White House posts Halloween-themed fraud images days before midterm elections

The Trump administration’s social media accounts have shared images that critics describe as inflammatory rhetoric shortly before the midterm elections. The posts include a pumpkin carved with a sombrero design and a fake Halloween-themed background featuring a Black man accused of food assistance fraud.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted a photo on X on Saturday showing the man in front of stacks that appear to be U.S. currency under the headline “SNAP FRAUDSTER.” He is holding what appears to be a burning bill, while the image carries the text “Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a prison sentence.”

“Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a prison sentence.”

The White House also posted a pumpkin image on X on Thursday with the words “Spooky szn is here.” Rollins’s post appears to be drawn from a September 2025 Instagram post by an account named Shawty Dred.

Mercedes Reshard New, identified by the Justice Department as a social media personality also known as Shawty Dred, was arrested earlier this month on federal charges for allegedly obtaining more than $4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Georgia.

The posts come as the government promotes its aggressive immigration enforcement and efforts to crack down on fraud to save taxpayer money. Rising healthcare costs and other economic pressures have made affordability a leading voter concern ahead of the elections.

This is not the first time the White House has faced criticism for inflammatory images on official accounts. Just over a year ago, during a government shutdown, the administration revived a deepfake video of House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a fake mustache and sombrero.