First posted on Instagram
President Donald Trump has put Minnesota's fraud cases back in the spotlight, suggesting that "lots of investigations" are underway in the state while sharply criticizing Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison over fraud in taxpayer-funded programs. Trump said: "Can you imagine if a Republican stole, as an example, the money that Tim Walz stole from Minnesota, billions and billions of dollars?!" and added: "This guy's going to retire. Nothing happens... although I must say, I understand there are LOTS of investigations going on..." He called Ellison a "crooked" attorney general, saying: "He didn't see anything." These are Trump's claims; they are disputed and remain unproven, and they must be presented as his accusations, not as established findings against Walz or Ellison.
Trump specifically pointed to the Feeding Our Future scandal, along with other alleged fraud involving Medicaid and housing programs, and questioned what state officials knew and when they knew it. The Feeding Our Future case alone involved more than $250 million in federal child-nutrition funds, according to federal prosecutors, and several defendants have been convicted while other cases remain ongoing.
The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Representative James Comer, has said its investigation found that Walz and Ellison were aware of widespread fraud in social service programs, lied about their knowledge, and retaliated against employees who raised concerns — claims Walz and Ellison dispute. Walz and Ellison have defended their efforts, saying they have prosecuted fraud cases and arguing that the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota hampered fraud enforcement.
The latest remarks follow Trump's October 20, 2026 announcement of a federal fraud whistleblower program, at which he cited figures of 115 people charged and 75 convicted in Minnesota fraud investigations and credited independent journalist Nick Shirley's reporting on Minnesota daycare fraud as one contributing factor. Those figures were Trump's claims at that event, not independently verified totals.
The big question now, as framed in the debate, is: if additional investigations are underway, who knew what, when did they know it, and will anyone else be held accountable? No new charges against Walz or Ellison have been announced in connection with these latest remarks.