“California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun,” said President Donald Trump in a Tuesday morning Truth Social post.
He was referring to, respectively, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom (with whom the president is known to trade barbs) and recent allegations of fraud in Minnesota. Trump’s post came after Newsom’s Monday X post regarding Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also a Democrat, announcing his plan to drop out of the state’s 2026 gubernatorial election.
“Tim Walz is a man of character, strength, and compassion,” said Newsom. “He has served Minnesota with heart and dignity. Minnesota – and America – is better off thanks to his lifelong public service. Wishing him all the best in this next chapter.”
Walz was former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate when she stepped in to run against Trump in 2024 after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. In his Monday statement regarding his decision not to run in 2026, Walz mentioned “an organized group of criminals,” that “sought to take advantage” of Minnesota’s generosity for several years. He also criticized Trump and his “allies” and said they want to “poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors.”
Conservative news outlet City Journal has recently published stories about fraud linked to Minnesota’s Somali community that have gained attention online and from the Republican president. WCCO News Talk reported that “Trump’s rhetoric against Somalis in Minnesota has intensified,” since City Journal said “taxpayer dollars from defrauded government programs have flowed to the Somali militant group al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaida.”
Trump has referred to the Somali community as “garbage,” the station noted.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has said that federal officials suspect about half or more of the roughly $18 billion in claims paid out by Medicaid to 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been fraudulent. However, he “emphasized that there was no evidence that defendants were sending money to or otherwise supporting terrorist organizations.”
This week, Walz said he believes Thompson might be spreading misinformation.
“You saw a US attorney stand up, which has been released, would have been let go by any other administration, speculating about things with no factual information,” the Minnesota governor said Tuesday. “That’s defamation, and that’s coming from the U.S. attorney. We are under assault.”
He also said Republicans are holding information about potential fraud and that he wants that information made public.
WCCO News Talk also reported this week that the Trump administration launched “what officials describe as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out.” It said the administration was “preparing to deploy as many as 2,000 federal agents and officers to the Minneapolis area for a sweeping crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.”
Audacy reported Tuesday that there was already backlash to the operation. That included protest from an independently-owned Hilton Hotel that openly refused service to ICE agents in Minneapolis.
“we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property,” the hotel operator wrote in an email. Another email released on X from the hotel said: “After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation. You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton.”
Trump didn’t elaborate in his X post about what fraud his administration would investigate in California. Newsom and Trump have already butted heads over taxes, tariffs, transgender issues and more.
In addition to being governor of a state with the fourth largest economy in the world, Newsom is also rumored to be eying a 2028 run for president. As his social media snark against Trump – which has included questioning whether the president has dementia – heightened, Audacy noted that his approval ratings went up.
“Donald Trump and Speaker [Mike] Johnson [a Republican from Louisiana] will not promote free and fair elections,” said Newsom a Tuesday X post. “Proof? January 6.
Though Trump has hinted at pursing a third term, he does reach term limits in 2028 and would not be eligible to run in the presidential election. Current Vice President JD Vance is the rumored frontrunner for the GOP.
Polling data from Morning Consult published late last year showed that Vance was pulling ahead of both Newsom and Harris as potential presidential condensers. Polymarket betting data also showed Vance at the head of the pack of hopefuls this week.