On Monday, former President Donald Trump responded to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s announcement that he would not seek re-election amid increasing allegations of fraud in the state.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his thoughts:
“The corrupt governor of Minnesota is likely to resign before his term ends, but anyway, he’s not running again because, along with Ilhan Omar and others from the Somali community, he was caught stealing vast sums of taxpayer money. The facts will eventually surface and reveal a very rich group of ‘slimeballs.’ Governor Walz has ruined Minnesota, but I think other governors like Gavin Newcomb, J.B. Pritzker, and Kathy Hochul have, in my view, been even more dishonest and incompetent. Remember, no one is above the law!”
Walz has chosen not to pursue a third term, which has sparked speculation around potential political moves, particularly regarding Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Reportedly, Klobuchar, whose Senate term extends through 2030, has an opportunity to run for governor. Writer Dustin Grage proposed that should Klobuchar win, she could appoint a successor for the Senate seat—potentially Walz herself, thus allowing Walz to still hold office without being on the ballot.
For some time now, allegations of significant fraud connected to Minnesota’s public benefit programs have shadowed the Walz administration. Many concerns have centered around the Somali community, with various incidents linked to daycare and food program fraud, resulting in billions of dollars in federal and state funds allegedly being misappropriated.
The scrutiny has touched on Representative Ilhan Omar’s ties to individuals and companies under investigation, including her spouse Tim Mynett’s venture capital firm. As the investigations progressed, names of several advisors were made public.
In response, the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services froze childcare payments to Minnesota and initiated an audit of the program, labeling it “blatant fraud.” Jim O’Neill, Deputy Secretary of the Health Department, required detailed documentation of each federal payment and set up a national hotline for reporting fraud. This action followed citizen journalist Nick Shirley publishing videos showcasing poorly managed public facilities, including an infamous misspelled sign.
Federal authorities indicate that 85 Somali immigrants have entered the U.S. recently, with 60 people convicted related to fraud charges thus far. On Monday, CBS News reported that the Department of Homeland Security had deployed around 2,000 agents to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in a 30-day surge of immigration enforcement. This operation involved personnel from various Homeland Security divisions, and officials mentioned that the initiative could widen as new fraud cases arise.
Walz has consistently denied allegations of fraud and has pushed back against Trump’s claims, accusing him of politicizing the investigation and attempting to undermine essential national programs. He characterized Trump’s actions as ‘dangerous’ and ‘depraved’ and pointed out that “Trump is exploiting a situation he cares little about to harm working Minnesotans.” Shirley referred to him as a “paranoid conspiracy theorist.”
