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Governor Walz Ends Reelection Bid

Did Walz enable a massive fraud cover-up, or is he responsibly addressing a legitimate problem amid conspiracy theories?

Published 16 hours ago

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Above: Governor Tim Walz announcing he won't be running for reelection in St. Paul, Minn., on Jan. 5, 2025. Image credit: Jerry Holt/Minnesota Star Tribune/Getty Images

The Spin

Republican narrative

Walz's political career collapsed under the weight of a $9 billion Medicaid fraud scandal that he enabled and covered up. Over 400 state employees warned him early about the fraud, but he systematically retaliated against whistleblowers while protecting Somali fraudsters who formed a key Democrat voting bloc and funneled donations back to his campaigns. As Walz attempts to blame "racism" and Republicans for his failures, he should know that Minnesotans of all backgrounds are pointing their fingers at him.

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Democratic narrative

Walz stepped aside to focus on addressing a legitimate fraud problem rather than campaigning, while Trump dangerously amplified baseless conspiracy theories falsely linking the governor to a political assassination. Federal prosecutors have been investigating and convicting fraudsters for years while Walz was in office, which hardly shows any attempt by Walz to cover it up. As Walz focuses on bipartisan anti-fraud projects, Republicans are pushing partisan smear campaigns created by right-wing influencers.

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