Claim:
During the 2025 federal government shutdown, the White House launched a webpage parodying MySpace and mocking Democratic lawmakers, titled “MySafeSpace.”
Rating:
In early November 2025, a webpage titled “MySafeSpace” that parodied the social platform MySpace began to circulate. The page mocked Democrats in U.S. Congress, blaming them for the ongoing government shutdown. The page’s URL, whitehouse.gov/mysafespace, made it look like it was part of the White House website.
Several Snopes readers emailed or searched the site seeking to verify if the White House was really hosting the page that parodied MySpace, which peaked in popularity in the 2000s. Some people wondered if someone had spoofed the White House website to make it look like President Donald Trump’s administration had sanctioned the page when it hadn’t. For example, one email read:
This website is circulating on Threads and elsewhere as being officially sanctioned by the White House. I think it’s fake and people on the right are just trying to get a rise out of Democrats. It has a .gov extension but that is easy to fake. Is this a real website living somewhere on the White House official website? https://www.whitehouse.gov/mysafespace/
The White House website legitimately hosted the page.
The Myspace-like profile listed the name “The Democrats” and displayed a photograph of U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, two Democrats from New York. The profile image was altered to place a Mexican sombrero on Jeffries’ head and large mustache on his face (archived):
(whitehouse.gov / screenshot)
The profile listed accurate details from Jeffries’ biography and said Oct. 1, 2025, the first day of the government shutdown, was his “last working day.”
The White House’s X account shared a link to the parody webpage on Nov. 2, indicating that the page was legitimate. The X post said “MySafeSpace” was a place “where Democrats go when opening the government feels too hard” (archived):
Two days later, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Snopes that the White House approved the parody page, which was part of its official website.
“This is a creative way for the White House to remind Americans who Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, and the Democrat [sic] party prioritize above struggling families,” Rogers said in an emailed statement. “Democrats can end the shutdown at any moment but prefer to hold our most vulnerable hostage for political purposes. SAD!”
More details about the page
As the government shutdown dragged on (as of Nov. 5, 2025, it was the longest shutdown in U.S. history), messages accusing Democrats of prolonging the ordeal appeared on most government websites.
For example, as Snopes reported in October 2025, that type of message appeared on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website, leading some people to ask if it violated the Hatch Act, a federal law limiting certain political activities of federal employees.
The title of the parody page was a play on words conflating MySpace, the social platform, and “safe space,” a years-old idea of judgement- and conflict-free zones that conservatives have long derided. Critics argue “safe spaces” hamper free speech and stunt the emotional and intellectual resiliency of people who use them.
The words “Voting Record” on the page linked to an Oct. 28, 2025, article by The Hill, a news site dedicated to covering U.S. Congress. The article said that, for the 13th time, Senate Democrats blocked a funding bill the House passed weeks earlier. As a result, the government remained closed.
Another link on the parody page led to a post on the White House website that claimed Democrats shut down the government to obtain “free healthcare for illegals.” This was false. As Snopes reported in October 2025, Democrats voted against the funding bill because they sought to extend tax premiums that make health insurance more affordable for legal residents and citizens.
A “Send Message” link allowed viewers to send emails to both Jeffries and Schumer.
The “About me” section on the “MySafeSpace” page claimed Democrats in Congress “love DEI,” referring to initiatives that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in schools, organizations and workplaces. (The federal government has tried to purge all DEI efforts since Trump took office in January 2025). The “About me” section read:
Hey we’re Democrats in the House and Senate. We love DEI, transgender for everyone, and handing out taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants. We couldn’t care less if our men and women in uniform get paid or if our neighborhoods are safe – we just love playing politics with people’s livelihoods!!
The page also listed “nicknames” for Jeffries, including “Temu Obama” and “Dollar Store Obama,” referring to former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Another link on the page led to a “Government Shutdown Clock,” also on the White House website.
