President Trump deploys 500 more National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., following shootings
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced he would send 500 more troops to Washington, D.C.
- President Donald Trump posted a series of anti-immigrant messages on Thanksgiving, some of which included slurs.
- President Trump used the “r-word” to describe Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in a post on Truth Social.
- The term was considered a slur against people with intellectual disabilities and was replaced by federal law in 2010.
President Donald Trump posted a series of anti-immigrant messages on social media over Thanksgiving, one of which contained a slur.
President Trump’s Nov. 27 post on Truth Social reads, “A very happy Thanksgiving to all the great Americans and patriots who graciously allowed our country to be divided, confused, dissected, murdered, beaten, robbed, and laughed at for being ‘politically correct’ and for being total idiots when it comes to immigration, and to all the other stupid countries around the world.”
He then mentioned Minnesota and called the governor the “r-word.” The term was once used medically to describe people with mental disorders, but over time it came to be used as a term of bullying. In recent decades, advocates have campaigned to end the use of the word, and its use was becoming seemingly unacceptable.
But in the past year or so, it’s made a comeback, showing up unapologetic in places like Joe Rogan’s podcast, Elon Musk’s social media posts, and now presidential statements.
“This post suggests that the president used the R-word to mock Governor Walz. If true, this word has a long, painful and humiliating history and reinforces unfair and false stereotypes that people with intellectual disabilities are incompetent or less than capable,” Special Olympics President Dr. Timothy Shriver said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Words matter. It’s never OK to use the R-word.”
Read Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving message posted on Truth Social
President Trump has made disparaging comments about people with cognitive disabilities. What did you say?
President Trump used the derogatory “r-word” to describe Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat who ran against Vice President J.D. Vance in the 2024 election. The term was introduced as a medical term in 1961, but evolved over the following decades as an insult used to insult people with and without disabilities.
“Using the R-word is the same as using any slur against minorities,” the Special Olympics website states. “Removing this word is a step towards respect for all people.”
In 2010, former President Barack Obama signed Rosa’s Law, which replaces references to “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability” in existing federal law.
“What you call someone is how you treat them. Changing the language could be the beginning of a new attitude toward people with disabilities,” President Obama said while speaking about Rosa’s Law at the bill signing, quoting Rosa’s brother, the bill’s namesake.
Walz’s office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment, but he shared a screenshot of Trump’s post to X with the caption, “Release MRI results.”
President Trump underwent an MRI scan during a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 10th, which he called “perfect.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.
