President Donald Trump has unleashed a firestorm of criticism, targeting the governors of California and Minnesota with accusations of rampant fraud in their states, as Fox News reports.
Trump’s pointed remarks, made on Wednesday, claimed widespread misconduct in both states, specifically highlighting alleged election irregularities and child care scams, while triggering sharp responses from state officials and federal actions.
Starting with a bold social media post, Trump didn’t hold back, branding Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Tim Walz of Minnesota as "Crooked" and accusing their states of being neck-and-neck in fraudulent activities.
His statement, "There is more FRAUD in California than there is in Minnesota, if that is even possible," set the tone for a heated exchange.
Not stopping there, Trump also took aim at Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, linking a significant portion of the state’s alleged fraud to immigration issues and raising questions about her personal life, though without substantiating evidence.
While Trump’s rhetoric stirred the pot, attempts to get a response from Omar’s office or Walz’s team by Fox News Digital went unanswered, leaving the initial rebuttal space eerily quiet.
California’s response, however, was swift and scathing, with Newsom’s press office firing off a post on X calling Trump "a deranged, habitual liar whose relationship with reality ended years ago."
They didn’t stop at insults, boasting that Newsom has thwarted over $125 billion in fraudulent activities and cracked down on those exploiting taxpayers, painting Trump as soft on the very scam artists he critiques.
Walz also pushed back, using his official X account on Tuesday to argue that Trump’s approach is a calculated move to politicize fraud allegations and slash funding for vital Minnesota programs.
The controversy took a tangible turn on Tuesday when Jim O’Neill, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and acting CDC director, announced a freeze on all child care payments to Minnesota pending a fraud investigation.
O’Neill pointed to serious claims that millions in taxpayer funds have been diverted to fraudulent daycare operations in the state over the past decade, prompting a nationwide tightening of payment oversight.
This federal response, including a new requirement for justifications and evidence before releasing funds, underscores the gravity of the allegations and adds fuel to Trump’s critique of state mismanagement.
On Wednesday, Walz doubled down on his personal X account, accusing Trump of exploiting fraud concerns as a pretext to harm working Minnesotans while allegedly freeing fraudsters from jail.
Walz’s frustration is palpable as he contrasts Minnesota’s efforts to combat fraud with what he sees as Trump’s hypocrisy on the issue, framing it as a deliberate attack on state welfare programs.
While the back-and-forth between Trump, Newsom, and Walz continues to dominate headlines, the underlying issues of fraud—whether in child care systems or election processes—remain a critical concern for taxpayers who deserve transparency and accountability from all levels of government.
