Mon Dec 08 09:50:00 UTC 2025: News Article:
Walz Condemns Trump’s “Vile and Racist Lies” Targeting Minnesota’s Somali Community
St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s recent attacks on the state’s Somali immigrant community, labeling them “vile and racist lies” that could incite violence.
Speaking at a press conference on December 4th, where he announced Minnesota’s new budget forecast, Walz addressed Trump’s social media posts and public remarks targeting the Somali population and some of Minnesota’s Democratic lawmakers. The Governor emphasized the danger of Trump’s rhetoric.
Trump’s attacks began on Thanksgiving, November 27th, with posts referencing a fraud and money laundering investigation related to a COVID-19 relief scheme. While some of those accused in the scheme are of Somali descent, Trump falsely claimed that “hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over” Minnesota, and he used a derogatory slur to describe Gov. Walz. On December 2nd, at a Cabinet meeting, Trump called Somali immigrants “garbage.”
These comments have drawn widespread condemnation, with many Minnesota officials calling Trump’s attacks racist and un-American. Walz criticized Trump’s conflation of individuals accused in the fraud case with the entire Somali population.
“You commit crimes, you go to jail. Doesn’t matter what your race is, what your ethnicity, religion,” Walz stated. “But demonizing an entire group of people by their race and their ethnicity? A very group of people who contribute to the vitality – economic, cultural – of this state, is something I hoped we’d never have to see.”
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali immigrant community in the United States, estimated to be between 60,000 and 80,000 people. Walz emphasized the community’s contributions to the state’s economy and culture, defending them against Trump’s attacks.
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