US President Donald Trump has ignited a firestorm of criticism after using a term widely considered a deeply offensive slur against Democratic Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, and subsequently standing by his remarks.
Defiant stance on offensive language
The controversy began on his social media platform, Truth Social, where Trump labelled Governor Walz ‘seriously r******d’ while criticising his handling of what Trump called ‘Somalian gangs’. The president doubled down on this language during an exchange with a journalist aboard Air Force One on the evening of 30 November 2025.
When asked if he stood by the comment, Trump replied, ‘Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with him, absolutely, for sure.’ He challenged the reporter, asking if she had a problem with his remark, before elaborating on his criticism of Walz's policies and US aid to Somalia, a nation he incorrectly claimed does not function as a country.
The entire exchange was uploaded to the official White House YouTube channel.
Swift backlash from politicians and advocates
The response from political figures and disability rights advocates was immediate and severe. Governor Walz, in an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, expressed dismay, noting that concerted efforts over thirty years had worked to eradicate such language from schools.
‘Kids know better than to use it,’ Walz stated. ‘But look, this is what Donald Trump has done. He’s normalised this type of hateful behaviour and this type of language.’
The impact extended across party lines. Republican State Senator Michael Bohacek, who has a daughter with Down syndrome, cited the president's language as a direct reason for withdrawing support for a Republican-favoured redistricting effort in his state. ‘This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences,’ he said.
A pattern of derogatory remarks
This incident is not an isolated one for Trump. He has used the same offensive term on several past occasions, including in leaked audio discussing former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and during a 2004 appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
Furthermore, his recent interactions with the press have grown increasingly hostile. This includes telling a reporter questioning him about the Jeffrey Epstein files to ‘Quiet, piggy,’ and a 2020 incident where he told a female journalist to ‘keep her voice down’ during a White House briefing.
Campaign groups like The ‘r’ Word Campaign stress that the term, once a medical label, is now wholly inappropriate due to its use to demean and abuse people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The group urges the public to ‘emphasise our personhood’ when communicating about the disabled community.
