President Donald Trump had harsh words for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Friday after the failed 2024 vice presidential candidate claimed he could physically defeat most Trump supporters. The remark, made during a podcast with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), didn’t just spark backlash from the Oval Office — it also provoked a challenge from a professional wrestling icon.

“He’d be in trouble,” Trump said during an Oval Office press briefing. “He’s a loser. He lost an election. He hurt Kamala. I’d put him at the bottom of the group.” Trump was referring to Walz’s role in Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign, where he served as her running mate.

Stolen Valor Walz is now challenging Trump supporters to a fight…

Saying: “I think I can kick most of their ass!" pic.twitter.com/kumUIAZz6Q

— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) March 18, 2025

The quote that ignited the firestorm came during Newsom’s podcast, when Walz said, “I think I can kick most of their a**,” referring to Trump supporters. He added that Republicans feared him because he could fix a truck and wasn’t “bulls***ing.” Even Newsom laughed during the exchange.

🚨Just in: Trump calls out Walz for saying he would kick Trump’s supporters butts:

“He's a loser. He lost an election. He played a part. Usually the VP doesn't play a part I think Tim played a part. He was so bad. I'd put him at the bottom of the group.”pic.twitter.com/HqV9aHsG9F

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) March 21, 2025

That bravado led to a bold response from Glenn Jacobs — the WWE Hall of Famer known as Kane, now serving as mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. “All joking aside, @GovTimWalz, let’s put our money where our mouth is… in a charity wrestling match,” Jacobs posted on X. He pledged $10,000 and proposed splitting the event’s proceeds between each man’s chosen charities, tagging the post with “#TennesseeWalz” and “#LetsDance.”

This morning I ran into @GlennJacobsTN, aka Kane, and asked him about Tim Walz saying he’d kick any MAGA voter’s ass.

Here’s what he has to say: pic.twitter.com/DsT8b7b8SN

— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) March 20, 2025

Jacobs had already mocked Walz’s comment by sharing an edited image of the Minnesota governor in a rainbow wrestling singlet.

Tim Walz said republican Trump supporters are afraid of him. Republican mayor Glenn Jacobs, you maybe know him as Kane from the WWE, has challenged Tim Walz to a wrestling match.

I actually hope there’s some 200 year old clause none of us know about that can be invoked allowing… https://t.co/DDOwA8YodN pic.twitter.com/wraB0103sS

— S&N News, Politics and Sports (@Samantha_SN1) March 21, 2025

Walz’s remarks come as he faces growing scrutiny over his state’s resistance to President Trump’s executive orders on transgender athletes. Minnesota’s high school league recently announced it would ignore Trump’s federal directive banning males from women’s sports and continue following state law on gender identity.

🚨 TIM WALZ ON TRUMP SUPPORTERS: “I think I can kick most of their ass.”

Bro, I think my GRANDMA could take you out with one swing.

Anybody getting their ass kicked by Tampon Tim? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/tCWCj3woPy

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 18, 2025

Former NFL player Jack Brewer, a Minnesota native, has also taken aim at Walz’s record, saying he’s “a disgrace to the football world” and that Walz “doesn’t appeal to real men and boys who have battled it out on the gridiron.”

Though Walz has floated the idea of running for president in 2028, recent polling showed only 5% of Democrat-leaning voters backing him in a potential primary field.