According to The Gateway Pundit, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted a mock Spirit Halloween costume image on X on October 31 labeled “SNAP FRAUDSTER,” featuring a photo of Atlanta rapper and social media personality Mercedes Reshard New, known as “Shawty Dred.” The outlet reports Rollins captioned it: “Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a prison sentence. To anyone stealing from American taxpayers: The tricks are over. The treats are running out. Happy Halloween!”
The graphic and who’s pictured
The Gateway Pundit says the costume mock-up listed “Flexes wealth and questionable fashion choices,” “Steals MILLIONS from American Taxpayers,” and “Goes to jail,” with accessories labeled “STACKS OF TAXPAYERS CASH,” “FAKE GRILLS,” “EBT CARD,” and “HANDCUFFS.” The man shown, identified by the outlet as New (“Shawty Dred”), is pictured flashing a middle finger while holding a burning dollar bill.
What prosecutors allege
The Gateway Pundit reports that a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted New on October 7 on 46 counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count each of SNAP fraud and illegal transactions with access devices, and that he was arrested in Las Vegas on October 13. Citing prosecutors’ allegations, the outlet says that between January 2020 and July 2026 New controlled more than 350 fraudulent SNAP accounts opened with stolen identities; had EBT cards mailed to multiple addresses around metro Atlanta; registered his company, Shawty Dred LLC, as an authorized SNAP retailer; and used a point-of-sale device tied to that business to steal more than $660,000 before USDA revoked the authorization. The Gateway Pundit reports prosecutors allege roughly $4.6 million in benefits flowed into the fraudulent accounts and approximately $4 million was siphoned out, and that the case is part of a broader Justice Department crackdown targeting nearly $42 million in SNAP and related fraud.
The backlash
The post drew immediate criticism on X. The Gateway Pundit highlights users who called the post “racist.” Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) quote-posted Rollins, writing: “Despicable. Disgusting. Not even hiding it… And I look forward to your answer to what motivated this graphic when you appear in front of the Agriculture Committee in January.”
Virginia Democrat Rep. James Walkinshaw responded with his own mock costume graphic labeling former President Donald Trump a “CONVICTED FRAUDSTER,” writing, “Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a failed Presidency. To the Trump Administration officials stealing from American taxpayers: The tricks are over. The treats are running out. Happy Halloween!”
The Gateway Pundit also states that outlets including Raw Story, Mediaite, and HuffPost covered Rollins’s post and framed it as a racist dog whistle.
Rollins’s message
Per The Gateway Pundit, Rollins’s caption tied the meme to criminal consequences: “This one comes with a prison sentence… To anyone stealing from American taxpayers: The tricks are over. The treats are running out.”
