e generic ballot. He calls it the "Democrat Shutdown" at every rally.
The AI video history. On Sept. 29, 2025, Trump posted a deepfake video of Schumer and Jeffries in sombreros with mariachi music, having fake-Schumer say Democrats need "illegal aliens" to vote. It got 22.8 million views and was condemned as racist by the NAACP and GWU ethics experts. Jeffries responded: "say it to my face." Trump never apologized. The "traitors" comment is the escalation.
What Schumer and Jeffries said back
Jeffries, April 19 on MSNBC:
"When you can't defend a failed blockade, you call people traitors. That's what autocrats do. We swore an oath to the Constitution, not to Donald Trump."
Schumer, on the Senate floor:
"I've been called worse by better. But when a president uses the word treason to silence opposition, every American should be worried."
Neither sued for defamation — public officials almost never win those cases, and they don't want to elevate it.
Do Republicans still stand with him?
The post is a loyalty test, and the data says: overwhelmingly yes.
A CBS/YouGov poll April 20-22, 2026: 81% of Republicans approve of Trump calling Democratic leaders "traitors" if they "undermine national security."
Among independents: 29% approve, 58% disapprove.
