A video posted online in late September 2026 authentically shows U.S. President Donald Trump saying Iowans are “really troubled people” at a White House event.
On Sept. 28, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump held an event at the White House to announce the planning of a new steel plant in Iowa. Joining him in the Oval Office for the event were several Iowa state leaders and officials.
Afterward, some social media users claimed Trump insulted Iowans during the event. For example, an X post (archived) displayed a video clip apparently recorded at the event and asserted, “Trump claims the federal government can ‘supersede’ Iowa and calls Iowans ‘troubled people.'”
In the clip, Trump can be heard saying this: “And we can supersede the state, right? If we can supersede the state, it’s good. Otherwise, it will never be good. They’re very — they’re really troubled people.”
Users shared other posts claiming Trump called Iowans troubled people on Instagram (archived) and Threads (archived). Snopes readers searched the site and emailed us asking whether the claim was true.
It was not true. While the video clip is real and unedited, it omits important context that proves Trump didn’t call Iowans “really troubled people.” Trump was actually referring to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other Democratic leaders in that state.
The remark came immediately after an exchange in which Trump asked how Walz was treating the opening of a new iron mine in Minnesota. Given that this context was omitted, we have rated the clip miscaptioned.
Videos and transcripts of Trump’s remarks at the event were uploaded online by C-SPAN and Roll Call. The conversation that led to Trump making the “troubled people” comment begin at about the 6:20 mark in the C-SPAN video and 6:07 in Roll Call’s Vimeo video.
At that time, John Jovanovic, the Trump-nominated chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, begins describing the opening of an iron mine in Minnesota that is meant to supply the Iowa steel plant (emphasis ours):
JOVANOVIC: Thank you, Mr. President. So, what we’re really talking about today is America’s economic security. And Mr. President, it’s your plan in action, but it all starts mining more in America. The mine you mentioned is the first mine opened in America in 50-plus years focused on iron ore. EXIM financed it, but most importantly, it’s found on the Iron Range in America, which for 145 years has been the most prolific iron ore deposit in the world. It helped build America. It helped win two world wars. You’re helping resurrect it, Mr. President, with this first iron ore mine. That is why this plant is possible, because we are creating one American supply chain. And what you see again here today, Mr. President, is private capital flowing in to rebuild America and to build America’s future, so we can assure that the warfighter of tomorrow in America is always well-equipped and that everyday Americans have what they need when they need it most. And this is what it’s going to take to continue to deliver the American dream, Mr. President, for another 250 years.
TRUMP: And how is the governor treating you? Because I freed up the iron ore in that place, and I absolutely won the election, but they wouldn’t — they cheat like hell. But how is the governor treating you? Because I freed it up and then they closed it, and the people were devastated because it is the finest iron ore in the world, they say. So how is the governor and these other people that don’t — I mean, it’s one of the worst-run places I’ve ever seen. How are they doing?
JOVANOVIC: You know, Mr. President, we were there only 10 days ago, actually, to initiate the mine. We set off 1.3 million pounds of explosives that put it into operation and that will be the iron ore that feeds this plant and to make steel in America the —
TRUMP: And we can supersede the state, right?
COMMERCE SECRETARY HOWARD LUTNICK: Yes.
JOVANOVIC: [unintelligible, cut off by Trump]
TRUMP: If we can supersede the state, it’s good. Otherwise, the state will never be good. They’re very — they’re really troubled people. Thank you very much; great job you’re doing, too, by the way. Secretary Lutnick, please.
The mine Jovanovic referred to is owned by Mesabi Metallics in northern Minnesota, where part of the American Iron Range is located. Mesabi Metallics is the same company investing in the steel plant in Iowa.
Local news reports on the fraught history of the mine suggest its struggles have largely been tied to the parent company of Mesabi Metallics, Essar. The India-based company first started work on the mine and an accompanying steel mill in 2007 before shuttering its plans for the mine in 2015 and filing for bankruptcy in 2016. Essar still owes Minnesota more than $22 million in infrastructure debt, according to Iowa news channel KWQC.
As Jovanovic said, Trump administration officials were at the opening of the iron mine in Minnesota about 10 days earlier. If Trump’s concern was about opening the mine, he’d have no reason to call for the federal government to “supersede” Minnesota. According to Essar itself, Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha said in 2024, “After years of uncertainty, it’s encouraging to see Mesabi Metallics breathing new life into this major mining operation.”
While the context makes it clear that Trump was referencing Walz and his administration in Minnesota, not Iowans, Snopes reached out to the White House to seek confirmation on whom exactly Trump believed to be “really troubled people.” We’ll update this story if and when we receive a response to our question.
For further reading, Snopes recently investigated a claim asserting Trump’s renaming of “artificial intelligence” to “super intelligence” is a play to profit off of .SI domain names.
