Fact Check: Did Trump Call Iowans ‘Really Troubled People’? - Newsweek

A social media post reporting that President Donald Trump called Iowans “troubled people” during a White House announcement has gone viral.

A user on X shared a clip of Trump from Monday's White House announcement of plans for a $15 billion mega-steel plant in Iowa to be built by Mesabi Metallics, which recently announced plans to invest $2.5 billion in building a new iron ore mine in Nashwauk, Minnesota.

During the Oval Office press conference, Trump spoke with the president and chairman of the Export–Import Bank, John Jovanovic, about financing the Minnesota iron ore mine. This is when the “troubled people” comment was made.

A progressive political X account, Headquarters (@HQNewsNow), shared a clip from Trump’s comments with the caption, “Trump claims the federal government can ‘supersede’ Iowa and calls Iowans ‘troubled people.’ ”

The clip showed Trump checking whether the federal government could supersede a state government, saying “otherwise the state will…” before trailing off and adding, “They’re really troubled people.”

The post on X had more than 421,000 views as of Tuesday, with some commenters pointing out that Trump was talking about Minnesota’s government, not Iowans.

The “troubled people” comment was made during Trump’s exchange with Jovanovic.

A full video of the event shows Jovanovic praising Trump for his plan and for contributing to “America’s economic security.” He then spoke about how the iron ore mine in Nashwauk is the first to have been opened in the United States in 50 years.

He said Trump was helping “resurrect” the Iron Range (a region in the north of the state known for its iron ore deposits and mining communities), promising “one American supply chain…so we can assure that the war fighter of tomorrow is always well-equipped and that everyday Americans have what they need when they need it most.”

Trump then asked how Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a frequent adversary of the president, is treating the project, “because I freed up the iron ore…and then they closed it, and the people were devastated, because it is the finest iron ore in the world.”

Trump went on to refer to Minnesota as “one of the worst-run places I’ve ever seen” and then remarked that the federal government can “supersede the state,” referring to the state’s Democratic leadership, adding, “They’re really troubled people.”

It is not clear what law or state decision Trump thinks he may need to override—Newsweek has contacted the White House, via email, for comment.

In 2021, Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources terminated Mesabi Metallics’ state mineral leases, but this was over a lease dispute, according to court records.

Mesabi Metallics has since secured its water and operational air permits, with Walz touring the site last August.

“This project shows what’s possible when labor, industry, and communities come together to build for the future,” the governor said at the time. “Minnesota has a proud history as a leader in mining, with steelworkers who are second to none. We are excited to see this progress in Nashwauk.”

The social media post from HQNewsNow comes as Iowa has become a key midterm battleground.

Even though Trump won the state by more than 9 percent in 2016 and by 13 percent in 2024 and the last time Democrats won an Iowa Senate election was 18 years ago, some recent polls show U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand—both Democrats—have strong chances of winning their respective elections this November.

Republican Representative Ashley Hinson, who Trump has endorsed in the race to replace retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst, has broken with Trump on issues like the Iran war amid slipping approval numbers for the administration.

Hinson has also called for the House to "return to D.C. immediately to work to pause diesel exports, suspend the gas tax, fully unleash E15 and biodiesel, and work on a diesel relief program for truckers and farmers."

Trump’s steel announcement could help Hinson win over Republicans disillusioned with the administration and independents who “generally care less about the political stuff and care more about the ‘kitchen table’ issues,” as political science Professor Timothy M. Hagle, at the University of Iowa previously told Newsweek.

Trump was not calling Iowans “troubled people,” he was criticizing Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, specifically Walz, with whom he has long had tensions.

This started during the 2024 election, when Walz ran as Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential nominee, but things escalated earlier this year, during Trump’s immigration operation in Minnesota, which Walz opposed. Newsweek has contacted Walz's office, via email, for comment.