President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Minnesota officials, asserting that the scale of fraud in the state surpasses the previously estimated $19 billion. In a pointed social media post, he accused Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of involvement and warned of consequences harsher than imprisonment.
Trump’s Social Media Outburst
Trump shared his remarks on Truth Social, highlighting what he described as widespread misuse of federal funds. He stated that the Biden administration was aware of the fraud but failed to act. “The Biden Administration knew this FRAUD was happening, and did absolutely nothing about it,” Trump wrote.
He specifically targeted Representative Ilhan Omar, labeling her a “scammer” and suggesting that she and her associates from Somalia face jail time or deportation. “‘Scammer’ Ilhan Omar and her absolutely terrible friends from Somalia should all be in jail right now or, far worse, send them back to Somalia,” the post continued.
Trump also directed sharp criticism at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, calling him either the most corrupt official in history or profoundly incompetent. “‘Governor’ Walz is either the most CORRUPT government official in history, or the most INCOMPETENT. Even a very low IQ person, of which there are many, should have known what was going on in Minnesota!!!” he added.
Background on the Fraud Allegations
The controversy stems from ongoing investigations into federal fund misuse in Minnesota. Aimee Bock, 44, was convicted on multiple counts of fraud, bribery, and conspiracy related to the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which received funds meant to combat child hunger.
Prosecutors estimate that up to half of the $18 billion in federal aid allocated to Minnesota since 2018 may have been diverted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson emphasized the severity during a December news conference in Minneapolis. “The magnitude cannot be overstated,” Thompson said. “What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering, industrial-scale fraud.”
Governor Walz has faced repeated attacks from Trump, who portrays the state as a center for fraudulent activities. In response, Walz has denounced the fraud and ordered a third-party audit of 14 high-risk Medicaid programs to address vulnerabilities.
Tensions between the Trump administration and Minnesota lawmakers persist, fueled by accusations of oversight failures, scrutiny of the Somali community, and increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state.
