The White House has launched a webpage parodying House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, attributing the ongoing government shutdown to congressional Democrats. The page, named “MySafeSpace,” went live on the official whitehouse.gov domain on Sunday, November 2, 2025, as the shutdown became the longest in U.S. history.
The parody mimics the MySpace platform from the early 2000s, featuring a tiled sombrero background, Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” as the profile song, and a “Top 8 Friends” list echoing conservative media points. The profile, under the name “Hakeem,” represents Jeffries, a New York congressman. His profile picture is a doctored Getty Images photo from NBC News, with a mustache and sombrero added.
The official White House X account promoted the page, suggesting it’s where Democrats retreat when reopening the government feels overwhelming. Contact links direct users to pre-filled emails to Jeffries and Schumer’s offices. The profile marks October 1, 2025, as Jeffries’ “last working day,” pointing to the federal funding crisis.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defended the page, stating it serves as a creative reminder of the Democrats’ priorities over struggling families. She asserted that Democrats could end the shutdown at any time but chose political leverage over vulnerable citizens.
The profile includes nicknames like “Temu Obama,” “Dollar Store Obama,” and “Sombrero Guy” for Jeffries. The “About Me” section accuses Democrats of prioritizing DEI, transgender rights, and benefits for undocumented immigrants over military pay and neighborhood safety. A “heroes” list features radical leftists, gangs, and illegal immigrants.
The “Top 8 Friends” list includes an autopen representing President Joe Biden, linked to Republican claims about document signing practices. Other entries are “Chucky” for Schumer, “Tampon Tim” for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and “Maryland Man” for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Trump officials have accused the Biden administration of unauthorized document signing, which former Biden officials deny.
Various links redirect to White House press releases, statements, and negative media about Democrats. A “voting record” link leads to a Hill article about Senate Democrats blocking a government funding bill for the 13th time. Mock favorite songs include Drake’s “Shut it Down” and Pitbull’s “Shut it Down,” with favorite movies like the 2016 Ghostbusters remake and the live-action Snow White film.
The shutdown centered on Senate Democrats’ refusal to support a Republican spending bill unless it extends COVID-era Affordable Care Act subsidies. Democrats demanded a deal on these ACA subsidies, set to expire on December 31, to prevent a doubling or tripling of healthcare costs under the ACA, affecting over 24 million people.
Republicans claim Democrats oppose reopening the government to fund undocumented immigrants’ healthcare, a misleading claim, as federal law bars them from such benefits. The GOP-backed funding needs 60 Senate votes, requiring Democratic support. Democrats proposed a temporary funding bill with ACA subsidies and a reversal of Medicaid cuts, but it also failed to secure 60 votes.
The White House has twice found funds to pay troops during the shutdown, addressing Republican concerns about military pay. President Trump has urged ending the Senate filibuster for a spending deal but has mostly avoided direct action, instead mocking Democratic leaders on Truth Social by posting images of Jeffries in a sombrero. Many Republicans find the images humorous or advise Jeffries to ignore them.
Schumer and Jeffries’ representatives have not commented on the MySafeSpace site. Polls suggest the administration’s blame strategy might have backfired, with most Americans blaming the GOP for the shutdown rather than the Democrats.
The shutdown ultimately ended late on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, bringing to a close a historic 43-day funding lapse. The agreement, passed 67–33, includes a short-term extension of military pay protections and delays several GOP-backed spending cuts that had fueled the impasse. President Trump signed the measure shortly before midnight, allowing federal agencies to reopen Thursday morning. Despite the administration’s attempts to place the blame on Democratic leaders, early polling conducted immediately after the shutdown’s resolution shows that most voters continue to fault congressional Republicans and the White House for the lapse.
MySpace, launched in August 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, was the largest social network between 2005 and 2009 before losing out to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. News Corp bought MySpace for $580 million in July 2005, with pop star Justin Timberlake co-owning it from 2011 to 2016. It is currently under Viant Technology.
