I would like to start by quoting a few things from Walz’s statement to rebut the most-upvoted (and in my opinion profoundly wrong) comments from last week’s post on this topic.
The allegations of fraud are unsubstantiated Republican propaganda
For the last several years, an organized group of criminals have sought to take advantage of our state’s generosity.
2) We can’t be upset about fraud because that will discourage Democrats from doing things in the future.
Make no mistake: We should be concerned about fraud in our state government. We cannot effectively deliver programs and services if we can’t earn the public’s trust.
Walz ending his campaign is the correct decision for Minnesota and Democrats writ large. After, in my assessment, bumbling the response to this fraud for years Walz is making the correct decision to take whatever steps (which will be politically unpopular with his base) are needed to address this problem.
This is what leadership looks like. As a lame duck he can take all of the political heat in the world, fully owning this mess and working to fix it. He unburdens the party and future candidates from the scandal teeing them up for success in the future. This is the opposite of Joe Biden’s behavior and we should applaud him for it. These aren’t just feel-good, Sorkin-esque sentiments that hamper democrats against Republicans fighting asymmetric warfare. It’s placing nation and party ahead of the individual: a much needed cultural change for a Democratic Party that’s become too comfortable with sclerotic politicians.
In what appears to be an elegant solution turning lemons into lemonade, Amy Klobuchar seems poised to enter the Governor’s race. If she does so and resigns, that puts both MN Senate seats (not just one, Tina Smith is retiring) up for grabs in 2026. Instead of a messy primary between the younger front-runners moderate Angie Craig and progressive Caitlin Flanagan for a single seat, they can run separately for two seats and probably keep both blue in a midterm election predicted to favor Democrats.
This is all seems like a good thing to me and I’m surprisingly optimistic. None of this would have happened if Democrats (and their existing voters) kept their heads in the sand and just said “Trump is being racist to divide us for political reasons” (he is). Anti-Trump reactionism is not just holding the party back from winning elections they could and makes us seem like out of touch ideologues, it prevents the party from moving forward with new candidates.
https://www.fox9.com/news/gov-walz-likely-drop-out-2026-mn-governors-race-report
Tim Walz: We do not need any further help from the federal government to Donald Trump and Kristi Noem. You've done enough. I've issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard… these National Guard troops are our National Guard troops. Minnesota will not allow our community to be used as a prop in a national political fight.
- Acyn
What exactly are Tim Walz reasons for dropping out? What is he being accused of? I know his family has been harassed a lot, but what was the final straw? I am just trying to understand this in more depth. Thanks in advance.
https://old.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/1q4nrw7/thoughts/
edit: turned is into his
This is a talking point I've seen a few posters post here, and also Fox News taking this quote out of context. So here's some clarity:
Walz DID NOT say that the fraud investigation was white supremacy. He was speaking at a press conference discussing it, but it was in a response to a different topic, a quote from J.D. Vance at a TurningPoint USA conference saying "In the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore."
That little bit has been taken out of context and blasted by right-wing sources, and I've seen a few cite it here. So again: WALZ DID NOT CALL INVESTIGATION OF THE FRAUD WHITE SUPREMACY, and this is extremely dishonest framing.
I absolutely loathe the idea of fraud in the sense of taking money meant for hungry kids or programs that were taking advantage of by people who were using it to just try and get rich.
I see all this stuff about how it was Walz fault and they are blaming him.
I truly think Walz is the best modern politician, probably the best in the country, and I find it hard to believe he knowingly allow fraud to happen or got any kickbacks from it or anything like people say.
Can someone give me a rundown of the fraud and if Walz was involved at all other than signing the bill that authorized funds? Thanks.
Minnesota has had a rough stretch, and Governor Tim Walz didn’t sugarcoat it. He named the fraud. He named the fear-mongering. He named the way some people are trying to turn neighbors against each other for power.
Then he did something rare. He stepped back from a historic third-term run because he said the work mattered more than the politics. More time protecting Minnesotans. Less time protecting himself.
That choice says a lot. About priorities. About leadership. About what it means to be a Minnesotan when things get hard.
Lead with decency. Defend your people. Keep your eye on the work, not the spotlight. That’s Tim Walz.
https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/local/its-official-gov-tim-walz-says-he-will-end-2026-campaign?fbclid=IwVERDUAPIqsZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5Hj6lLdcksGKwUhXYBi8UielkYlbiFdB-G9LG_G3DqETAHQV8Ms2INhnEKPQ_aem_AnZ1oHNjY1vodIDHEovoBw
Governor Tim Walz is catching some heat due to cases of social security fraud. To my understanding, and according to the New York Times, "fraud took root in pockets of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora as scores of individuals made small fortunes by setting up companies that billed state agencies for millions of dollars’ worth of social services that were never provided." Hundreds of state workers are reportedly casting the blame on Walz, and there are rumors of him facing criminal charges.
Is that true? Could this case of fraud, which has cost Minnesota $1 billion, lead to Governor Walz being in legal trouble?
I know most of the feelings on here have been that Walz should drop out. But I am unclear what exactly he did wrong?
Reading through this summary it seems most of it was overblown and prosecuted? And the stuff Shirly brought up seems to be bs.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-fraud-schemes-what-we-know/
Reading up on Feed our Future it seems they got local Minnseota politicians to support them. When the fraud was first brought up they sued and the judge ruled in their favor. So again I am unclear why Dems are not pushing back on this? They need to be fighting more, not giving in.
Hi everyone!
Congrats on your governor becoming the next possible VP!
I discovered Tim Walz for the first time when he passed the bill ensuring children had access to free school breakfast and lunch. After Harris made him the VP pick I discovered he passed even more policies that are so great!
I do have questions regarding his large investments on school lunch/breakfast and education (public and college). I am not an economist or a political scientist and I am asking this in earnest. How does the state of Minnesota go about paying for that? I know your state is no slouch when it comes to business (several corporations are headquartered there), but how exactly are some of these policies working out from a budget perspective?
I want to let you know that I am fully in favor of these policies and I am very impressed by them, but I would love if someone could explain how it all works.
Thank you and congrats again!
I'm trying to understand the liberal perspective on this without any gotchas...
The Minnesota fraud scandals have been huge news lately: federal prosecutors estimate potentially $9B+ stolen from 14 state-run programs since 2018 (half or more of the $18B disbursed), including child nutrition (Feeding Our Future), child care assistance (CCAP with "ghost" centers), autism services, and housing programs. Dozens of centers billed for non-existent services, with funds allegedly going to luxury cars, homes, overseas properties, etc.Examples that stand out: "Quality Learing Center" (sign misspells "learning", are you kidding) in Minneapolis: millions in subsidies despite 95+ violations, empty during visits, blacked-out. Fruad. actual, measureable, fruad.
Nationally, improper payments/fraud in federal programs hit $162B in FY2024, with child care and welfare vulnerabilities in states like Illinois, California, etc.—not just Minnesota.
Critics (across parties) blame weak oversight, self-reporting loopholes, and pandemic waivers. Gov. Walz has implemented fixes (e.g., fraud unit, payment stops), and there's bipartisan pushback now.
But why doesn't this level of direct taxpayer theft (billions vanishing while programs meant for vulnerable kids/families get exploited) spark the same intense outrage/protests on the left as, say, corporate subsidies, billionaire loopholes, or environmental issues?
Is it seen as isolated/systemic but fixable without slashing programs?
Or more a failure of administration than the programs themselves?
Do liberals view this as worth aggressive reforms (tighter verification, cuts to risky providers) to protect social safety nets? Or is the bigger priority preserving access for those who need it, even with some waste?Thanks for thoughtful responses!
Update: I also just read that after this dude was found guilty, the judge overturned the results. Come on?!?
They don’t seem to be breaking any rules… Is there a rhyme or reason to how mods are cracking down?? I’m all for heavy moderation, but I’d like to know the rules. If we’re not allowed to question authority (an authority I voted for btw) that would be a bit much imo.