Former President Donald Trump has defiantly repeated a mental health slur against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, despite facing significant criticism for his initial remarks. The controversy has now cost him the support of at least one Republican senator crucial to his political strategy.
Trump stands by offensive comments
The incident began on Thanksgiving Day, 28 November 2024, when Trump used an ableist insult to attack Governor Walz in a post on his Truth Social platform. The post, which also railed against immigration policies, drew immediate condemnation. When questioned by reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday 1 December 2025 about whether he stood by the term, Trump doubled down.
"Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with him," Trump stated. "Absolutely. Sure. You have a problem with it?... Anybody that would do what he did, anybody that would allow those people into his state and pay billions of dollars out to Somalia." Trump went on to disparage Somalia as a non-functional country.
Walz hits back and a Republican withdraws support
Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris's running mate in the 2024 presidential election, swiftly responded. The Democratic governor posted a screenshot of Trump's insult with the caption, "Release the MRI results." He later elaborated on NBC's Meet the Press, calling the president's language "damaging" and accusing him of normalising hateful behaviour to distract from issues of competency.
Walz, a noted advocate for disability rights and the parent of a son with multiple learning disorders, found an unlikely ally in Republican State Senator Mike Bohacek of Indiana. Citing his own daughter who has Down Syndrome, Bohacek announced he would no longer support Trump's efforts to redraw Indiana's congressional district lines—a key gerrymandering objective for the former president.
"This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences," Bohacek wrote in a Facebook post, demanding Trump prove his policies "deserve a congressional majority."
Political fallout and ongoing tensions
The episode highlights the ongoing political divisions in the United States and the personal nature of modern political attacks. Trump's refusal to retract the slur, coupled with Walz's pointed rebuttals and the concrete political consequence from Senator Bohacek, frames a story of significant partisan conflict. The White House has been contacted for comment regarding the escalating situation.
This incident underscores how rhetoric around mental health and disability can quickly translate into tangible political repercussions, affecting even the most strategic of legislative manoeuvres like congressional redistricting.
