‘If you still support Trump, look in the mirror’: 13-year-old Texas boy goes viral for fearless takedown of the president
He’s only 13, but his voice carries far beyond his age. On Instagram, Tristan Ryan Perkins — known simply as Tristan — has already built an audience of more than 94,000 followers. He calls himself a reel creator, a presidential hopeful, “woke,” and a political strategist. What he delivers is a blend of youthful outrage and sharp rhetorical precision that unsettles as much as it impresses. His parents manage the account, but the words are very much his: an unfiltered mix of indignation and clarity.
In his latest video — flooded with praise and encouragement in the comments — Tristan takes aim at President Donald Trump. He accuses him of slashing funds for cancer research and rerouting $200 million to his political allies. From there, he draws an unflinching connection between Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Virginia Giuffre, invoking the abuse she suffered as a teenager. His voice tightens with pain, and his tone grows more forceful.
Tristan doesn’t stop at accusations. He pivots to Lawrence Taylor, the former NFL star accused of sexual assault, tying him into Trump’s push to bring back physical fitness testing in schools. The boy doesn’t soften his words for anyone. His warning to Trump loyalists lands like a challenge: “If you’re still supporting Trump in August, look in the mirror.”
The real question isn’t whether his charges stick — it’s how a 13-year-old has come to dissect his country’s political and cultural battles with such stark lucidity. Across his videos, Tristan moves with the same mix of irony, rhythm, and sarcasm, while cutting straight to the heart of issues: human rights abuses, LGBTQ+ protections, U.S.–Mexico relations, police brutality. He doesn’t hesitate.
As he puts it himself: “Anyone who thinks children shouldn’t talk about politics is completely wrong. Trump isn’t just trying to ruin my generation’s present, he wants to destroy our future.”
And he doesn’t confine his criticism to the United States. In one of his most shared clips, Tristan speaks up for Mexico. “It’s incredible how much Mexico helps us, considering how much we screw them over.” He recalls Trump’s threat to invade, the $60 billion border wall he insisted Mexico should fund, and the tariffs slapped on without justification.
History isn’t forgotten, either: “We stole a lot of territory from them. Don’t say we conquered it. We stole it. And don’t tell me I don’t love my country. I love it enough to hold it to account.” And in his telling, Mexico has been a better neighbor than America gives it credit for: “Who was the first to help during the floods in Texas? It wasn’t Kristi Noem, it wasn’t Trump, it wasn’t FEMA. It was Mexico.”
Nearly 100,000 people now tune in when he speaks. Some hail him as a “political genius.” Others accuse his parents of pulling the strings. But what no one can deny is this: Tristan’s blunt, eloquent way of speaking — half teenager, half truth-teller — has shaken up social media.
