The Irony of Republicans’ Insult to ‘Tim Tampon’

EEven before Tim Walz was officially announced as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, the Internet produced a cacophony of clips and jokes reflecting his progressive beliefs. The Minnesota governor was seen hugging a group of children as he signed the free school breakfast and lunch bill. A father joked with his vegetarian daughter about whether turkey was meat. (According to Walz, “in Minnesota, turkey is special.”)

Among the latter, a cruder nickname has emerged: Tampon Tim. This time, it’s an apparently conservative allusion to Walz’s support for a 2024 state law that would require all Minnesota public schools to provide menstrual products in restrooms.

There’s an element of déjà vu in the timing. Nearly nine years ago, on August 8, 2015, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump hurled an insult at Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly: He accused her of having “blood coming out everywhere” when he thought her debate questions were unfair. At the time, I wrote here at TIME“Period jokes are a dime a dozen, Donald. Half the American electorate—and half the world’s population, for that matter—deals with their periods. But for those living in poverty, the lack of access to menstrual health care is more than just a joke.”

Nearly a decade later, periods have become a public policy priority. Far from being mocked or vilified, “menstrual equity” is an agenda that enjoys broad bipartisan support across the country. So far, 30 states have eliminated the sales tax on menstrual products (also known as the “tampon tax”), including a law signed last year by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Minnesota is one of 28 states that have committed through legislation and/or budget to providing menstrual products in schools, joined by Republican-led states like Georgia, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Utah.

In fact, in 2018, Trump himself signed the first federal menstrual access law: the First Step Act, a prison and sentencing reform package that mandated the provision of menstrual products in federal prisons. In 2020, he then signed the CARES Act, which for the first time allowed employees to use their flexible spending account benefits to purchase menstrual products with pretax dollars.

As for the latest round of insults, it seems that the aspect of the Minnesota law that has most riled conservatives is its wording: The law states that pads and tampons must be available to “all menstruating students” and “in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 through 12.” A failed attempt to amend the bill to only mention “women’s restrooms” didn’t prevent the bill from passing as is with bipartisan support. Among its Republican supporters, Rep. Dean Urdahl noted, “In talking to my wife and family members, they felt like this was an important issue that I should support.”

And it should be that simple. Policies that address the economic burden of menstruation and recognize the educational value of using feminine hygiene products as basic school supplies have proven to be a popular and common-sense reform, both at home and abroad.

When it comes to political games, focusing on any issue involving reproductive health, and especially menstruation, is a risky bet for Republicans. Poll after poll shows that the majority of Americans support reproductive rights and go to the polls on the issue. As vice president, Kamala Harris has reignited the debate over menstrual education and data privacy when it comes to abortion, for example. With Governor Walz as a champion of the fight against period poverty, that’s a drum the candidate better beat.

And finally, as Walz reminds us, anyone who thinks period jokes are appropriate or funny is just, well, weird.