Depending on who you ask, the nickname Republican operatives have given Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — “Tampon Tim” — can be seen as an insult or a compliment.
The title, which has been used by former Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller and other conservative-leaning critics, originally stems from a law that Walz signed surrounding access to menstrual products.
The school safety bill requires Minnesota public schools to provide menstrual products, including pads and tampons, to students in fourth through 12th grades.
The law — which took effect in January — has been widely celebrated, making Minnesota one of 28 states to pass laws that give students access to menstrual products. As noted by NPR, as president, Trump signed a 2018 package that requires federal prisons to provide them.
But Republican critics took issue with the legislation’s language, which acknowledges that people who menstruate are not necessarily women and that not all women have periods. Some challengers unsuccessfully tried to limit the law to only women’s and gender-neutral restrooms.
Under Walz, who is now the Democratic nominee for vice president, Minnesota was one of the first states to protect gender-affirming care through an executive order, while other states banned or limited access to it.
In turn, some supporters are making light of the “Tampon Tim” nickname, celebrating Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of a candidate with a progressive track record on points like health-care access and LGBTQ+ rights.
The Human Rights Campaign has lauded Walz’s history of championing the LGBTQ+ community. As a teacher in 1999, he sponsored the school’s first gay-straight alliance group and as a U.S. representative, he’s opposed efforts advocates said would harm queer people.
As for what Walz has to say about the “Tampon Tim” nickname? He hasn’t commented publicly on the title, but supporters are embracing it, using it in hashtags touting Walz and his candidacy.
“This law exemplifies what we can accomplish when we listen to students to address their needs,” Democratic Minnesota State Rep. Sandra Feist tweeted. “Excited to see MN representation at the top of the ticket! #TamponTim”
Hillary Clinton also spun the insult into a positive. When Libs of TikTok leader Chaya Raichik posted a photoshopped image of Walz’s face on a Tampax box, Clinton reposted a screenshot with the caption: “How nice of the Trump camp to help publicize Gov. Tim Walz’s compassionate and common-sense policy of providing free menstrual products to students in Minnesota public schools! Let’s do this everywhere.”