Tim Walz says the GOP used the Minnesota fraud scandal to demonize immigration

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dismissed the fraud scandal in his state during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel’s show Wednesday, calling it an excuse for the GOP to demonize the immigrant community.

“What all of this has to do with — these are a lot of benefits fraud cases that are happening,” Kimmel said. “Now, I want to ask you: Did it take you an unusually long time to realize that was happening? Is that just a widespread phenomenon?”

Walz said no and fired back at President Donald Trump, saying, “It’s happening in other states. We were going back—many of these people were prosecuted in 2021. He used it as an excuse because it was the perfect thing to make out that there’s fraud. Think that—you know, from this guy, he’s going to be able to commit fraud where he’s at.”

Kimmel then called Trump “Sigmund Fraud.”

TIM WALZ RETURNS TO WORLD ACCUSED BY TRUMP OF ‘IMPROPERTY,’ DODGES LIABILITY FOR FRAUD IN MINNESOTA

“They demonize the immigrant communities, especially the Somali community. And I said what they were doing was the programs of Minnesota, look, we are a generous state. We are also, like California, we are a paying state. We pay more than we would go back to support the ‘red’ states that do not support their people. But, they came in to try to destroy those programs and, you know, who destroys these billions of destructive programs again. But no, it was their excuse to do that, the people of Minnesota showed courage, they stood up they backed off,” said Walz.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

A major fraud scheme targeting Medicaid, the “Feeding Our Future” scheme, and more has taken place in Minnesota over the past few years and has made headlines over the past few months as more lawsuits have been filed.

Federal authorities in Minnesota said in December that the fraud could be more than $9 billion, which Walz and other officials disputed.

BLAGOJEVICH TELLS WALZ IF HE HAS NOT DONE ‘THAT’, GET DOWN BECAUSE HE IS ORDERED: ‘YOU MAKE ME THINK HIS HANDS ARE DIRTY’

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is sworn in as he testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC, March 4, 2026. The committee investigated the misuse of federal funds for Minnesota’s social services and Medicaid programs. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Kimmel also asked Walz if the fraud scandal played a role in his decision not to run for re-election.

“No. And I think to me, look, two words are probably enough. I think we’re getting enough of the people who do the jobs on this. Obviously, Minnesota had a very difficult year. In June of last year, we finished the legislative session-evenly divided, 67-67 in the House, 35-34 in the Senate-but the most unusual official that I’ve ever worked with a politician is Messa who was president last June. year,” said Walz.

He continued, “He and I were partners in doing this work, whatever. And then the Annunciation shooting … and I think it just came to a point—the fraud stuff in that, the Republicans running on it, putting money into it. It was just, it was very important to me that we hold the seat with a progressive Democrat, which we’re going to do now. And then, a lot of other things that I think I got into.”

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Gov. Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2026. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Hortman, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), and her husband, Mark Hortman, were shot and killed in Brooklyn Park by a suspect posing as a police officer in June 2025, according to police.