President Donald Trump has sparked outrage after resharing a social media post that appeared to criticize very young schoolchildren for wearing hijabs during a graduation ceremony.
The footage showed a kindergarten graduation ceremony at Gateway STEM Academy, a majority-Black K-8 charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In the video, the children are standing on stage in traditional caps and gowns, smiling and singing as part of the ceremony. Several of the girls can also be seen wearing hijabs beneath their graduation caps.
The clip was first shared on X by the far-right account End Wokeness, which posted it to its 3.9 million followers while leaving the children’s faces visible and writing: “Public school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every girl is in a hijab… in kindergarten.”
Trump, 80, later reposted the clip on Truth Social without adding any commentary of his own. The repost amplified the same framing used in the original post, drawing immediate backlash online and in Minnesota.
As of Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the repost was still visible on the president’s Truth Social page.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz strongly condemned the post and accused Trump of targeting children over their clothing.
“The President of the United States is attacking a group of kindergarteners because of the clothes they wore to school,” he wrote on X.
The uproar also renewed attention on Trump’s history of hostile remarks about Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar and Somali Americans. During a televised cabinet meeting, he referred to them as ‘garbage’.
“I don’t want them in our country,” Trump said, per the BBC. “I’ll be honest with you… Somebody will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country.”
The latest controversy comes amid continued political tension over Minnesota, where immigration and identity have remained flashpoints in state and national debate.
Hijab is a head covering worn by many Muslim women and girls as an expression of faith and identity, and civil rights advocates have long said students in public schools are generally protected in wearing religious clothing.
The White House has been approached for comment.
If you have been the victim of discrimination, you can report it via the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division here. In an emergency, always call 911.