Trump 'Lowkey Shamed' Happy Young Muslim Girls Wearing Hijabs in Kindergarten Graduation

President Donald Trump has drawn renewed criticism after sharing a social media post that focused on Muslim girls wearing hijabs during a kindergarten graduation ceremony in Minnesota. The repost revived long-running scrutiny of the president's rhetoric regarding Muslim communities, particularly Somali Americans, and brought a local school celebration to the centre of an intense national political dispute.

On Monday, 6 July, President Trump reposted a video on Truth Social originally shared by the right-wing X account 'End Wokeness'. The clip captured children from Gateway STEM Academy, a majority-Black K-8 charter school in St. Paul, celebrating their kindergarten graduation in blue caps and gowns.

Beneath their graduation caps, many of the girls wore hijabs.

The original post read: 'Public school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every girl is in a hijab ... in kindergarten.' Trump shared the post with his followers without adding any comment of his own.

A School Celebration Drawn Into Politics

The video contains no political messaging; instead, it captures young children participating in a ceremony marking the end of their first year of formal education. Yet after Trump's repost, critics argued that amplifying the caption effectively singled out Muslim children because of their religious dress.

The hijab is worn by many Muslim women and girls as an expression of faith and identity. In the United States, students attending public schools are generally protected under the First Amendment and federal civil rights law, which allows the wearing of religious clothing unless there are exceptional safety concerns.

Neither Trump nor the White House immediately commented on the repost.

Minnesota Has Been a Frequent Target

The episode fits into a broader pattern of Trump's public remarks about Minnesota's Somali community, one of the largest in the US.

Last December, Trump drew widespread condemnation after referring to Representative Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants while discussing a federal fraud investigation involving dozens of defendants, some of whom prosecutors alleged were connected to Minnesota's Somali diaspora.

'I don't want them in our country,' Trump said during a televised Cabinet meeting. '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.'

He continued by saying, 'Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks, and we don't want them in our country.'

Those remarks prompted criticism from civil rights organisations and political opponents, who argued they unfairly portrayed an entire immigrant community while referencing criminal allegations involving only a small number of individuals.

Another Social Media Controversy

The graduation repost also follows an earlier incident this year involving Trump's Truth Social account.

In February, his account shared a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes while 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' played in the background alongside unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 presidential election.

The post was removed the following day after a White House official told PEOPLE that it had been published in error by a staff member.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed criticism of the post, saying it was 'from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.'

She added, 'Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.'

Trump has frequently used Truth Social to amplify content from supporters and conservative commentators, often without adding his own commentary. Although Trump offered no accompanying statement, the decision to circulate the video ensured that a kindergarten graduation in Minnesota became the latest flashpoint in America's increasingly polarised cultural and political landscape.