«I think there’s something wrong with him»

As backlash grows over the president’s latest outburst, his recent decision to call Minnesota Governor Tim Walz the R-Word is drawing widespread condemnation from disability advocates, political opponents and even some within his own party, who see the remark as another blatant example of ableist and demeaning rhetoric unworthy of the office.

Yet despite the criticism and repeated calls to apologize, the president does not appear to have a second thought about his words. When questioned by reporters about the slur and whether he regretted using it, he chose instead to double down, brushing aside concerns about respect and decorum and adding another cutting line aimed at Walz. Rather than soften his stance or walk anything back, he escalated the attack by declaring in front of cameras and microphones: «I think there’s something wrong with him», a statement that further inflamed the controversy and reinforced the impression that he is deliberately leaning into insults as a political weapon.

Trump first used the slur against Tim Walz in a late-night Thanksgiving message posted on Truth Social on November 27, where he launched into a long attack on immigration, Somali refugees in Minnesota and what he portrayed as rising crime in the state, presenting Minnesota as a «once great» place that was being overwhelmed by newcomers. In that post, after claiming that Somali gangs were roaming the streets and that residents were afraid to leave their homes, he turned his fire directly on the Democratic governor and labeled him «seriously re****ed», writing the now-quoted line: «The seriously re****ed Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.»

During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One on November 30, the president was directly confronted about his earlier use of the slur against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. A reporter asked: «You mentioned Tim Walz and you called him what many Americans do find an offensive word—‘re****ed’. Do you stand by that claim of calling Tim Walz ‘re****ed’?» Instead of backing down, the president doubled down without hesitation, replying: «Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with him. Absolutely sure. Do you have a problem with it?» He went on to insist that Walz was «incompetent» and blamed him for what he described as a massive influx of Somali refugees into Minnesota, claiming the state had spent “billions” tied to immigration and community support — remarks that further escalated the controversy and reinforced his strategy of transforming criticism into an opportunity to intensify personal attacks.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was the first to answer the president’s insult directly, turning Trump’s language back on him with a short, pointed message that instantly went viral. On X, he reposted the Thanksgiving Truth Social rant in which Trump called him «seriously re****ed» and replied with just four words: «Release the MRI results.» In the days that followed, Walz used interviews to frame the slur as a question about the president’s own fitness for office. On Meet the Press, he described a leader who spent Thanksgiving night ranting online instead of being with family and warned that «This is not normal behavior. It’s not healthy», adding that he believes the president is «fading physically» and that he is «deeply concerned» Trump may be «incapable of doing the job». Walz also accused him of «throwing around slurs» that «demonize our children», arguing that a president who refuses to release basic medical records while attacking people with disabilities is failing the standards historically expected of the office.

Beyond Walz, the backlash spread quickly through both cultural and political circles, with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and at least one Republican elected official publicly rebuking the president’s language. On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the comedian read from Trump’s Thanksgiving post and mocked his claim that the world is laughing at America by shooting back: «They’re laughing at you!», before zeroing in on the insult toward Walz and sarcastically calling Trump the «president of the eighth grade» to underline how juvenile the slur sounded coming from a head of state. The criticism from inside his own party was even more striking: Indiana state senator Michael Bohacek, whose daughter has Down syndrome, wrote that he has been «an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities» and warned that the president’s rhetoric cannot be brushed aside because «His choices of words have consequences.» Bohacek went further, announcing, «I will be voting NO on redistricting, perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority», effectively tying his opposition to a key Republican priority directly to Trump’s use of the slur and underscoring how politically costly the comment could become even among Republicans.