Donald Trump uses shock slur in late-night Thanksgiving message

Donald Trump has never been the type to hold back, but his late-night Thanksgiving post this year detonated a political grenade no one expected on a holiday built on calm, gratitude, and family. What began as a standard holiday greeting on Truth Social mutated into a full-scale political assault that rattled Washington, inflamed social media, and stunned even some longtime Trump loyalists.

The country was already on edge. Just hours earlier, two National Guard members had been shot near the White House, triggering a national wave of fear and anger. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who came to the U.S. in 2021. He was later wounded in a confrontation with law enforcement. The incident immediately became fuel for a renewed, bitter fight over immigration and security — and Trump grabbed that fire with both hands.

Late that night, instead of offering comfort or unity, Trump opened his Thanksgiving message with a polite greeting before veering sharply into what can only be described as an aggressive political manifesto. His post tied the D.C. shooting directly to national immigration policy, calling for a “permanent pause” on immigration from what he described as “Third World countries.” It was the kind of language that leaves no ambiguity, no room for nuance, and no intention of easing national tension.

Then it escalated further.

In the same message, Trump used a derogatory slur to describe Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and delivered a set of pointed, inflammatory remarks aimed at Representative Ilhan Omar. Once again, he invoked her background, her faith, and her immigrant origins — a tactic he’s relied on before, but this time the timing and ferocity amplified the backlash instantly. Screenshots of the post began circulating within minutes, sparking outrage and disbelief across political and media circles.

Walz fired back almost immediately with a terse, razor-sharp response on X: “Release the MRI results.” In one sentence, the governor openly challenged Trump’s mental fitness — a level of public pushback that would’ve been unthinkable in most political eras, but that now felt like a perfectly calibrated reply to the moment.

Then came the twist.

CNN reported a detail that undercut Trump’s entire argument: while he implied the Biden administration allowed Lakanwal into the country, immigration records showed that the suspect actually applied for asylum in 2024 — and that the application was approved in April 2025, under Trump’s own administration.

Pressed about this discrepancy during a media gaggle, Trump dismissed the reporter as “stupid” and refused to address the timeline.

His Thanksgiving message continued to roll downhill from there. Across several increasingly heated paragraphs, Trump claimed the country was being infiltrated by people who “hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for,” warning they “won’t be here for long.” It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t measured. It was Trump at his most provocative, and on a holiday where most Americans were asleep or saying their final goodnights, his words detonated across the internet.

The reaction split neatly down the usual battle lines. Supporters applauded his bluntness, insisting he was finally “telling the truth out loud” about immigration and national security. Critics — including some conservatives who normally back his policy instincts — said the comments were reckless, divisive, and outright dangerous, especially delivered on Thanksgiving. Advocacy groups slammed the message as xenophobic. Legal scholars immediately questioned whether a “permanent pause” on immigration from entire regions of the world would survive even a preliminary constitutional review.

Meanwhile, the revelation that Lakanwal’s asylum was approved during Trump’s own administration cast a long shadow over his key argument, adding a layer of irony his opponents seized immediately.

Even so, the message dominated Thanksgiving weekend. Cable news panels dissected it word by word. Millions of comments poured onto social media. Hashtags trended. And once again, Trump — intentionally or not — controlled the national conversation.

The striking thing wasn’t the content alone but the contrast between what Americans expected and what they got. Thanksgiving messages from presidents — former or current — traditionally lean on unity, reflection, and simple gratitude. Trump delivered the opposite: a blistering attack, a policy demand, a slur directed at a sitting governor, and a renewed culture-war volley aimed at a well-known Democratic congresswoman.

But while the timing felt chaotic, the strategy was clear. Immigration has resurfaced as a central issue heading into 2026. By tying the D.C. shooting to his broader policy agenda, Trump ensured that public anger, fear, and political division funneled back toward one of his strongest platforms. It was political acceleration — pushing a moment already in motion into something louder, bigger, and harder to ignore.

The irony at the heart of the story — that the suspect’s asylum approval occurred under Trump’s own administration — only deepened the debate. Supporters glossed over the detail. Critics weaponized it. Analysts pointed out that the discrepancy would’ve been front-page news on its own if the rest of the message hadn’t overshadowed everything else.

As the holiday weekend came to a close, one thing was obvious: the fallout wasn’t fading. The shooting investigation continued. Immigration policy was once again the center of national argument. Media outlets were still replaying Walz’s six-word reply. And voters across the country were left arguing over whether Trump’s message was refreshing honesty or reckless showmanship.

In the end, the country didn’t go to sleep thinking about turkey leftovers or family stories or holiday traditions. Trump made sure of that. He hijacked Thanksgiving and turned it into a political flashpoint — one that people will still be debating long after the dishes are washed and the weekend is over.

Love him or loathe him, Trump used the holiday to remind the nation of one thing: he can command the spotlight whenever he wants.

And this time, he made sure everybody was watching.