Republican state Sen. Mike Bohacek is speaking out against President Donald Trump after the president referred to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as “seriously r——-.”
On Friday, Nov. 28, Bohacek posted a statement on Facebook denouncing Trump’s use of the ableist slur, which appeared in a Thanksgiving message on Truth Social the previous evening attacking Walz, 61, and his record on immigration.
“Many of you have asked my position on redistricting,” Bohacek wrote. “I have been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter.”
His post included a screenshot of a Newsweek article published Friday morning titled, “Tim Walz Responds to Donald Trump Calling Him ‘Seriously R——-.’”
Bohacek went on to explain that his stance is rooted in his family life. “Those of you that don’t know me or my family might not know that my daughter has Down Syndrome,” he said.
“This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences,” Bohacek continued. The Republican lawmaker has represented Indiana’s District 8 since 2016, according to the Indiana Senate’s website.
In September 2024, Trump reportedly used the same slur to describe then–Vice President Kamala Harris during a dinner with billionaire donors, according to The New York Times.
At the time, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) issued a statement condemning the remark. “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 organization said.
Trump has also previously faced widespread criticism for mocking a disabled journalist during his 2015 campaign.
In his new statement, Bohacek said the “consequences” he could impose on Trump would come through his own work in office — specifically, “voting NO on redistricting,” a reference to an ongoing fight in Indiana’s legislature over redrawing congressional district maps.
“Perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority,” Bohacek concluded.
Along with targeting Walz, Trump’s lengthy Thanksgiving post also attacked Somali-American Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, whom he described as “always wrapped in her swaddling hijab, and who probably came into the U.S.A. illegally.”
He further criticized unnamed “citizens” and “patriots” who he claimed have been “just plain STUPID” on immigration, and accused Walz of doing “nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.”
Walz responded on social media with a brief message aimed at Trump’s health and cognitive fitness, writing, “Release the MRI results.”
