Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ended his reelection campaign as federal and congressional scrutiny intensifies over alleged fraud in the state’s child-care assistance programs.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has ended his bid for a third term, stepping away from the race less than four months after launching his reelection effort amid ongoing investigations into alleged fraud within Minnesota’s child-care programs and rising political pressure from the Trump administration and congressional Republicans.
In a statement issued Monday, Walz said the past year had placed extraordinary demands on the state and on his office, leading him to conclude that he could not simultaneously manage those challenges and mount a full-scale campaign. He cited investigations into child-care fraud as a central factor in his decision, along with what he described as the national political climate surrounding the issue.
“I decided that I can’t give a political campaign my all,” Walz said, calling the year “extraordinarily difficult” for Minnesota. He accused President Donald Trump and his allies of using the investigations as a political weapon, including through the withholding of federal funds tied to the programs under scrutiny.
“Donald Trump and his allies – in Washington, in St. Paul, and online – want to make our state a colder, meaner place,” Walz said. “They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors. And, ultimately, they want to take away much of what makes Minnesota the best place in America to raise a family.”
Republicans in Congress have taken an aggressive stance toward the governor. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a televised interview Sunday that “Tim Walz better lawyer up,” arguing that the governor has not fully grasped the seriousness of the allegations. Comer said that Walz’s refusal to appear before Congress, where he previously served as a member of the House, would effectively amount to an admission of guilt.
“I don’t think Walz has really comprehended the severity of this issue,” Comer said. “My biggest frustration is that people haven’t been held accountable — slapped with handcuffs. If I could do that we would already have a bunch of people in jail.” He added, “But the entire Trump administration is on this. We all want people in jail.”
Walz formally announced his intention to seek a historic third term in mid-September 2025, making his withdrawal one of the shortest reelection bids by a sitting Minnesota governor in recent history.
President Trump continued his criticism of Walz during remarks to reporters late Sunday as he returned to Washington from Mar-a-Lago. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump alleged that fraud linked to Minnesota programs had reached staggering levels, claiming that Somali-linked schemes had siphoned billions of dollars from taxpayers. During remarks made while he spoke with reporters in flight, Trump said investigators had identified $19 billion in fraud, while suggesting the real total could be far higher, according to comments he made while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
“Usually, when you’re looking at 19, that means it could be 50,” Trump said. “But the numbers are astronomical.”
Trump said those found complicit in fraud should be deported, accusing them of stealing directly from American taxpayers. He also singled out Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, calling her “one of the leaders of it,” while arguing that federal funding tied to the programs would be cut off.
“We’re not going to pay it anymore,” Trump said. “We’re not going to pay them, and we’re not going to pay California, and we’re not going to pay Illinois with that big slob of a governor that they have.”
Walz’s exit reshapes Minnesota’s political landscape as investigations continue and federal oversight of the state’s child-care assistance programs remains a focal point of national debate.
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