Donald Trump launched a racist tirade against Minnesota's Democratic governor Tim Walz and Somali American representative Ilhan Omar on Wednesday, following his administration's decision to freeze federal childcare funding to the state. In a post on Truth Social, Trump alleged that "much of the Minnesota Fraud, up to 90%, is caused by people that came into our Country, illegally, from Somalia." He called Omar "an ungrateful loser" and repeated a smear that she had married her brother, adding: "Send them back from where they came, Somalia."
Trump also attacked Walz, calling him a "Crooked Governor," and linked California to his criticisms, claiming there is more fraud in California than in Minnesota. The president's comments came hours after Walz slammed the funding freeze as a political ruse, stating that Trump is "using an issue he doesn’t give a damn about as an excuse to hurt working Minnesotans."
The dispute centres on alleged fraud at Minneapolis's Somali American childcare centres, exposed by YouTuber Nick Shirley. However, the video has been criticised for presenting as new allegations that were already known. The Justice Department has charged 98 people since 2022 in connection with the fraud, most of whom are Somali Americans. Officials say "half or more" of the $18bn billed to services since 2018 is fraudulent, though court records suggest the figure is closer to $218m.
Walz argued that the administration is politicising the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans. Meanwhile, Omar has urged against blaming an entire community for the actions of a few and has spoken out against ICE raids, calling them "state-sanctioned racial profiling."
