“This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences,” Mike Bohacek said
Republican Sen. Mike Bohacek is speaking out against President Donald Trump after he called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz “seriously r——-.”
On Friday, Nov. 28, Bohacek shared a post to Facebook condemning Trump’s use of the ableist term, which was written in a Thanksgiving post on Truth Social the evening prior, to insult Walz, 61, and his stance on immigration.
“Many of you have asked my position on redistricting,” Bohacek began. “I have been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter.”
His message included a screenshot of a Newsweek article published Friday morning.
“Tim Walz Responds to Donald Trump Calling Him ‘Seriously R——-,’” was the headline of the article.
Bohacek continued, “Those of you that don’t know me or my family might not know that my daughter has Down Syndrome.”
“This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences,” Bohacek. The Republican Senator has represented Indiana’s District 8 since 2016, according to the Indiana Senate’s website.
In September 2024, Trump reportedly called then Vice-President Kamala Harris the same ableist slur during a dinner with billionaire donors, according to The New York Times.
“Donald Trump’s ableist comments yesterday say far more about him and his inaccurate, hateful biases against disabled people than it does about Vice President Harris, or any person with a disability. Trump holds the ableist, false belief that if a person has a disability, they are less human and less worthy of dignity,” the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) said in a statement at the time.
Trump also faced backlash for mocking a disabled journalist on his 2015 campaign trail.
Bohacek said his “consequences” for Trump would include “voting NO on redistricting,” referring to an ongoing battle in the state’s legislature over the redrawing of congressional district maps.
“Perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority,” he concluded.
PEOPLE reached out to the White House for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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Along with Walz, Trump’s lengthy Thanksgiving message also took aim at Somali-American Democratic Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, who Trump described as “always wrapped in her swaddling hijab, and who probably came into the U.S.A. illegally.”
The president also called out “citizens” and “patriots” who he claims have been “just plain STUPID” when it comes to immigration. He said Walz “does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.”
Walz responded to Trump’s remarks in a social media post of his own, simply writing, “Release the MRI results.”
