Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz criticized President Trump on Monday after the president reposted a video on Truth Social showing kindergarten students wearing hijabs during a graduation ceremony at a St. Paul charter school. The president said the president was targeting children over their clothing.
The controversy began when Trump shared a video of the 2026 kindergarten graduation at Gateway STEM Academy, a public charter school in St. Paul. The president did not initially add any comment to the post. He later reshared commentary from the conservative X account “End Wokeness,” which stated, “Public school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every girl is in a hijab… in kindergarten.”
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Walz responded on X, accusing Trump of attacking young students.
“The President of the United States is attacking a group of kindergarteners because of the clothes they wore to school,” Walz wrote.
Gateway STEM Academy is a public charter school overseen by a board of directors and Pillsbury United Communities. The graduation video showed students wearing blue caps and gowns, with many of the girls also wearing hijabs beneath their graduation caps.
Trump’s repost quickly sparked criticism from civil rights advocates and commentators, who argued that amplifying images of children because of their religious attire could contribute to anti-Muslim sentiment. The president did not provide an additional explanation for sharing the post.
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The incident comes as debates over immigration, religious expression, and education continue to feature prominently in national political discourse. Minnesota, home to one of the country’s largest Somali American communities, has frequently been at the center of those discussions.
Trump has previously criticized Minnesota Democratic leaders, including Walz and members of the state’s congressional delegation, over issues ranging from immigration to alleged fraud in public programs.
Walz, the Democratic governor and former vice presidential nominee, has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration on immigration, education, and federal policies affecting Minnesota. Neither the White House nor Gateway STEM Academy immediately issued additional statements following Monday’s exchange.