In yet another surreal chapter of American political theater, President Donald Trump posted a jarring AI-generated video to Truth Social, prompting a wave of concern about his state of mind — and the dangerous seriousness with which he’s pushing the radical Project 2025 agenda.
The video, which some online are calling “unhinged” and “psychotic,” centers around White House budget director and Project 2025 ringleader Russell Vought, portraying him as a kind of bureaucratic Grim Reaper. Soundtracked by an AI-mangled version of Blue Öyster Cult’s 1976 hit “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” the animation features Trump enthusiastically banging the song’s iconic cowbell — a reference so absurd it’s hard to believe it wasn’t satire.
But it’s not satire. The President of the United States posted it himself.
The video morphs into a fever dream of right-wing symbolism and barely coded racism. At one point, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is depicted in a sombrero and cartoonish handlebar mustache — a nod to Trump’s tired and baseless claim that Democrats are prioritizing undocumented migrants over American citizens during the government shutdown he helped engineer.
It all ends with children dressed in MAGA Halloween costumes going door to door, as if trick-or-treating for democracy’s corpse.
The AI-altered lyrics of the song are as pointed as they are disturbing: “Now their time has come / Here the power’s gone / Russ Vought is the reaper / He wields the pen, the funds and the brain / Here comes the reaper / Dems you babies / Here comes the reaper / Gonna tie your hands / Here comes the reaper / Won’t be able to fly / Here comes the reaper / Cry baby end your plan.”
Almost immediately after it was posted, backlash and bewilderment flooded in.
“Trump just posted this,” wrote hedge fund manager Spencer Hakimian. “What is going on?”
“Signs of psychosis,” replied conservative attorney George Conway. “No biggie.”
“Meanwhile on Truth Social,” said The Intercept’s Nick Turse. “Yes, this was posted by the President of the United States.”
And then the alarm bells got louder.
“IT JUST GETS MORE HORRIFIC!!!” posted Bluesky user Nita. “Project 2025 puts out a video of Trump and Vaught as the Grim Reaper, while JD plays drums. This was posted by Trump. They feel untouchable… obviously… considering the lack of pushback.”
“Trump and Vance, bit-part session players on Vought’s video,” added Alec MacKinnon. “Can’t even keep time.”
“Representative Dean put it best about The White House In Crisis and Trump’s decline: ‘THE PRESIDENT IS UNWELL,’” said commentator Keith Olbermann.
Bluesky user Luca Migo summed it up succinctly: “Cringe and weird, Trump posted this AI generated video feat. himself, JD Vance and Russ Vought as the grim reaper. Trump is unbothered by the shutdown he provoked and believes this gives him the green light to implement the 2025 agenda.”
That “agenda” — Project 2025 — aims to gut the federal workforce and install loyalists into every level of government, effectively dismantling the checks and balances system. And now its figurehead is being cast, quite literally, as Death incarnate.
Whether this post was meant to troll, to terrify, or simply to entertain Trump’s shrinking online base, the reaction from political observers and mental health advocates is unified: something is not right.
This isn’t just a weird video. It’s a window. And what we’re seeing through it looks less like a political strategy and more like a descent into something darker.
Watch the video below:
Trump just posted this incredibly weird AI video of himself and JD Vance in a band and Russ Vought as the grim reaper. This is what the president is doing while the government is shut down. We’re so screwed. pic.twitter.com/8XGCNmPRRw
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) October 3, 2025
