¶ Overview
- Harding joked on social media about “sombrero memes” posted by President Trump and defended by JD Vance during the October 2025 government shutdown.
- Latino constituent groups requested Harding take down the post and apologize for the offensive content, but he defended the meme and claimed it was “an effective way to get points across.” He did so despite portraying himself as a candidate that would genuinely seek to engage and build coalitions with Nebraska’s minority communities in a candidate questionnaire. In February 2026, Harding posted that “racism is not acceptable anywhere or at anytime” but his video about the sombrero meme was still up as of May 2026.
¶ Harding Claimed He Would Work To Build Coalitions Across Minority Communities In Nebraska, But Refused To Delete A Post Proliferating A Meme Widely Denounced As Racist
¶ Harding Claimed He Would Geniunely Engage With Minority Communities If Elected To Congress And Touted Building Coalitions Across Omaha
Harding Said That If Elected To Congress He Would Engage Minority Communities “Consistently And Genuinely” And Said He Had Spent His “Career Building Coalitions Across Omaha.” According to a candidate questionnaire done by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Omaha, “JCRC: How will you engage with faith-based and minority communities if elected? BRINKER HARDING: Consistently and genuinely. I’ve spent my career building coalitions across Omaha — across party lines, faiths, and backgrounds — because I believe relationships are the foundation of good governance. The people of NE02 deserve a representative who knows their communities, understands their concerns, and remains accessible long after Election Day.” [Jewish Community Relations Council, 4/26]
¶ February 2026: Harding Said Racism “Is Not Acceptable Anywhere Or At Anytime.”
Harding In February 2026: “Accidental Or Deliberate, Racism Is Not Acceptable Anywhere Or At Anytime.” According to Brinker Harding’s Facebook, “Accidental or deliberate, racism is not acceptable anywhere or at anytime.”
[Facebook, Brinker Harding, 2/6/26]
¶ October 2025: Harding Helped proliferate trump's sombrero meme
Harding Posted A Video Reacting To J.D. Vance Joking About Trump’s Sombrero Meme, In Which Harding Held A Sombrero And Tossed It Away At The End Of The Video. According to Brinker Harding’s Instagram, “If it takes sombrero memes to get Washington moving—so be it. Democrats need to reopen the government and get back to work.” [Instagram, @brinkerharding, 10/19/25] (video)
- Harding: “If It Takes Sombrero Memes To Get Washington Moving—So Be It. Democrats Need To Reopen The Government And Get Back To Work." According to a post on Brinker Harding’s Instagram, "If it takes sombrero memes to get Washington moving—so be it. Democrats need to reopen the government and get back to work." [Instagram, @brinkerharding, 10/19/25] (video)
¶ harding defended proliferating the sombrero meme and claimed “memes are a funny an EFFECTIVE way to get points across”
Harding Was Criticized For Posting A Reaction Video To J.D. Vance Talking About Trump’s Sombrero Meme. According to KMTV3, “The meme war over the government shutdown has made its way to Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District race, with Republican candidate Brinker Harding facing criticism for posting a campaign video reacting to one of the ‘sombrero memes’ on his social media profiles. Harding's campaign Instagram feed shows reactions to national content, including a post responding to Vice President JD Vance's promise to stop ‘sombrero memes’ if Democrats help reopen the government. ‘Get back to work and the sombreros go away,’ Brinker said in the post.” [KMTV3, 10/20/25]
Harding Defended His Post About “Sombrero Memes” And Said, “Memes Are A Funny And Effective Way To Get Points Across.” According to KMTV3, "In a one-on-one interview, Harding defended his post and said memes are a funny and effective way to get points across. ‘If I use a meme to get that point across, I think that's an effective way to do it because there are military families and single mothers not getting the resources that they need to survive. And for Denise Powell to make a political issue out of it and whine about it and, and clearly she obviously has said that I'm the front runner and I appreciate that, Denise,’ Harding said." [KMTV3, 10/20/25]
¶ Harding Was Criticized For Proliferating the Sombrero Meme And WAS Asked To Delete IT And Apologize
October 2025: Latino Community Groups Called For Harding To Delete His Instagram Post Joking About Trump’s Sombrero Meme And Apologize For Mocking The Latino Community. According to KMTV3, "The criticism isn't just coming from political opponents. Local community groups like LULAC, which advocates for Latin Americans, have also expressed disappointment. Harding asked to be on the LULAC Nebraska Council in 2023. Elsa Aranda was president then and told reporters she is disappointed in Harding's post. ‘Brinker Harding and I, in my role as state director and as president had always been one of mutual respect, and I don't know what drove him to use a sombrero and the graphics that he used, but it makes me angry to think that he feels he can mock the Latino community,’ Aranda said. Aranda is calling for Harding to delete the video and apologize to the Latino community." [KMTV3, 10/20/25]
¶ As Of May 2026: Harding’s Post Was Still UP On his instagram page
As Of May 2026, Harding’s Instagram Post Joking About Trump’s Sombrero Meme Was Still Up. According to Brinker Harding’s Instagram, “If it takes sombrero memes to get Washington moving—so be it. Democrats need to reopen the government and get back to work.” [Instagram, @brinkerharding, 10/19/25, viewed 5/12/26] (video)