Washington, D.C. – March 4, 2025 – In a bizarre and widely mocked display of political coordination, 22 Democratic U.S. Senators posted nearly identical videos to their social media accounts on Tuesday, each reading from what appears to be the same script to attack President Donald Trump ahead of his joint address to Congress.
The synchronized effort, intended to criticize Trump’s economic promises, quickly backfired as viewers and commentators labeled it “embarrassing,” “cringey,” and a textbook example of political theater gone wrong.
The videos, uploaded within hours of each other, feature senators including Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Maryland’s Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, among others, delivering a uniform message. Each clip begins with footage of Trump vowing to “immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One,” followed by the senators’ identical retort: “Sh*t that ain’t true. Since Day One of Donald Trump’s presidency, prices are not down, they’re up. Inflation is getting worse, not better. The price of groceries, gas, housing, eggs—it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse.” The striking similarity in wording, tone, and even background footage left little doubt that the effort was centrally orchestrated.
The rollout coincided with Trump’s scheduled 9 p.m. address titled “The Renewal of the American Dream,” amplifying the Democrats’ apparent intent to preempt his message. However, the strategy unraveled as social media users—particularly on X—pounced on the lack of originality. Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk tweeted, “22 Democrat Senators have published the same embarrassing video. Whichever consultant thought this was a good idea should be fired.” Elon Musk joined the fray, posting, “Now we’re up to 22 Dem senators all doing the same cringe video simultaneously! I will buy a Cybertruck for anyone [who] can provide proof of who wrote this particular piece of propaganda,” turning the blunder into a public challenge.
The backlash was swift and merciless. Posts on X labeled the senators “puppets” and “actors reading a script,” with one user,
@WesternLensman, noting, “Democrats are convinced that ‘messaging’—not policy—is their problem. This is apparently their attempt to address that.” Another,
@NickSortor, called it “absolutely humiliating,” questioning, “Who is controlling all these Democrat Senators?” The uniformity sparked memes and montages, with side-by-side edits highlighting the senators’ robotic delivery, further amplifying the embarrassment.
Republicans seized the moment to pile on. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) quipped on X, “Not one original thought, ever,” while Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) subtly jabbed at the spectacle, suggesting it underscored a lack of independent leadership among Democrats. The GOP narrative framed the incident as evidence of a party out of touch and desperate to counter Trump’s momentum, especially as polls—like a January New York Times/IPSOS survey showing 79% opposition to transgender sports policies—continue to challenge Democratic messaging.
Democrats offered little defense. A statement from the Democratic Strategic Communications Committee claimed the videos were a “fact-checking” effort targeting Trump’s “broken promise to lower prices,” but it failed to address the glaring lack of individuality. Behind the scenes, party insiders speculated the script originated from a centralized communications team, though no one took public responsibility. The absence of key figures like Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) from the video campaign hinted at internal dissent or reluctance to join the misadventure.
The timing—hours before Trump’s address—only heightened the stakes. Intended as a bold stand against the president’s agenda, the videos instead became a punchline, drawing comparisons to scripted news broadcasts and undermining the senators’ credibility. “Do they not realize we can see these?!” actor Kevin Sorbo posted on X, encapsulating the public’s incredulity.
As Trump prepares to take the stage tonight, the Democrats’ stumble has handed his supporters fresh ammunition and shifted focus from policy critiques to the optics of a party caught in an awkward, self-inflicted spotlight. For the 22 senators involved, the day’s lesson may be less about Trump’s record and more about the perils of over-scripted politics in an unscripted digital age.