnesota to the nation of Venezuela.
One post suggested Trump would ask Rubio to cover his shift at McDonald&#8217;s, referencing the president&#8217;s wildly successful 2024 campaign stop.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio after learning that he has to cover Trump&#8217;s shift at McDonald&#8217;s. <a href="https://t.co/Pj3tcpPWDH">pic.twitter.com/Pj3tcpPWDH</a>
— Make America Meme Again (@meme4USA) <a href="https://twitter.com/meme4USA/status/2008582071032443200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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After an interaction between the Department of Homeland Security and a Hampton Inn refusing service to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — an interaction that quickly caused Hilton Hotels to cut ties with the franchise in question — several memes suggested Rubio would be tapped to <a href="https://x.com/JRand1685/status/2008266721598337123">run the hotel chain</a>.
&#8220;What shall we do with a Russian tanker, What shall we do with a Russian tanker, What shall we do with a Russian tanker, Early in the morning?” another post read, showing Rubio in pirate garb with a parrot on his shoulder.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🎶 “What shall we do with a Russian tanker, 
What shall we do with a Russian tanker, 
What shall we do with a Russian tanker, 
Early in the morning?” 🎶 <a href="https://t.co/nAY0AUZnbi">https://t.co/nAY0AUZnbi</a> <a href="https://t.co/3uZkftPGbK">pic.twitter.com/3uZkftPGbK</a>
— Benedict Spence (@BenedictSpence) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenedictSpence/status/2008938070079586484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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A &#8220;Lord of the Rings&#8221; themed post put Rubio in the place of Frodo Baggins, tasking him with returning the One Ring to the fiery pit of Mordor.
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“The ring must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this.” <a href="https://t.co/RjMyefa4pF">pic.twitter.com/RjMyefa4pF</a>
— Elwë Singollo ❄️🧝🏻‍♀️ (@Strangeland_Elf) <a href="https://twitter.com/Strangeland_Elf/status/2008433894438416761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Trump&#8217;s about to disclose aliens and he&#8217;s sending Rubio to negotiate,&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My contribution &#8211; Trump&#8217;s about to disclose aliens 👽 and he&#8217;s sending Rubio to negotiate. <a href="https://t.co/PiFBhwg5FL">pic.twitter.com/PiFBhwg5FL</a>
— Rizwan Virk (@Rizstanford) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rizstanford/status/2008760930340126861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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And more &#8230;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio realizing he has to be the Governor of Minnesota. <a href="https://t.co/HPQ3uJ2u90">pic.twitter.com/HPQ3uJ2u90</a>
— Kyle Tibbitts (@KyleTibbitts) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleTibbitts/status/2008346505455767937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Rubio realizing he’s going to be president of Venezuela, governor of Cuba, and the Shah of Iran. <a href="https://t.co/wh5S2gpIi9">pic.twitter.com/wh5S2gpIi9</a>
— Antonio García Martínez (agm.eth) (@antoniogm) <a href="https://twitter.com/antoniogm/status/2007398586246672723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Would you consider being OC with the <a href="https://twitter.com/Lions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lions</a> ??? We need someone with the huevos to match Dan Campbell!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnePride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnePride</a> <a href="https://t.co/cAUey7MGnF">https://t.co/cAUey7MGnF</a>
— Rep. Bill Huizenga (@RepHuizenga) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepHuizenga/status/2009363082586505696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio Leaves Open Possibility of Becoming Miami&#8217;s Next QB <a href="https://t.co/DRuVKNCDbl">https://t.co/DRuVKNCDbl</a>
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/AriFleischer/status/2009338320330031231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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So you’re saying there’s a chance. <a href="https://t.co/S1aPEVkecV">https://t.co/S1aPEVkecV</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Qq8jzQsS9">pic.twitter.com/1Qq8jzQsS9</a>
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimMurtaugh/status/2009303945814925672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Can you coach the <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AtlantaFalcons</a>? <a href="https://t.co/hZl6btWxAW">https://t.co/hZl6btWxAW</a>
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/2009312710316769648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Fox News anchor John Roberts <a href="https://x.com/johnrobertsFox/status/2009306580102029570">responded</a> to Rubio, noting that he&#8217;d only ruled out jobs with the Miami Dolphins and suggesting he might be entertaining any number of others.
&#8220;You will note that he did not dispel rumors that he is a candidate for: Ravens head coach, President of Venezuela, Shah of Iran, President of Cuba, Prime Minister of Greenland, Governor of Minnesota,  CEO of Hilton Hotels,&#8221; Roberts posted. &#8220;Ruling out a job with the Dolphins doesn&#8217;t end the speculation &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;I think we should probably make Rubio president in 2028 just to limit his power,&#8221; Abby Libby <a href="https://x.com/abbythelibb_/status/2008726373825990863">posted</a> in response to the memes.

President Trump Hosts Philippines President Marcos At White House

Rubio Responds After X Memes Give Him Dozens Of New Jobs

CNN anchors John Berman and Kaitlan Collins appeared to have trouble wrapping their brains around the Trump administration&#8217;s willingness to defend — and even embrace — a meme they described as &#8220;racist&#8221; without any apparent concern about the repercussions for doing so.
Berman raised the topic during a Wednesday conversation with Collins, noting that the meme in question — an AI-doctored video that featured House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero — had been on full display at the White House briefing room.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins can’t believe the Trump admin is doubling down with memes and mariachi music in the WH briefing room:
“They simply don’t care about the criticism.&#8221;
Correct — and that&#8217;s exactly what’s driving the propaganda press insane. They&#8217;re powerless. <a href="https://t.co/hduEvgFT3q">pic.twitter.com/hduEvgFT3q</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1973547503942508844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;So we played sound from Vice President Vance not just defending that AI racist video of Minority Leader Jeffries wearing a sombrero, but also, like celebrating that video, and it was playing on a loop in the briefing room today,&#8221; Berman said, turning to Collins: &#8220;What are you hearing from the inside about that?&#8221;
Collins set the scene for Berman, saying that in addition to the video being played on a loop, the mariachi music from the video had been piped through the room&#8217;s sound system so that everyone could hear it.
&#8220;It just kind of gives you a window, John, into how they&#8217;re dealing with this,&#8221; Collins continued. &#8220;And how they believe they have the upper hand when it comes to the messaging here and also kind of how things have changed from the first time Donald Trump was in office.&#8221;
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&#8220;I mean, there was a shutdown then, I remember all 35 days of it, as the president said at the beginning he&#8217;d be &#8216;proud to shut the government down,&#8217; and that it ended with him obviously not getting the money for his border wall,&#8221; she added. &#8220;This time, you know, there&#8217;s a moment here, they&#8217;re being heavily criticized over this — over these posts by the president — by Democrats, and instead of backing off or apologizing for it, they&#8217;re leaning into it. They&#8217;re playing the music over loudspeakers and on repeat inside the briefing room because they simply don&#8217;t care about that criticism.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance, when asked about the memes, gave his word that the sombrero memes would stop if and when Jeffries helped put an end to the government shutdown, which was triggered on Tuesday when Democrats refused to vote for a stopgap funding measure unless they got certain concessions.

The 2024 BAFTA NYC Tea Party Presented By Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, And FIJI Water Sponsored By Britbox, Heineken, Taittinger And The Pierre – Arrivals

CNN Is Panicking About White House Mariachi Memes

Chuck Schumer

Hakeem Jeffries

Kaitlan Collins

Vice President JD Vance gave his word on Wednesday that memes mocking House and Senate Minority Leaders Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would stop if Jeffries would help end the ongoing government shutdown.
Vance stepped into the White House briefing room to address the press corps and offered his &#8220;solemn promise&#8221; to put an end to the memes, provided Jeffries helped steer his party toward a compromise.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 LMFAO! JD Vance just responded to Hakeem Jeffries being offended by Trump&#8217;s memes
&#8220;I will tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make a solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes WILL stop!&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve talked to the President about that.&#8221; 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/DkJy5t5ooe">pic.twitter.com/DkJy5t5ooe</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1973443709439189176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance explained that the memes — which showed Jeffries with a fake mustache and sombrero and Schumer complaining about the Democratic Party — were made in an effort to &#8220;poke fun at the absurdity&#8221; of some of the demands being made by Democrats with regard to any agreement to fund the government going forward.
&#8220;I will tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make a solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop!&#8221; Vance added, prompting laughter around the briefing room. &#8220;And I&#8217;ve talked to the President of the United States about that.&#8221;
Vance went on to say that, in all seriousness, if there were any Senate Democrats who wanted to negotiate a deal to reopen the government, he would be glad to take part.
The memes began with one video posted to President Trump&#8217;s account on X and Truth Social:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/JzQYLShOCt">pic.twitter.com/JzQYLShOCt</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1972822596397003159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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When Jeffries responded by complaining about the &#8220;racist&#8221; nature of the meme. &#8220;The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video! When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face!&#8221; he demanded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hakeem Jeffries is very upset about Trump’s video depicting him with a mustache and a sombrero: “The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video! When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face!”
😂<a href="https://t.co/aYwRrWtM9z">pic.twitter.com/aYwRrWtM9z</a>
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1973043373956296796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jeffries continued to complain about the meme during an appearance on MSNBC with host Lawrence O&#8217;Donnell, and Trump responded with a meme made from a clip of that interview.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/2yyuRkm9r8">pic.twitter.com/2yyuRkm9r8</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1973218518893207825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Republicans Advance Trump Tax Bill On Crucial Test Vote

‘A Solemn Promise’: Vance Swears Sombrero Memes Will Stop If Hakeem Jeffries Helps End Shutdown

'A Solemn Promise': Vance Swears Sombrero Memes Will Stop If Hakeem Jeffries Helps End Shutdown

Government Shutdown

JD Vance

Media

The official account of California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom&#8217;s press office posted a vile meme on social media depicting White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller walking President Donald Trump as a dog on a leash.
The press office for California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom posted a vile meme portraying White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller walking President Donald Trump as a dog on a leash.
In all caps, the account wrote: “TIME FOR YOUR DAILY WALK, DONALD! (NO STAIRS),” a flourish echoing Trump’s own style that Newsom has recently adopted.
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TIME FOR YOUR DAILY WALK, DONALD! (NO STAIRS) <a href="https://t.co/I3tLw7fhyA">pic.twitter.com/I3tLw7fhyA</a>
&mdash; Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPressOffice/status/1973185102499946916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The cartoon also appealed to antisemitic tropes, enlarging Miller’s nose in the caricature style long used by Jew-haters.
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The meme was also similar to an infamous 2019 cartoon published in The New York Times&#8217; international edition, which depicted a guide dog with the face of Benjamin Netanyahu — wearing a collar with a Star of David hanging from it — leading a blind, overweight Donald Trump, who was wearing dark glasses and a black yarmulke.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Liberalism = 21st century Reich
Hitler and Goebbles used propaganda pre-WW2 very successfully. NYTimes, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. The left is trying to normalize anti-semitism again:
New York Times Posts then Deletes ‘Anti-Semitic’ Cartoon Depicting Trump, Netanyahu <a href="https://t.co/nByctsQnrM">pic.twitter.com/nByctsQnrM</a>
&mdash; Տᗩᑎᗪᖇᗩ🎗️ (@SandraXFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/SandraXFreedom/status/1122552143469326337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Newsom&#8217;s office has previously targeted Miller&#8217;s hard-line positions on immigration. In July, responding to a ruling from a Biden-appointed judge involving immigration enforcement in the Central District of California (Los Angeles area), Miller wrote on X: “The ruling has just been issued. A communist judge in LA has ordered ICE to report directly to her and radical left NGOs — not the president. This is another act of insurrection against the United States and its sovereign people.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The ruling has just been issued. A communist judge in LA has ordered ICE to report directly to her and radical left NGOs — not the president. This is another act of insurrection against the United States and its sovereign people. <a href="https://t.co/pkEjl7lEP4">https://t.co/pkEjl7lEP4</a>
&mdash; Stephen Miller (@StephenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1943855465349198026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Newsom press office account on X responded, “This fascist cuck in DC continues his assault on democracy and the Constitution, and his attempt to replace the sovereignty of the people with autocracy. Sorry the Constitution hurt your feelings, Stephen. Cry harder.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This fascist cuck in DC continues his assault on democracy and the Constitution, and his attempt to replace the sovereignty of the people with autocracy.
Sorry the Constitution hurt your feelings, Stephen.
Cry harder. <a href="https://t.co/3a4pvYftxb">https://t.co/3a4pvYftxb</a>
&mdash; Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPressOffice/status/1943871761658835148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In June 2025, the federal government, via ICE and other agencies, started launching patrols in Los Angeles. On July 11, 2025, Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong <a href="https://kesq.com/news/california/2025/07/14/feds-seek-stay-of-la-judges-ruling-on-immigration-raids/">issued</a> a temporary restraining order barring federal agents from conducting detentions unless they had “reasonable suspicion” that the person was unlawfully present in the country. The Trump administration sought a stay of the order, which Frimpong denied, prompting the case to be taken up by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. On August 1, the court rejected the emergency motion to stay the order.

MixCollage-01-Oct-2025-10-25-AM-9961

Gavin Newsom Slammed After Team Mocks Trump And Stephen Miller With Antisemitic Imagery

antisemitism

Cartoon

Gavin Newsom

Immigration

Stephen Miller

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attempted to run defense for embattled late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, but newly vindicated meme-maker Douglass Mackey got the last laugh.
Clinton took to X to voice her opinion, claiming that she would never attempt to silence a comedian who said something she didn’t like or found to be “offensive.” She also linked to a longer conversation she’d had on the topic with Columbia University Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo for The New Yorker.
“Jimmy Kimmel and other late-night comedians have certainly said things about me that I found offensive, even outrageous,” Clinton said. “It never crossed my mind to call up the networks and say, ‘Hey, get rid of this guy.’ Because that’s not how America works.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jimmy Kimmel and other late-night comedians have certainly said things about me that I found offensive, even outrageous.
It never crossed my mind to call up the networks and say, &#8220;Hey, get rid of this guy.&#8221; Because that&#8217;s not how America works.
More in my conversation…
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1969790254115922137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But Mackey, who ultimately served time in prison for a 2016 meme — encouraging people to “Avoid the Line. Vote from Home,” and “Text ‘Hillary’ to 59925” — pushed back on the twice-failed presidential candidate.
“Madame Secretary: It crossed your mind to call up Sen. Klobuchar, the FBI and the DOJ and have me arrested for a humorous meme about your campaign,” Mackey posted in response to Clinton. “You then celebrated my unlawful and wrongful conviction, which was later overturned by a federal appeals court. Sit down.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Madame Secretary:
It crossed your mind to call up Sen. Klobuchar, the FBI and the DOJ and have me arrested for a humorous meme about your campaign.
You then celebrated my unlawful and wrongful conviction, which was later overturned by a federal appeals court.
Sit down. <a href="https://t.co/KtVM7Dp2hV">https://t.co/KtVM7Dp2hV</a>
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) <a href="https://twitter.com/DougMackeyCase/status/1969882718369694183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Mackey was not the only one to push back on Clinton’s claim, though. When one person asked @Grok to weigh in on whether or not Clinton had ever attempted to “get rid of” certain types of speech, even the X AI bot had something to say.
“Yes, Hillary Clinton has called for US government action on misinformation. For instance, in 2024 she suggested civil or criminal charges for Americans spreading propaganda (MSNBC interview). In 2021, she urged governments to ‘rein in’ social media disinformation (Chatham House talk). In 2016, she said fake news must be addressed quickly by leaders (Capitol Hill speech). Sources: Yahoo, Newsweek, NPR,” the response read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yes, Hillary Clinton has called for US government action on misinformation. For instance, in 2024 she suggested civil or criminal charges for Americans spreading propaganda (MSNBC interview). In 2021, she urged governments to &#8220;rein in&#8221; social media disinformation (Chatham House…
— Grok (@grok) <a href="https://twitter.com/grok/status/1970195858525425857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A number of others also pointed out that Clinton, despite her declared interest in free speech, had turned off the replies to her post.

Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton’s Portrait Unveiled At The State Department

Conservative Influencer Targeted By Biden Admin Blasts Hillary Clinton After She Defends Kimmel

General

Hillary Clinton

Jimmy Kimmel

Lawfare

On Saturday, veteran football commentator Lee Corso made his 430th and final “headgear pick” on ESPN’s College GameDay.
It’s been 38 years since Corso helped launch the flagship college football broadcast, and 29 years since he first <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/lee-corsos-last-show-beloved-member-of-college-gameday-dons-ohio-state-headgear-one-final-time-in-send-off/">donned a mascot head</a> to lock in a pick — picks that were right <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/46112766/lee-corso-picks-ohio-state-final-gameday-appearance">more often than not</a>.
His first-ever headgear pick was for THE Ohio State, so it was only fitting that, for his last prediction, he donned the head of Brutus Buckeye one final time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Give me my first love!&#8221;
Lee Corso&#8217;s first-ever headgear pick belonged to Brutus and the Buckeyes and it&#8217;s only fitting that his last one is the same ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/A8Fgj8b3TR">pic.twitter.com/A8Fgj8b3TR</a>
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollegeGameDay/status/1961822393732673601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Standing in the way of Corso&#8217;s pick were the Texas Longhorns, coming into Columbus behind Arch Manning  for the first road start of his career.
It had been 2,084 days since Arch’s uncle, Eli, played his last game for the New York Giants, bringing to a temporary pause the family legacy Peyton Manning began with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. With a dynastic name on his shoulders and a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/30/sports/arch-mannings-6-8-million-nil-value-revealed-as-texas-qb-takes-center-stage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$6.8 million NIL valuation</a> behind him, Arch Manning took the field in Columbus ready to make Lee Corso regret his last-ever headgear pick.
He did not succeed.
Manning, considered a strong contender for the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a Heisman Trophy favorite, completed just 17 of 30 passes for a total of 170 yards. He threw for one late touchdown, and threw one crushing interception.
It was widely remarked on X and in group chats across the country that Manning threw fewer touchdowns than commercials he appeared in Saturday — for Raising Cane&#8217;s, the athleisure brand Vuori, and, for some reason, Warby Parker.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Arch Manning has more commercials than completions <a href="https://t.co/VdBjhErkBt">pic.twitter.com/VdBjhErkBt</a>
— Hard Rock Bet (@HardRockBet) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardRockBet/status/1961842339766308979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Haters will say that Arch’s performance on Saturday proves that he’s nothing but a nepo baby, and a disappointing one at that. They’ll say the only thing he inherited from his uncles is a penchant for selling car insurance and sandwiches. They’ll say that he should start preparing for a postgrad career at his dad’s real estate firm rather than in the NFL.
But I’m not a hater. It’s a long season, and Arch’s disastrous debut notwithstanding, he’s still a promising player who will likely fare better down the line when he’s not playing the reigning college football champions on their home turf.
On the other hand…I am a bit of a hater. And the tweets dunking on the Manning scion are simply too good not to share.
So, here are some of the best.
<h3>The name is Rooski. Fumblerooski.</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Arch it’s 4th down! We need you to make a play!” <a href="https://t.co/vGQ8ACCK98">pic.twitter.com/vGQ8ACCK98</a>
— Old Row Sports (@OldRowSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/OldRowSports/status/1961856811218161671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
<h3>It was fun while it lasted.</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/MFJtXLgxuv">pic.twitter.com/MFJtXLgxuv</a>
— Robert Behrens (@rcb05) <a href="https://twitter.com/rcb05/status/1961865346488377587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Maybe his real gift is acting?</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Watching Arch Manning reveal himself as nepo Jeff Driskel on national TV only for Fox to cut to a commercial with him every thirty seconds is fucking hysterical
— Barstool SEC (@SECBarstool) <a href="https://twitter.com/SECBarstool/status/1961863526928261628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Not even the Failing New York Times is impressed.</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Reviewing Arch Manning&#8217;s performance on the day.
Great in the Warby Parker ad.
Decent in Vuori and Raising Cane&#8217;s.
Football game against Ohio State? &#8230; Not great!<a href="https://t.co/OJHFUwqrmE">https://t.co/OJHFUwqrmE</a>
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) <a href="https://twitter.com/slmandel/status/1961887481554739629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
<h3> Many people are saying!</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Arch Manning for Heisman” <a href="https://t.co/3I7Gasr0vG">pic.twitter.com/3I7Gasr0vG</a>
— Transfer Portal (@NCAAPortal) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAAPortal/status/1961864255394684935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
<h3>I think I&#8217;ll just stay here and drink.</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Arch Manning looks less comfortable than Luke Bryan trying to name 3 Merle Haggard songs without using Google.
— NotKennyRogers (@NotKennyRogers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotKennyRogers/status/1961845540292804966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>This one&#8217;s just mean.</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ohio State defense has Arch Manning like this rn <a href="https://t.co/aHzQWP16dY">pic.twitter.com/aHzQWP16dY</a>
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) <a href="https://twitter.com/Three_Cone/status/1961863172949725324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>No disrespect to good ol&#8217; WCSU.</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Arch Manning when he isn’t playing West Copperfield State University <a href="https://t.co/OYVedSuor4">pic.twitter.com/OYVedSuor4</a>
— 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣 ✌🏽 (@BELIEVEBRAND0N) <a href="https://twitter.com/BELIEVEBRAND0N/status/1961841077754712198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Would you call John Quincy Adams a nepo baby?!</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Arch Manning if Peyton and Eli weren’t his uncles 
<a href="https://t.co/i6y4FDfDUs">pic.twitter.com/i6y4FDfDUs</a>
— Le5-6 (@deepyy_) <a href="https://twitter.com/deepyy_/status/1961827027012530329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Arch!</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Arch Manning in the Manning family <a href="https://t.co/Wm4KLMICR5">pic.twitter.com/Wm4KLMICR5</a>
— Wilson F. Ball, CFB Analyst (@WillyFoosball) <a href="https://twitter.com/WillyFoosball/status/1961843314606428634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Shouts out to our boy Rob Schneider (real ones get it).</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Arch in the Manning family <a href="https://t.co/92BNebqB78">pic.twitter.com/92BNebqB78</a>
— Erik Andersen (@erikandersennn) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikandersennn/status/1961833662628188641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Ask not what your quartahback can do for you!</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JFK if Arch Manning was the shooter <a href="https://t.co/fXfAJdDd3h">pic.twitter.com/fXfAJdDd3h</a>
— Joseph 🕊️ (@CaudilloXIV) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaudilloXIV/status/1961864035311214856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
<h3>Don’t worry, Arch — we’re laughing with you.</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Me liking all the Arch Manning memes <a href="https://t.co/SE3YXky9Bd">pic.twitter.com/SE3YXky9Bd</a>
— Three Year Letterman (@3YearLetterman) <a href="https://twitter.com/3YearLetterman/status/1961858119694205304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Texas v Ohio State

All The Best Tweets About Arch Manning’s Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Game

College Football

ESPN

Ohio State University

Twitter

University of Texas

A Trump supporter who was targeted by the Biden Justice Department for posting satirical memes mocking Hillary Clinton supporters during the 2016 election was recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-supporter-gets-case-tossed-after-biden-doj-was-ready-to-imprison-him-for-memes?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Supporter+Gets+Case+Tossed+After+Biden+DOJ+Was+Ready+To+Imprison+Him+For+Memes">vindicated in court.</a>  Now, he plans to fight back by suing the feds.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-doj-trying-to-lock-up-a-pro-trump-meme-maker-for-ten-years-heres-what-you-need-to-know">Douglass Mackey</a>, who was charged by the Biden DOJ for election interference some four years after posting the memes in question, faced a stunning 10 years behind bars. After the Justice Department secured a conviction in New York City, Mackey was sentenced to seven months behind bars in 2023, but the sentence was delayed by an appeals court. On Wednesday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit reversed Mackey’s conviction and directed a lower court to enter a judgment of acquittal.
<div id="attachment_945037" style="width: 528px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-945037" class="wp-image-945037 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-7.45.11-PM-518x576.png" alt="" width="518" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-7.45.11-PM-518x576.png 518w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-7.45.11-PM-270x300.png 270w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-7.45.11-PM-768x855.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-7.45.11-PM.png 1170w" sizes=" (max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px" />A meme posted by Mackey the Biden DOJ zeroed-in on</div>
Speaking to The Daily Wire on Thursday, Mackey said he plans to file a civil lawsuit against the Department of Justice for political weaponization and misconduct, and suggested he&#8217;ll be seeking damages totaling at least a million dollars.
“As the Circuit Court ruled, this case was brought without sufficient evidence,&#8221; Mackey said. &#8220;They didn&#8217;t have any evidence of an actual conspiracy, and that&#8217;s just the first problem with the case — there are multiple that the court didn&#8217;t even bother ruling on because they just looked and said there&#8217;s no evidence. Based on that, we have to assume that they brought this case for political reasons, because why else would you bring this case?&#8221;
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s egregious,&#8221; Mackey continued. &#8220;I think that it&#8217;s politicized weaponization and I think it&#8217;s misconduct.&#8221;
&#8220;The damages are a lot,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean, if we&#8217;re talking about just purely legal fees, we&#8217;re talking 1 million to $1.5 million that I had to raise. And a lot of [that] I spent a lot of my own money.”
Though Mackey was ultimately acquitted, the legal saga consumed more than four years of his life, which he said took a toll on him, his family, and friends. 
&#8220;It was a very lonely battle, because this was kind of a low point for President Trump and his supporters,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were being persecuted, chased around, hounded. President Trump was actually indicted for the first time during the trial. And especially the trial being in Brooklyn, there&#8217;s not a lot of love for Trump supporters. It was a very lonely fight.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_498101" style="width: 594px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-498101" class="wp-image-498101 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-1.png" alt="Douglass Mackey" width="584" height="381" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-1.png 584w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/unnamed-1-300x196.png 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px" />Courtesy of James Lawrence</div>
As for his family, Mackey told The Daily Wire his wife was pregnant during the trial and actually had an emergency c-section while he was in New York City being sentenced.
&#8220;It&#8217;s very difficult, especially for my wife,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We got married during the case and had a child because she said, &#8216;Look, we can&#8217;t wait forever, who knows how long this thing&#8217;s gonna go on for?&#8217; That was a blessing, but very, very difficult as you can imagine. &#8230; My wife had to do an emergency c-section while I was in New York getting sentenced for this case in 2023.&#8221;
&#8220;My family and friends, a lot of them stuck around and really were very strong supporters,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But as you can imagine, a lot of people when you get arrested and this is all over the news, they&#8217;re thinking, well, there must be some great crime here. But once everybody actually looked at the facts of the case &#8212; it didn&#8217;t matter if they liked Donald Trump or not — they realized that this case was complete nonsense. So it sort of was lonely at first, then everybody rallied around — we had a good fighting spirit.&#8221;
Mackey expressed tremendous gratitude for his supporters and noted that they were able to raise over seven figures for legal fees, but added, &#8220;we owe a lot of money still, too.&#8221;
Mackey also explained that every penny of the fundraised money was spent on legal fees, since he was fortunately self-employed and able to support his family during the legal battle. That reality is not always the case for individuals who&#8217;ve been demonized in the media.
The prospects of a good outcome with the lawsuit seem likely. President Donald Trump has cited Mackey&#8217;s case as an example of political persecution, and a White House policy adviser referenced the prosecution when discussing Trump’s executive order to end the weaponization of the federal government. Moreover, the appeals court roundly rejected the government&#8217;s arguments. 
“I didn&#8217;t expect that it would be such a resounding victory,&#8221; Mackey said of the court&#8217;s ruling. &#8220;It&#8217;s extremely rare for a case, number one, to be overturned on appeal. Number two, it&#8217;s extremely rare for the appeals court to actually overrule the jury and say, &#8216;No, the verdict was wrong, you have to enter a judgment of acquittal.&#8217; That&#8217;s extremely rare, and just goes to show how weak and non-existent the government&#8217;s case against me was.”
Mackey ended his interview with The Daily Wire by thanking his supporters, family, and friends. If supporters would like to chip in toward his lawsuit against the government, they can visit <a href="https://www.memedefensefund.com">MemeDefenseFund.com</a>, he said.
Mackey also called attention to other victims of government weaponization and specifically highlighted the work of <a href="https://patriotfreedomproject.com/board-member/cynthia-hughes/">Cynthia Hughes at Patriot Freedom Project</a> for helping such victims.

Douglass Mackey

The Biden DOJ Tried To Imprison A Trump Supporter Over Memes. Now, He’s Fighting Back.

INTERVIEW: Trump Supporter The Biden DOJ Tried To Imprison Over Memes Is Fighting Back

Biden Admin

Federal agents are under attack as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement operations, a Trump supporter targeted by the Biden administration scores a major win for free speech, and the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence is heating up.
It’s Friday, July 11, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="ICE Agents Come Under Fire &amp; Meme-Maker Walks Free" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cnY2qKBbuO0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Anti-ICE Violence</h2>
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Topline: ICE agents are under attack across the United States as they carry out President Donald Trump&#8217;s deportation agenda. The rise in violence has sparked calls to tone down the rhetoric as political battles rage over immigration.
In Southern California on Thursday, feds conducted immigration raids at two Glass House Farms, a state-licensed marijuana facility that is allegedly employing illegal immigrants, including children. After getting word of the immigration operations at a cannabis farm in Camarillo, approximately 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, around 500 protesters arrived to confront federal authorities. The standoff quickly turned violent as federal agents attempted to disperse the crowd with smoke canisters, and news helicopter video captured the moment when one man appeared to fire a handgun at authorities.
This week, at an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas, a group of people clad in black, military-style clothes used fireworks to lure out ICE officers while a gunman waited in the woods. One ICE agent was shot in the neck. He’s thankfully expected to recover. Ten people linked to the attack have been <a href="https://x.com/RochelleAz/status/1942950921719394470">charged</a> with attempted murder.  
In Oregon, three more people are facing charges after they allegedly assaulted officers at an ICE facility in Portland. The officers were kicked, punched, and attacked with an &#8220;incendiary device.” In McAllen, Texas, two police officers and a Border Patrol agent were hospitalized after a gunman fired dozens of rounds into a Border Patrol facility. And also this week in San Francisco, anti-ICE protesters attacked ICE agents in an apparent attempt to stop their black van from leaving the area.
“The attack on ICE officers, you&#8217;ve covered it many times, is up nearly 700 percent now,” Border Czar Tom Homan <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=535014">told</a> Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer. “The rhetoric against the men and women of ICE is skyrocketing, especially by members of Congress. We have senators, we have congresspeople that compare ICE to the Nazis, compare ICE to racists, and it just continues. So the public thinks, well, if a member of Congress can attack ICE, why can&#8217;t we?&#8221;
“Donald Trump&#8217;s modern day is scooping folks up off the streets,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz <a href="https://x.com/AlphaNewsMN/status/1923906506472243685">said</a>. “They&#8217;re in unmarked vans wearing masks being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons, no chance to mount a defense, not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye, just grabbed up by masked agents, shoved into those vans, and disappeared.”
Some say this radical rhetoric is actually part of a larger strategy by the Democrats to provoke ICE and cut down support for Trump’s most popular issue. 
“What they’re betting, and if you believe that, the idea of trying to provoke an overreaction on the part of ICE is part of the strategy,” RealClearPolitics Chief Content Officer Andrew Walworth <a href="https://youtu.be/bZghs7pNFf4?t=383">said</a>.
The attacks may be having an effect — Trump’s overall approval on immigration appears to be <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval_immigration-8659.html">falling</a>.
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<h2>Doug Mackey</h2>
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Topline: A Trump supporter who was targeted by the Biden DOJ over memes he posted online had his case tossed by an appeals court, scoring a major victory for free speech. 
Douglass Mackey had a popular pro-Trump account on Twitter, now called X, during the 2016 election. He went by the alias Ricky Vaughn, inspired by Charlie Sheen’s character in Major League. Just days after Joe Biden took office in 2021, Mackey was arrested and he was prosecuted by the Justice Department over memes he posted four years prior. One of the memes in question mocked Hillary Clinton supporters and said they could text their vote and avoid the polls. Similar jokes were made online about Trump supporters. 
The DOJ claimed this was a mass conspiracy, voter suppression, and election interference. Mackey was facing 10 years in prison. He was eventually convicted in NYC and sentenced to seven months behind bars. He was able to avoid serving jail time as he appealed the case, and on Wednesday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit reversed Mackey’s conviction and directed a lower court to enter a judgment of acquittal.
“I didn&#8217;t expect that it would be such a resounding victory,” Mackey told The Daily Wire. “It&#8217;s extremely rare for a case, number one, to be overturned on appeal. Number two, it&#8217;s extremely rare for the Circuit court, the appeals court, to actually overrule the jury and say, no, the verdict was wrong, you have to enter a judgment of acquittal. [It] just goes to show how weak and non-existent the government&#8217;s case against me was.”
Though Mackey was ultimately acquitted, this legal saga was more than four years of his life, which really took a toll on his family and friends. Mackey told The Daily Wire his wife was pregnant during the trial and she actually had an emergency C-section while Mackey was in New York being sentenced. On the financial side, Mackey said his legal fees totaled north of a million dollars. Moving forward, Mackey plans to file a civil lawsuit against the DOJ. 
“As the Circuit Court ruled, this case was brought without sufficient evidence,” Mackey said. “So based on that, we have to assume that they brought this case for political reasons, because why else would you bring this case? So I think it&#8217;s egregious. I think that it&#8217;s weaponization and politicized justice and I think it&#8217;s misconduct.”
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<h2>AI Arms Race </h2>
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Topline: The race to develop advanced artificial intelligence is heating up, and some tech giants are sparing no expense. Earlier this week, Meta paid $200 million to poach one of Apple’s leading AI developers for its new &#8220;Superintelligence Lab.&#8221; Meanwhile, deep fakes are becoming a major security issue.
Investment in artificial intelligence has been growing exponentially in the last decade. According to an <a href="https://edgedelta.com/company/blog/ai-investment-statistics">analysis</a> by Stanford University, nearly a trillion dollars was poured into developing tools like ChatGPT between 2013 and 2022. Many of these AI tools have been wildly successful and have been incorporated into all parts of our daily lives: individualized search and chat tools, big data analysis that quickly sequence genomes and help doctors diagnose diseases, large language models that can quickly and accurately translate text and audio into different languages &#8211; the list goes on. In 2025, global investment in AI is expected to reach $200 billion per year.
Despite overseas efforts to catch up, U.S. companies currently lead the field. There are some prominent newcomers such as OpenAI and Anthropic, but all of the Big Tech names that most people would recognize, like Amazon, Nvidia, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple have invested heavily in artificial intelligence. 
Apple’s AI offerings have generally underperformed relative to its competitors — there are rumors that they might outsource the integration of LLM features into Siri to other firms. However, Apple has a lot of experience building smartphones and personal computers, and much of their research has been focused on making smaller AI models that could be built into their hardware instead of relying on a connection to external servers. 
Those efforts appear to have caught Mark Zuckerberg’s attention, and he is reportedly now trying to poach their top talent with very lucrative contracts. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Ruoming Pang, the head developer of Apple’s AI models, was leaving the company to join Meta for a cool <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/meta-reportedly-recruits-apples-head-of-ai-models/">$200 million</a>. According to industry scuttlebutt, he may be just the first of many to jump ship from Apple  – Sam Altman of OpenAI says his employees have received similar offers.
“[Meta] started making these giant offers to people on our team,” Altman <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZUG0pr5hBo">said</a>. “100 million dollar signing bonuses… so far none of my top employees have decided to take them up on it.”
Meanwhile: In May, “unknown actors” got ahold of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ contact list and posed as her to contact senators, congressmen, and prominent businessmen. That same month, the FBI issued a PSA warning that “if you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official, do not assume it is authentic.”
A similar scheme was attempted in June; a cable from the State Department revealed that at least five people received text and voice messages imitating Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Rubio impersonator created a Signal account using an official-sounding email address as his display name and reached out to at least five people, including members of Congress and foreign dignitaries. An investigation is ongoing in both cases. However, because of how ubiquitous AI voice cloning has become, it could be hard to pin down a suspect.
“Deep fake audio is extremely simple to produce,” Leah Siskind, an AI Research Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, told The Daily Wire. “Typically it only requires about 30 seconds of recorded audio and you can use tools that are online, that are free, that are extremely user friendly. You don’t need much technical knowledge to learn how to produce these audio fakes, and what they’ll do is they’ll use AI to train to train on, they’ll look for patterns in your accent, your tone, your pitch, your breathing patterns, all within that 30 second audio clip, and from that they’ll be able to produce a very realistic mimic of your voice.”

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Morning Brief: Anti-ICE Violence, Meme Madness, And What’s Next In The AI Arms Race

Artificial Intelligence

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Morning Wire

The man behind a popular pro-Trump X account effectively had his conviction tossed on Wednesday, after the Biden-era <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> was ready to imprison him for memes that mocked Hillary Clinton voters during the 2016 presidential election.
Douglass Mackey, who was charged by the Biden DOJ some four years after posting the memes in question, was facing a stunning 10 years behind bars. After the DOJ secured a conviction, Mackey was sentenced to seven months behind bars in 2023, but the sentence was delayed by an appeals court.
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit reversed Mackey’s conviction and directed a lower court to enter a judgment of acquittal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DOUG MACKEY WINS !! MEME MAGIC HAS EMERGED COMPLETELY VICTORIOUS !! <a href="https://t.co/hyJFw5rQxe">pic.twitter.com/hyJFw5rQxe</a>
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/1942949310380880156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown out my conviction for lack of evidence the case has been remanded to the district court with orders to immediately dismiss,&#8221; Mackey posted to X. &#8220;Hallelujah!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: THE SECOND CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS HAS THROWN OUT MY CONVICTION FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE
THE CASE HAS BEEN REMANDED TO THE DISTRICT COURT WITH ORDERS TO IMMEDIATELY DISMISS
HALLELUJAH!
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) <a href="https://twitter.com/DougMackeyCase/status/1942947069745934603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
As reported by The Daily Wire, Mackey, who went by the Twitter (now X) alias Ricky Vaughn, was charged about a week after President Joe Biden took office — some four years after the memes were posted. While the DOJ claimed Mackey conspired to “injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate” people from exercising their constitutional right to vote, his legal team, other legal minds, and many politicos said the memes were obviously protected free speech.
The meme the prosecution zeroed in on was published on November 1, 2016. It shows a woman holding an “African Americans for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hillary-clinton-lands-professor-and-presidential-fellow-gig-at-columbia-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Hillary</a>” sign with overlaid text reading, “Avoid the line. Vote from home. Text ‘Hillary’ to 55925.”
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Mackey has the support of President Donald Trump, and others in his orbit, including Donald Trump Jr., but said after Trump won the 2024 election that he would not ask Trump for a pardon, since he was anticipating a good result on appeal.
“Since so many are asking, my team and I have not asked President Trump for a pardon at this time as we are hoping for a favorable, precedent-setting ruling in the 2nd Circuit that would prevent the DOJ from politically weaponizing the law,” he said at the time. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Since so many are asking, my team and I have not asked President Trump for a pardon at this time as we are hoping for a favorable, precedent-setting ruling in the 2nd Circuit that would prevent the DOJ from politically weaponizing the law.
Thank you everybody for your support!
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) <a href="https://twitter.com/DougMackeyCase/status/1881538008698204562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
Mackey also posted on X, &#8220;Now we sue,&#8221; suggesting a coming suit against the federal government.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Now we sue
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) <a href="https://twitter.com/DougMackeyCase/status/1942947698631442630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-doj-trying-to-lock-up-a-pro-trump-meme-maker-for-ten-years-heres-what-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden DOJ Trying To Lock Up A Pro-Trump Meme Maker For Ten Years. Here’s What You Need To Know.</a>

Trump Supporter Gets Case Tossed After Biden DOJ Was Ready To Imprison Him For Memes

Trump Supporter Just Got Case Tossed After Biden DOJ Was Ready To Imprison Him For Memes

Department of Justice

A federal court on Monday halted the prison sentence for Douglas Mackey, who was convicted earlier this year of election interference for posting memes that <a href="https://www.memedefensefund.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mocked</a> Hillary Clinton voters to cast their ballot via text during the 2016 presidential election.
Mackey was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-supporter-douglass-mackey-sentenced-to-7-months-in-prison-over-voting-memes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of a &#8220;scheme to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote&#8221; after a Twitter account he ran under the handle &#8220;Ricky Vaughn&#8221; posted memes in the lead-up to the election. In October, Judge Ann M. Donnelly of Federal District Court in Brooklyn sentenced Mackey to 7 months in prison, a $15,000 fine, and two years probation.
However, Judge Omar Williams of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reportedly overruled the appellate court in granting a motion for bond pending appeal, according to Mackey.
&#8220;This ruling is huge because it means that the appeals court decided that my appeal presents &#8216;substantial&#8217; and &#8216;debatable&#8217; issues of law that, if resolved in my favor, will result in my conviction being vacated,&#8221; Mackey <a href="https://twitter.com/DougMackeyCase/status/1731775057184100848" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;The prosecution, on the other hand, argued that my appeal was frivolous and that this was a typical election crime case like any other in U.S. history. This is a very encouraging step towards vindication.&#8221;
Mackey was charged one week after President Joe Biden assumed office and roughly four years after the 2016 election. The Justice Department claimed that Mackey had conspired to &#8220;injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate&#8221; people from exercising their right to vote. Prosecutors said that he and others had &#8220;intended variously to provoke, mislead, and, in some cases, deceive voters in the 2016 presidential election&#8221; with their posts.
The Justice Department said that Mackey had worked with other influential Twitter users between September 2016 and November 2016 to &#8220;disseminate fraudulent messages&#8221; which persuaded voters for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to cast their ballots via phone or social media.
One image showed a black woman standing in front of an &#8220;African Americans for Hillary&#8221; sign and said, &#8220;Avoid the Line. Vote from Home,&#8221; and &#8220;Text &#8216;Hillary&#8217; to 59925.&#8221;
According to the government, some 4,900 people texted the number, but it&#8217;s unclear how many people, if anyone, fell for the meme and did not cast the vote they intended to cast; or were merely participating in the joke.
Hillary Clinton <a href="https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-prison-sentence-of-douglass-mackey-stayed-by-federal-court-pending-appeal?utm_campaign=64506" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> celebrated the arrest, saying Mackey&#8217;s meme went &#8220;from what you would consider free speech &#8230; to running a very deliberate effort to mislead people about where and how to vote. So it went from speech to action meant to subvert the election because thousands of people who they targeted through their algorithms, &#8216;oh I could text my vote for Hillary Clinton.'&#8221;
Mackey said if he loses the appeal in the Second Circuit, he intends to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Douglas Mackey’s Meme-Related Prison Sentence Halted By Federal Court

Douglas Mackey's Meme-Related Prison Sentence Halted By Federal Court

2016 Election

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