Tim Walz vs ICE: Why MAGA’s ‘Tampon Tim’ nickname is back

Amid ongoing protests against ICE in Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz and the Trump administration have been locked in a prolonged war of words. While the Democratic vice-presidential nominee has been urging Donald Trump to withdraw ICE agents from the state, MAGA supporters have been attacking Walz with the nickname ‘Tampon Tim,’ blaming his policies for what they allege is a surge in immigration.“Why are ICE protests so widespread in Minnesota and nowhere else? It is because Tampon Tim and Frey are fanning the flames to cover up for the fraud. Shame on them!” read a recent post on X that made use of the nickname.As the verbal sparring continues, many are asking why Walz, a 61-year-old politician, is repeatedly referred to as ‘Tampon Tim’ by Trump supporters. Political nicknames and trolling are nothing new, but what is the story behind this one?

‘Tampon Tim’

Politics is a game of blames and names and when a crisis occurs, each side throws both at each other. While Walz may not have been witty enough to think of one, Republicans were quick to award him with an alias: 'Tampon Tim'. The label gained traction after 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris announced Walz as her vice-presidential pick.At its core the name is a dig at one of Walz's policies launched in 2023. The governor signed a law requiring public schools to provide menstrual products including pads and tampons to students from grades 4 to 12. It went into effect on January 1, 2024, making Minnesota one of the twenty-eight states to have passed laws giving access to menstrual products to students. The bill's inclusive language reflects that not all people who menstruate are women and not all women get periods, therefore, the products were made available in all bathrooms regardless of gender.

For anti-transgender Republicans, this became an immediate point of attack. “Tim Walz is a weird radical liberal,” the MAGA War Room account posted on X, formerly Twitter, at the time. “What could be weirder than signing a bill requiring schools to stock tampons in boys' bathrooms?” From editing Walz's face on tampons to criticising him in social media posts, they continue to do it all. But when you zoom in deeper, it's not just about policies, it's also about the ancient taboos of uncleanness and shame, associated with menstruation and women.

In the Bible, the book of Leviticus defined menstruating women, and any who touched them, as unclean, and the book of Isaiah compared false idols to menstrual cloths which must be cast away. Still, many assume menstrual blood is disgusting to men and essentially when Republicans chant 'Tampon Tim' what they are screaming louder is 'ew, gross periods.' They are projecting their disdain for feminine nature and slyly calling Walz 'feminine', which to many of them is the most insulting thing you can call a man.

Democrats push back

While Republicans appear fond of the alliterative jab, Democrats have not responded with embarrassment. “How nice of the Trump camp to help publicise Gov. Tim Walz’s compassionate and common-sense policy of providing free menstrual products to students in Minnesota public schools,” Hillary Clinton wrote in a post on X at the time.The nickname has endured, resurfacing as Republicans and Democrats clash over ICE enforcement in Minnesota.

Political labels have a long shelf life, and when one fails to land as intended, they are often repurposed—sometimes even embraced by the opposition.What ‘Tampon Tim’ ultimately underscores is that Walz once championed a version of masculinity rooted in empathy and public welfare—an idea praised by supporters and ridiculed by critics, but difficult to erase from the political conversation.