Trump Puts Newsom In His Crosshairs After Walz’s Downfall, Announces Probe Into California Fraud

One day after Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said he would not seek reelection amid a widening fraud cloud, President Donald Trump turned his fire west Tuesday, blasting California and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Trump took to Truth Social to declare that California, run by Newsom, is “more corrupt than Minnesota,” and announced that a “Fraud Investigation of California has begun.”

“California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun,” Trump wrote.

The broadside came as scrutiny intensified over alleged abuse of public programs in Minnesota, with Trump and Republicans arguing the controversy reflects deeper failures in Democrat-run states. Trump has repeatedly claimed blue states have grown comfortable with waste, fraud, and political favoritism.

Walz, a Democrat who was his party’s 2024 vice presidential nominee, abruptly ended his reelection bid this week. He pointed to the political climate and relentless attention on Minnesota’s Somali child-care fraud investigation, saying he could not govern and campaign at the same time.

Walz dismissed the controversy as partisan warfare, accusing Trump and his allies of trying to turn Minnesota into “a colder, meaner place.”

Republicans rejected that framing, saying the fraud allegations are serious and demand accountability. On Capitol Hill, GOP lawmakers have cited Minnesota as a warning sign of what they call lax oversight and runaway spending under Democratic leadership.

In a separate Truth Social post responding to Walz’s exit, Trump said the governor was “caught, redhanded” in a massive scheme involving “tens of billions of taxpayer dollars,” and insisted the problem extended far beyond Minnesota.

Trump said Newsom and other blue-state governors have done “an even more dishonest and incompetent job,” adding, “No one is above the law!”

The president’s renewed focus on California taps into long-running conservative criticism of Newsom’s administration, which Republicans say has struggled with oversight while costs soar and Sacramento demands more from taxpayers.

Those arguments gained new fuel from a recent assessment by California’s nonpartisan state auditor, which placed Newsom’s administration and several major state agencies under heightened “high-risk” scrutiny. The designation flags vulnerabilities tied to management failures, weak controls, and the potential for fraud.

Turlock, CA – Jan 6, 2025: CA Governor Gavin Newsom speaking at a press conference regarding the California Jobs First project and previewing budget top lines for the upcoming fiscal year

Trump has increasingly pointed to California as a national example of what he argues happens when Democratic leadership goes unchecked. Allies say the state’s budget pressures, homelessness crisis, and ballooning program costs underscore the need for stricter oversight.

Democrats, meanwhile, have accused Trump of using investigations as political weapons. Newsom has previously brushed off Republican attacks as partisan theater, insisting California remains an economic powerhouse.

Trump showed no sign of backing down Tuesday, signaling that Minnesota’s turmoil may be just the opening act in a broader campaign against Democratic governors he says have failed the public trust.

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