Two social media posts by Trump administration officials drew accusations of racial stereotyping before the U.S. midterm elections, as affordability concerns and the administration’s enforcement messaging shaped the political climate.
The Independent reported Sunday that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted an image on X Saturday showing a Black man beside stacks of cash and holding what appeared to be a burning banknote. The image labeled him “SNAP FRAUDSTER” and placed the scene against a backdrop resembling Halloween costume packaging, with a message warning that the costume came with a prison sentence.
The newspaper said commenters called Rollins’ post racist and shameful. The White House also shared a photo Thursday of a pumpkin carved with a sombrero outline; replies criticized that image as a racist stereotype, according to The Independent.
The posts appeared as administration officials emphasized immigration enforcement and fraud investigations in public messaging, The Independent reported. The newspaper also noted that rising health care costs had made affordability a leading concern for voters. It recalled a previous White House post during a government shutdown just over a year ago: a Trump video depicting then-House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries with a fake mustache and sombrero. Vice President JD Vance said the “sombrero memes” would stop if Democrats agreed to end the shutdown.
The Independent reported that an Instagram account named Shawty Dred shared a similar image in September 2025. The Justice Department identifies social media personality Mercedes Reshard New as Shawty Dred. Prosecutors said New was arrested Oct. 13 and faces charges over alleged fraud involving more than $4 million in Georgia SNAP funds.
Federal prosecutors said in an Oct. 21 release that New allegedly controlled more than 350 SNAP accounts using stolen identities from January 2020 through July 2026. Prosecutors said he sought to make Shawty Dred LLC an authorized SNAP retailer and allegedly took roughly $4 million through electronic benefit transfer cards. A federal grand jury indicted him Oct. 7 on dozens of counts, including mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, SNAP fraud and illegal transactions involving access devices. New remains in federal custody. FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham said the alleged spending used money intended to help feed families and supported a luxury lifestyle.
