President Donald Trump delivered a brutal parting shot to Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), one of his longest-running political enemies, after the New York Democrat announced he would not seek reelection in 2026.
“Jerry Nadler, one of the most disgusting Congressmen in USA history, is finally calling it quits,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I’ve been beating this bum for 40 years … This psychopathic nut job, together with Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Impeached me twice, AND LOST, wasting millions of dollars in time and taxpayer money. It will be a great day for the U.S.A. when Nadler, a pathetic lightweight, is out of office and leaves our beautiful, and NOW VERY SAFE, Washington, D.C.”
Trump’s takedown wasn’t just personal — it was historic. The feud between Trump and Nadler stretches back to the 1980s, when Trump was building skyscrapers in Manhattan and Nadler was a New York State Assemblyman fighting to kill development. Nadler made it his mission to obstruct Trump’s plans to transform Manhattan’s West Side with ambitious towers over the rail yards. Despite Nadler’s interference, Trump still got the deal done — but the bad blood never left.
Nadler viewed Trump as a reckless showman who relied on public money and shady financing. He tried — and failed — to derail Trump’s projects. And Trump never forgot it.
The political rivalry turned national when Trump won the presidency in 2016 and Nadler climbed the ranks of Democratic leadership. By 2019, Nadler—then chair of the House Judiciary Committee — had positioned himself at the center of Trump’s first impeachment. It was vintage Nadler: high drama, zero results.
During the Senate trial, Nadler accused Trump of conduct that “puts even President Nixon to shame,” claiming the president had abused his power and “cheated” in the 2020 election by pressuring Ukraine. But like much of Nadler’s anti-Trump crusade, it ended in failure. Trump was acquitted — twice.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), typically a swing vote, said she was “offended” by Nadler’s hyperbolic rhetoric, which included accusing GOP senators of enabling a “White House cover-up.”
Outside of impeachment, Nadler became infamous for pretending to know nothing about the nationwide surge in violence against ICE agents. In July 2025, when asked by a Fox News correspondent about attacks on ICE officers, Nadler replied: “What attacks on ICE agents?”
Former ICE Director Tom Homan fired back, saying, “This buffoon knows exactly what attacks—his party is the one encouraging them.” Homan cited an 830% increase in assaults and directly blamed Democrats for the dangerous anti-law enforcement rhetoric.
Nadler also sparked outrage in 2024 when he denied that biological males were competing in women’s sports. During a House hearing, Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) cited examples of women injured in competition, including swimmer Riley Gaines. Nadler objected, calling the claims “mistruths” and flatly stating, “Men do not compete in women’s sports.” His denial of reality drew immediate backlash from conservatives and female athletes alike.
For years, Nadler was a darling of the far Left — championing radical abortion policies, pushing LGBTQ+ legislation, and smearing political opponents as threats to democracy. But at 78, following President Joe Biden’s 2024 collapse and with the Democrats in disarray, Nadler finally bowed out. He claimed the party needed “generational change” and warned ominously about “incipient fascism” — a typical dog whistle aimed at Trump supporters.
But for Trump, the moment was sweet vindication. “I’ve been beating this bum for 40 years,” he stated, indicating that Nadler’s retirement wasn’t just the end of a career — it was the end of a losing streak that never stopped.