
WASHINGTON (AP) — Halfway through Donald Trump’s inaugural White House meeting with congressional leadership days before a government shutdown, the red hats appeared on the president’s desk.
“Trump 2028,” they said, situated across from the seated lawmakers, Vice President JD Vance and several untouched Diet Cokes.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries leaned over to Vance, himself a potential 2028 contender, and quipped, “Hey, bro, you got a problem with this?”
The room chuckled in response.
“It was the random-most thing in the world, because we’re sitting there, we’re having a serious conversation, and all of a sudden these two red hats appear,” Jeffries recalled later at the Capitol.
“It was all so unserious,” Jeffries said, describing a roving cameraman capturing the moment. “We were there for serious reasons that it wasn’t really a big part of, you know, the discussion. It was theatrics.”
The moment was vintage Trump –- grabbing the attention and seeking to throw negotiators off their game — but it also underscored the president’s regard for Congress, a coequal branch of the government, and in particular his opponents across the political aisle.
Another AI video from Trump on Truth Social, this time of his throwing a Trump 2028 hat onto Hakeem Jeffries’ head.
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) October 2, 2025 at 11:41 PM
From historic first meeting to viral trolling
What was once was considered a historic occasion –- the president of the United States convening his first “big four” meeting of congressional leaders from the House and Senate –- was reduced to another viral souvenir of Trump trolling his opponent.
And after the more than hourlong session, Trump failed to strike a deal with the leaders to prevent a federal government closure.
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