WASHINGTON, D.C – Vice President JD Vance stepped to the White House podium in an unusually blunt briefing and went after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, calling his administration a mess tied to widespread welfare fraud. He also accused major outlets, including CNN, of misreporting key facts to shield Democrats, a move he said puts law enforcement officers in danger.

Vance spoke as tensions rose after a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis and fresh claims of billions in taxpayer-funded fraud tied to programs run under Walz. Standing with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Vance outlined new actions the administration says it will take to fight fraud across the country and defend federal agents facing backlash from state and local officials.

Walz Under Fire as Fraud Investigations Grow

Vance focused much of his criticism on Walz, whose administration has faced investigations tied to fraud estimates that Vance said top $9 billion. He pointed to the Feeding Our Future case, which involved allegations that hundreds of millions were siphoned from child nutrition programs during the COVID era.

“Look, Tim Walz is a joke. His entire administration has been a joke,” Vance said, linking those claims to Walz’s recent announcement that he will not run for re-election. Vance framed the decision as a retreat brought on by growing scrutiny.

He argued that Walz either knew the fraud was happening or failed to act when warning signs appeared. Vance said the schemes allowed organized networks to exploit programs meant to help children and families, and he claimed some of those networks were tied to parts of the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota.

Conservative researchers and whistleblowers, boosted by widely shared reports online, have pointed to daycare sites that appeared empty while still submitting claims for large reimbursements, including meals that investigators say never existed. Vance said the administration has already stopped billions in federal funding to Minnesota and other Democrat-led states it suspects of similar misuse.

Vance also announced a new Assistant Attorney General role focused on prosecuting fraud nationwide, with Minnesota as a top priority. “This official will have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud,” he said, adding that the White House plans to push for a fast Senate confirmation. He described the alleged fraud as a large network that has drained public money for years.

Vance Targets CNN, Calls Coverage an “Absolute Disgrace”

Vance also aimed his sharpest words at the national press, singling out CNN over its reporting on Wednesday’s ICE shooting in Minneapolis that killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.

He read a CNN headline during the briefing and argued it painted a one-sided picture of what happened. “The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace, and it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day,” Vance said.

According to Vance, videos show Good attempting to hit federal agents with her car during an immigration enforcement action. He said the ICE officer fired in self-defense and noted the agent had been badly hurt in a prior incident involving a vehicle.

Vance claimed some coverage left out those details and helped stir anger against law enforcement. “They’re lying about this attack,” he said, warning that misleading reports can feed hostility and raise the risk for officers in the field.

He also said the administration will back the ICE officer and pushed back on talk of investigations into the agent’s actions. Vance said the officer should not be punished for following orders during a dangerous situation, and he criticized Walz and local activists for pushing the issue.

Backing ICE and Federal Agents, Message to Sanctuary Cities

The briefing reinforced the Trump administration’s support for ICE and tougher enforcement, while Vance blamed Democratic leadership for disorder in sanctuary cities, including Minneapolis.

As protests build and Walz calls in the National Guard, Vance urged the public to reject what he described as a false story pushed by political leaders and friendly media outlets. He said criticism of immigration policy should not turn into attacks on officers.

With fraud investigations expanding and more federal attention on Minnesota, Vance’s appearance signaled that the administration plans to press harder on both corruption claims and public safety. Republicans praised the remarks as overdue accountability, while Democrats pushed back and defended Walz’s record.

Vance ended with a clear message: the administration says it will no longer allow large fraud cases to be ignored, and it will not stay quiet when federal agents are publicly blamed for carrying out their jobs.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump is aiming at Wall Street firms, which he says are pushing families out of the housing market. On Wednesday, he announced a plan to block large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. In a sharp Truth Social post, Trump framed the move as a way to protect homeownership and bring the American Dream back within reach.

“For a very long time, buying and owning a home was considered the pinnacle of the American Dream,” Trump wrote. “It was the reward for working hard and doing the right thing.” He said that the goal now feels out of reach for many Americans, and he blamed “Record High Inflation caused by Joe Biden and the Democrats in Congress.”

Trump said he wants to stop large investors, including Blackstone and other hedge funds, from buying homes at scale.

“I am immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes,” Trump wrote, adding that he will urge Congress to make the policy law. “People live in homes, not corporations.”

Supporters say the message fits Trump’s long-running pitch, taking on big money and putting working families first. Critics in the press have been quick to downplay it, but conservatives call it a direct response to a real problem.

Wall Street Reacts Fast

Markets moved quickly after the post. Shares of major single-family rental companies, including Invitation Homes and American Homes 4 Rent, dropped within hours. Blackstone also fell, reflecting investor concern about what a ban could mean for corporate buying strategies. Some traders were caught off guard, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Many voters won’t be upset to see corporate landlords sweating. Large firms have bought heavily in places like Atlanta, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and Tampa. In some local markets, institutional ownership makes up a large share of single-family rentals. Families often get outbid by cash offers, then end up renting from the same companies that drove prices higher.

Trump’s proposal focuses on “large institutional investors” and avoids targeting smaller landlords. That distinction matters to many renters who rely on local owners and small property managers.

Rare Cross-Party Agreement, Plus Support From Housing Officials

The idea has picked up some unexpected agreement across party lines. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has also criticized big investors and said he wants to “curb” their role in housing. Trump’s team argues there’s a difference between talk and action.

Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a Trump appointee, backed the plan and called Trump the “builder-in-chief.” Pulte suggested the administration can take steps that put American homebuyers ahead of large funds.

Some conservative economists point out that institutional investors hold about 2-3% of single-family rentals nationwide. Still, their buying can be heavily focused on Sun Belt markets, where the extra competition can tighten supply. Trump’s goal is to reduce that pressure and give families a fairer shot.

Trump Blames Inflation and Rules That Slow Building

Trump also tied the housing squeeze to inflation and policy choices under President Biden. He argued that higher prices and higher mortgage rates have hit buyers hard. He also pointed to years of rules that make it harder to build new homes, which keeps supply behind demand.

The ban, he says, is only the start. Trump hinted at more housing affordability ideas in an upcoming speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he plans to compare his approach with what he calls failed globalist policies.

Left-leaning critics, including writers at The Washington Post, have dismissed the plan as “populist claptrap.” They say the main issue is underbuilding. Trump’s allies reply that bulk buying by big funds also matters because it pulls homes off the market and changes how neighborhoods function.

He is pitching this as a simple principle: homes are for people who want to live in them, raise kids, and build a life, not for companies chasing returns.

As lawmakers prepare to take up the issue, Republicans are expected to face pressure to move quickly. With affordability sitting near the top of voter concerns, this policy could become a central fight in Congress. Trump is betting that many Americans agree with his core message: housing should serve families first, not corporate balance sheets.

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MINNESOTA– A city still marked by George Floyd’s death in 2020, is facing a new flashpoint. A fatal shooting involving a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent has triggered sharp debate over enforcement tactics, immigration policy, and how the story is being told.

On 7 January 2026, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen and mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE officer during an operation in south Minneapolis. Federal officials say Good tried to drive her vehicle into agents, and they say that justified lethal force. Local leaders and some witnesses dispute that version, and the clash of accounts has fuelled protests and claims that politicians and major outlets are using the moment to stir division and shore up support.

The case has quickly been compared to Floyd’s death, which set off national protests and renewed pushes for police reform. Some conservative critics say Democrats and legacy media are framing the shooting as a repeat of 2020 to pull focus from other issues, including claims of fraud scandals in Minnesota, and to blunt the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The deadly encounter, two very different stories

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says ICE agents were carrying out a targeted enforcement operation when Good, described by officials as a “violent rioter”, refused orders to get out of her vehicle.

DHS claims she then accelerated towards an officer in what it called an attempt to kill or cause serious harm. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking at a press conference, called the act “domestic terrorism” and backed the agent’s actions as self-defence. Noem said an officer was struck by the vehicle, taken to the hospital, and later released.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have challenged the federal account after reviewing video footage. Walz told the public not to “believe this propaganda machine”, and suggested the video shows Good did not pose an immediate threat when shots were fired. Some eyewitnesses have echoed that view, saying Good was sitting in her car and did not appear aggressive.

A neighbour, Emily Heller, shared a video from the aftermath, criticised the agents’ conduct, and urged calm as tensions rose.

Footage from several angles has deepened the split. Some clips appear to show the car moving after the shots, which some viewers argue could be an involuntary reaction rather than an intentional attempt to hit anyone. That reading has added to questions about whether the shooting was rushed or excessive.

By the evening of 7 January, hundreds gathered at George Floyd Square for a vigil, and the crowd later grew into the low thousands. Protesters called for ICE to leave the city, with chants that echoed the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Former Minnesota State Senator Jeff Hayden described ICE as an “intimidating force acting above the law” and said the shooting brought back the same “deep, dark feeling” many associated with Floyd’s killing.

Protests continued the next day outside the federal building. Crowd estimates ranged from a few hundred to about 1,000 people. Some demonstrators spoke about a “second American Revolution” and urged the use of Second Amendment rights. Others described the killing as a state execution. Schools in the area closed on 8 January amid concerns that unrest could spread.

Media stoking outrage, misreporting the facts

Major outlets such as CNN, NBC, BBC, ABC, and The New York Times highlighted Good’s life, describing her as an award-winning poet and a caring neighbour. Reports often stressed that she was a US citizen and a mother. Many headlines also focused on the disputed federal account, raising questions about ICE’s use of force and drawing comparisons to past police violence in Minneapolis.

Democratic officials, including Senator Tina Smith, condemned the killing and called for an end to immigration operations linked to the Trump era. Critics, especially on X (formerly Twitter), say those responses are meant to recreate the emotional surge seen after Floyd’s death.

One X user said the story was being used to “distract from all of this scams that are coming out in Minnesota”, pointing to recent reports about Somali-linked fraud schemes said to have siphoned billions from state funds.

Conservative commentators, including Bill Mitchell and Paul Joseph Watson, have argued that the left is pushing what they call a “fake outrage” storyline to inflame unrest and protect corrupt programmes. Mitchell wrote, “Desperate left pushes fake outrage over justified ICE shooting to ignite riots and hide massive Minnesota fraud scams!”, a post that drew heavy engagement.

Others have pointed to timing and place, saying Minnesota’s history with Floyd makes it fertile ground for rapid national amplification.

Wider stakes, and claims of a pattern in vehicle-related shootings

Supporters of Good say the shooting fits a bigger problem with federal enforcement and accountability. Reports say ICE and Border Patrol agents have used deadly force in at least nine recent incidents tied to vehicles, often claiming drivers tried to ram officers. Legal analysts are weighing what comes next, pointing to qualified immunity for federal agents while also noting potential civil rights concerns if video evidence clashes with official statements.

The FBI is investigating, and calls for full transparency have grown louder. Good’s family has described her as “one of the kindest people”, while supporters have demanded justice. At the same time, sceptics say political framing on all sides risks pushing the country into deeper division.

Right-leaning voices say the situation is being miscast as a replay of 2020. They argue that, unlike the Floyd case, where video evidence drove public opinion, the available footage here supports an argument of self-defence.

One user wrote that “mainstream media & left wing X” were trying to turn the killing into “George Floyd II”, and said X was helping counter the narrative. Some also claim Democrats are inflating tensions ahead of the midterms, repeating a familiar pattern of turning tragedy into political momentum.

On the left, attention remains on ICE’s reach under the Trump administration, with critics calling the shooting another sign of systemic problems. Some activists see it as a moment to organise, while others have warned against escalation and urged peaceful protest.

As Minneapolis braces for more demonstrations, the shooting has become a new test of trust in law enforcement, faith in government messaging, and the power of media framing. Whether the moment fades or leads to lasting change is still unclear, but for many in the city, the shadow of 2020 feels close.

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