Tim Walz let fraudsters steal $9 billion from programs meant to feed children.
Now he's lecturing Trump about grifting.
What he said about the Reflecting Pool just came back to haunt him in the worst possible way.
Walz Picks the Wrong Fight
On Friday, Walz posted a shot at Trump on X about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool – a $14.8 million renovation that developed algae problems and peeling paint in its first weeks.
He accused Trump of finding "an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn't listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went."
"The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell," Walz concluded.
The post racked up 3.5 million views.
It also handed conservatives the biggest gift of the week.
https://twitter.com/Tironianae/status/2069043034713375202?s=20
Within hours, the replies lit up with one name – Tim Walz – and one number: $9 billion.
That's the federal prosecutor's estimate for how much was stolen from Minnesota's social services programs on his watch.
The $9 Billion He Can't Run From
Fraudsters didn't steal $14 million from Minnesota.
They stole $9 billion.
From programs meant to feed hungry kids, house the disabled, and provide healthcare to the poor.
The House Oversight Committee found that federal prosecutors estimated at least $9 billion stolen – and warned it was likely "just the tip of the iceberg."
FBI Director Kash Patel called just one slice of it – $250 million taken from a child nutrition program – "as shameless as it gets."
That program was called Feeding Our Future.
78 people were charged.
Dozens were convicted.
Fake invoices. Fake children's names on attendance rosters. Real money – your money – wired to luxury cars, mansions, and overseas real estate.
https://twitter.com/RedWavePress/status/2069410756966142445?s=20
And it went on for years.
Minnesota officials spotted fraud signs as early as 2019.
Red flags kept coming. Walz kept the money flowing.
Chairman James Comer told Walz directly that the committee believed his administration "was fully aware of this fraud and chose not to act for fear of political retaliation."
He Knew and Did Nothing
A former state fraud investigator – a Somali American himself – told investigators the Walz administration was "reluctant to take more assertive action" against fraud in the Somali community because doing so "might cause political backlash."
The key voting bloc was more important than the kids getting robbed.
The House Oversight Committee concluded that state agencies had full legal authority to cut off payments to suspected fraudsters but kept the money flowing anyway – choosing fear of being called racist over protecting taxpayers.
Walz even blamed a judge for forcing him to keep payments running.
That same judge publicly corrected him – said he never issued any such order.
So when Walz posted about someone "not listening to experts" and "hired buddies who grifted millions" – he was describing himself.
The internet noticed immediately.
"Tim Walz: Are you describing yourself?" posted the Minnesota Staff Fraud Reporting Commentary account, representing more than 480 Minnesota state employees who had sounded the alarm on fraud.
"Says the biggest fraudster in Minnesota," conservative influencer Gunther Eagleman posted. "Ya might want to sit this one out," posted Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense.
The Pattern Democrats Won't Discuss
Trump's pool project had algae and peeling paint.
https://twitter.com/TonySeruga/status/2069401790572019861?s=20
Workers cleaned it up. Five people were arrested for vandalism.
The contractor confirmed repairs fall under warranty.
Walz's scandal involved $9 billion stolen from children, the disabled, and the poor – with congressional investigators pursuing whether some of that money was funneled to terrorist networks overseas.
One is a renovation setback.
The other is the largest fraud scandal in Minnesota history, with Congress concluding that Walz chose political self-preservation over the people he was supposed to protect.
Walz dropped his reelection bid in January.
He's now a lame-duck governor attacking Trump on social media.
The $9 billion is still missing.
Sources:
- Andrew Mark Miller, "Tim Walz's viral jab at Trump over Reflecting Pool draws fraud scandal backlash," Fox News, June 22, 2026.
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, "Hearing Wrap Up: Minnesota Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison Lied About Knowledge of Fraud and Silenced Whistleblowers," March 4, 2026.
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, "Chairman Comer Launches Investigation into Massive Fraud in Minnesota's Social Services System on Governor Walz's Watch," December 3, 2025.
- Republican Study Committee, "Walz's $9 Billion Problem: Minnesota Delegation Demands Answers on Massive Fraud Scandal," January 5, 2026.
- Rep. French Hill, "Rep. Hill Awards Governor Tim Walz the Golden Fleece for Failing to Prevent Billions in Taxpayer Fraud," February 26, 2026.