Trump Criticizes Tim Walz’s Immigration Stance, Questions Competence

President Trump launched a scathing attack on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz during his Thanksgiving address at Mar-a-Lago, using inflammatory language to criticize the governor’s handling of immigration and crime issues in the state.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Walz “seriously r——d” and claimed the governor was failing to address what he described as a crisis of “Somalian gangs” in Minnesota. The president’s remarks were part of a broader critique of immigration policies that he believes are harming the nation.

“A very Happy Thanksgiving salutation to all of our Great American Citizens and Patriots who have been so nice in allowing our Country to be divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at,” Trump wrote, blaming what he called “politically correct” immigration policies for various social problems.

The president claimed that Minnesota, once a “great state,” is now being “completely taken over” by Somali refugees. He alleged that residents are “staying locked in their apartments and houses” out of fear while Governor Walz “does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.”

Walz responded tersely on social media platform X, writing simply: “Release the MRI results.” The brief comment appeared to reference speculation about the president’s cognitive health.

Trump’s use of derogatory language drew immediate condemnation from Indiana State Senator Michael Bohacek, who has a daughter with Down syndrome. Bohacek called the president’s words “insulting and derogatory” and warned that “words have consequences.” The senator announced he would vote against a redistricting measure, adding that the president has “10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.”

The controversy comes at a sensitive time following a Thanksgiving Eve shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another critically wounded. The suspect in that case is an Afghan national who reportedly worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war.

In his post, Trump also directed harsh criticism at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), calling her the “worst congressman/woman in our Country” and making disparaging comments about her hijab and her country of origin. He repeated unsubstantiated claims that Omar “probably came into the U.S.A. illegally” by marrying her brother.

Trump’s statements continue a pattern of targeting Minnesota’s Somali community, which numbers approximately 74,000 according to U.S. Census data, making it one of the largest Somali diaspora communities in the United States. Minnesota has been a significant resettlement destination for refugees from Somalia since the early 1990s following that country’s civil war.

Immigration policy has remained a central focus of Trump’s presidency, with his administration implementing numerous restrictive measures including travel bans affecting predominantly Muslim countries, asylum limitations, and enhanced enforcement actions. Critics of these policies argue they have increased discrimination and hardship for immigrant communities, while supporters maintain they are necessary for national security and economic reasons.

Neither the White House, Governor Walz, nor Representative Omar provided immediate responses to requests for comment on the president’s remarks.

The inflammatory rhetoric comes amid heightened political tensions as the administration faces challenges on multiple fronts, including ongoing immigration debates, international conflicts, and domestic policy disputes that have increasingly featured personal attacks against political opponents.