Many local issues that could embarrass Democratic leaders often stay out of the national media spotlight. A striking example is the significant welfare fraud involving Somalis in Minnesota, notably under Democratic Governor Tim Walz, who is also the 2024 running mate of former Vice President Kamala Harris.
A City Journal article by Christopher Rufo and Ryan Thorp sparked debate among conservatives on November 19, pointing out that, surprisingly, Minnesota taxpayer money has made its way into the hands of Al Shabab, a group linked to al-Qaeda. It was revealed that illegal social welfare funds ended up in dangerous places, particularly Somalia.
The New York Times finally picked up on the issue on November 30, with a headline online that read: “How fraud hit Minnesota’s social services system on Tim Walz’s watch.” However, their front-page version was less direct, describing the situation as “Social welfare corruption preys on Minnesota Nice,” which feels like a pretty soft take on a serious issue. Perhaps a more fitting phrase would be, “I fell prey to the Minnesota Walk.”
On “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker introduced various issues, sticking to a familiar format, save for a comment made by President Donald Trump on Truth Social, where he labeled Walz with the R-word, viewed as a derogatory term for individuals with intellectual disabilities. In turn, Walz took a couple of minutes to accuse Trump of being “mean.”
Walz has been a ‘total failure’ in fighting fraud, says Republican gubernatorial challenger Robbins
During a follow-up question, Welker mentioned the staggering $1 billion fraud figure, citing the New York Times. She pointed out that this sum exceeds what Minnesota allocates each year to its Department of Corrections and asked Walz if he felt accountable for not preventing the fraud in his state. Walz responded, jokingly claiming, “Yes, I’m responsible for putting people in prison,” which, frankly, seems exaggerated. It’s important to note that no one has actually been jailed under his watch. Federal investigators, alongside the Minnesota District Attorney, have been the ones uncovering and prosecuting those involved.
On December 1, the New York Post reported that around 500 state employees expressed dissatisfaction, tweeting that “Tim Walz is 100% responsible for Minnesota’s massive fraud. We alerted him early on, hoping to help him stop it, but we got the opposite response.” This message did gain traction in the media.
Operation Glacier in Minneapolis arrests more than a dozen ‘worst of the worst’ criminal illegal aliens, including Somalis
On December 2, “NBC Nightly News” broke their silence on the topic when reporter Gabe Gutierrez mentioned that federal prosecutors had indicted numerous members of Minnesota’s Somali community for allegedly stealing hundreds of millions intended for social welfare programs.
Later that night, ABC, CBS, and PBS aired Trump’s fiery comments without much context regarding the fraud. He made harsh statements, saying, “If we continue to bring trash into this country, we’re going in the wrong direction.” He further labeled Ilhan Omar and her associates as “trash,” claiming they do nothing but complain.
On ABC and NBC’s Wednesday morning programs, this “trump-oriented rants” continued, though CBS Morning did slip in a small mention indicating that Trump had been discussing Somalis in Minnesota due to the fraud case that emerged last week.
Emmer slams Walz, demands accountability over retaliation allegations related to Minnesota fraud
Finally, on a Wednesday night segment, White House correspondent Mary Bruce acknowledged the New York Times reporting that 59 people were found guilty in connection with a scheme involving over $1 billion of misappropriated taxpayer funds meant for children and social services. It’s clear to see how Trump is leveraging this story as he intensifies his immigration policies.
One fact that remains ambiguous is whether Trump really had the situation “under control,” as ABC left that aspect unresolved. The segment then allowed Democrats to respond. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey came to the defense of the Somali community, stating, “He’s wrong. We want them here.” It raises the question, though—does he truly believe that, given the extensive fraud involved?
For more Fox News opinions, click here
One contributing factor to Trump’s outburst, where he labeled Rep. Ilhan Omar as “trash,” could be her alleged connections to fraudulent activities within the Somali community. The New York Post reported that Omar defended a questionable charity named “Feeding Our Future.” Guhad Hashi Said, who was involved in her campaigns, has pled guilty to embezzling $3.2 million by operating a fake food site that falsely claimed it provided thousands of meals daily.
The week’s most unfortunate broadcast interview came on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” where co-host Michelle Martin seemed to give Omar an easy pass. When Omar was asked how she felt about Trump’s comments, she responded with, “His vile rants were no surprise. He’s always trafficked in racism and Islamophobia.” It didn’t feel like the tough questioning that the situation warranted.
Click here to download the Fox News app
In a follow-up question, Martin asked Omar, “Do you have any reaction to that information?” Omar mentioned she was pleased there’s accountability in place. Martin then expressed concern about whether the entire community would be scapegoated due to the fraudulent acts of a few.
It seems like left-leaning media often takes the stance of accountability, but these scandals typically find themselves intertwined with Trump in some form. Despite the severe accusations against Somali-related fraud, Omar isn’t shown as lashing out at Trump, simply addressing it as a righteous matter.
Click here to read more from Tim Graham
