Trump Administration Faces Criticism Over Halloween Social Media Posts

On Saturday Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on X an image of Mercedes Reshard New labeled SNAP FRAUDSTER, with text reading Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a prison sentence. On Thursday the White House posted a pumpkin carved with a sombrero and the words Spooky szn is here. Federal prosecutors allege New, known as Shawty Dred, obtained more than $4 million in SNAP benefits in Georgia through more than 350 fraudulent accounts under stolen identities between January 2020 and July 2026. An Oct. 21 release quoted Marlo Graham saying that instead of this money feeding families in need, New allegedly used the cash to bankroll a life of luxury. New was indicted Oct. 7 and arrested Oct. 13. Rollins image appears taken from a September 2025 Shawty Dred Instagram post. Contested: South China Morning Post framed the posts as bigoted and racist memes as midterms neared. Independent Journal Review reported critics called the imagery racially inflammatory and linked the posts to anti-fraud and immigration messaging. The dispute is whether the posts comment on a charged fraud case or deploy racially coded imagery. Coverage recorded no comment from the White House or Rollins. Bytes Europe also noted an earlier White House Jeffries sombrero deepfake and a reported JD Vance line that sombrero memes will stop when a shutdown ended.