Tim Walz hit back at Donald Trump after the president used an ableist slur to attack him during a late-night online tirade against immigration.
Trump called the Minnesota governor “seriously retarded,” a term widely regarded as derogatory toward people with intellectual disabilities. Walz responded by calling for the release of the president’s recent MRI results, drawing renewed attention to questions surrounding the 79-year-old commander-in-chief’s health.
Newsweek has emailed the White House and Walz’s office for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump’s health has drawn increased scrutiny in recent months after he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults. He also confirmed receiving an MRI at Walter Reed in October as part of what the White House described as a routine physical, though Trump told reporters he had “no idea what they analyzed.”
What To Know
“Release the MRI results,” Walz wrote, sharing a screenshot on X of Trump’s lengthy Truth Social post in which he slammed immigration, attacked Walz and Somali-American Democratic Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, and pushed unsubstantiated claims about Somali immigrants.
In the post, Trump wrote that “hundreds of thousands” of Somali refugees were “taking over” Minnesota and suggested Somali gangs were “roving the streets.”
Somalis make up roughly 1.1 percent of Minnesota’s population—about 61,300 people—according to U.S. Census data. Crime rates in Minnesota are influenced by many factors, and there is no credible data showing Somali gangs are responsible for widespread violence.
It is not the first time recently the president has targeted Somalis in the U.S. Earlier Thursday, after disparaging Somali people when discussing the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national, Trump was asked what that incident had to do with Somali people. He said “nothing,” but that “Somalians have caused a lot of trouble” and were “ripping us off for a lot of money.”
Last week, the president said he would end the temporary protected status (TPS) program for Somalis in Minnesota, “effective immediately.”
Trump told reporters on November 14 that his recent MRI was part of a “standard” physical and that the results were “outstanding.”
The White House described the scan as advanced imaging, but has not specified which part of his body was examined. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president “remains in exceptional physical health.”
MRI scans are non-invasive imaging techniques used to examine a patient’s organs, tissues, and skeletal system, typically to assess brain and spinal health.
The scans are often used to check for aneurysms of cerebral vessels, conditions of the eye and inner ear, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord conditions, stroke, tumors and brain injury from trauma. They can also be used to check heart health and other major organs.
It is not clear which part of the president’s body the MRI was performed on, and the White House has not provided details on why Trump received one.
The October scan was his second health evaluation this year, following July’s disclosure of chronic venous insufficiency.
Do Trump and Walz Have History?
This is not the first time the Republican president and the Democratic governor have traded barbs since Trump returned to office after defeating the Harris-Walz ticket last year.
During his State of the State address in April, Walz called Trump “weak” and “petty,” and slammed his early moves back in office: “It’s not supposed to be one old man sitting in the Oval Office sending out middle-of-the-night tweets that shock markets into freefall.”
The next month, during a speech to the South Carolina Democratic Party, the Minnesota governor called on his party to get “meaner.”
Following the assassination of Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Trump said he wouldn’t call “whacked out” Walz, saying it was a “waste of time.” This came shortly after calling Walz “grossly incompetent.”
In a Truth Social post on November 21, Trump misspelled Walz’s surname, referring to him as “Governor Waltz.” It is unclear if this was deliberate, but the president is known to intentionally spell or mispronounce the names of political rivals incorrectly.
During a press conference on Thursday, the president called Walz “a dope governor.”
What People Are Saying
Trump said on November 14: “Getting an MRI is very standard. What, you think I shouldn’t have it? Other people get it … I had an MRI. The doctor said it was the best result he has ever seen as a doctor.”
Former Illinois Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger echoed Walz’s demand early Friday in a post on X: “Release the MRI results.”
What Happens Next
The president’s health, given his age and status as the oldest person elected to the presidency, will remain a subject of public scrutiny as he continues his second term.
