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.
