Trump targets Minnesota fraud in New Year’s Eve remarks at Mar-a-Lago

Trump spoke to attendees during his Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party and discussed the massive losses tied to alleged fraud in the state and suggested the situation may be worse elsewhere, Fox News reported. “Can you imagine they stole $18 billion?” Trump said. “That’s just what we’re learning about. That’s peanuts. And California is worse, Illinois is worse, and sadly, New York is worse.” Trump added, “We’re going to get to the bottom of all those. It was a giant scam.”

During his remarks, Trump also referenced Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), saying he had seen the congressman speaking on television earlier in the day about the alleged fraud. “He was talking about the Somalia population and not very nicely,” Trump said. Emmer had heard concerns from his constituents in 2015 during a town hall but he dismissed them as racist.

Trump’s comments come as Minnesota has faced a wave of fraud allegations, with estimated losses reported in the billions. Federal prosecutors have indicted and charged dozens of people in connection with coordinated schemes to exploit public assistance programs such as food aid for needy children during Covid. The allegations have placed renewed pressure on embattled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has been publicly scrutinized since the issue gained national attention. Walz previously stated that the failures occurred “on my watch” and that he is “accountable” for fixing the problem.

Earlier Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox and Friends, “People will be in handcuffs,” adding that the Trump administration had increased federal resources directed toward the investigations, noting that multiple agencies are now involved. “President Trump is not going to let Governor Walz off the hook,” she said. On Tuesday, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced it would freeze all child care payments to Minnesota.