Governor Tim Walz may believe that the chaos engulfing Minnesota has eclipsed the growing list of fraud scandals uncovered under his watch, from a massive COVID-era food program scheme to Medicare and Medicaid fraud and widespread abuse in the state’s daycare system. Republicans began to question whether Walz would ever be held accountable.
On Friday, President Trump made clear he hasn’t forgotten: the investigations are ongoing, and the scandals aren’t going away.
"We have to get rid of the criminals, we have to take criminals out of our country. So from that standpoint, nothing is going to change," the president told reporters. "We have to find all of the fraud that has taken place in Minnesota; we have to get to it. They stole at least $19 billion. We're gonna find out who did it, and where the money is."
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just told Tim Walz he HASN'T forgotten about the fraud, the investigations are still going
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 30, 2026
"They stole at least $19B, we're gonna find WHO DID IT and WHERE THE MONEY IS!"
"Tom Homan is terrific...we will find out ALL of the fraud in Minnesota."
The… pic.twitter.com/TU2LlbM0B1
Walz may have hoped Minnesota’s scandals would fade into the background amid political chaos and national distractions. They haven’t.
The now-infamous Feeding Our Future scandal has lingered with many Americans, after hundreds of millions of dollars intended to feed low-income children during the COVID pandemic were instead siphoned off into luxury cars, overseas real estate, and shell companies. The fraud has become a national symbol of systemic failure under Walz’s watch, particularly as some officials have since alleged that the governor was aware of warning signs but chose not to act, fueling calls from critics who want to see accountability at the highest levels of state government.
This comes as Americans are increasingly demanding that Democratic officials be held accountable for their role in fueling unrest across Minnesota, including rhetoric that encouraged residents to interfere with lawful federal immigration enforcement operations, episodes that ultimately culminated in the tragic deaths of two civilians. While those individuals bear responsibility for inserting themselves into dangerous situations, many argue that public officials who escalated tensions through inflammatory language have yet to face any meaningful consequences.
Governor Walz has since announced he will no longer seek further political office, a move many see as an attempt to step out of the spotlight and allow the controversies surrounding his administration to fade.