Donald Trump capped off 2025 with a vicious social media tirade against Rep. Ilhan Omar and the entire population of Somalia over the ongoing fraud investigation in Minnesota.
The president made inflammatory remarks on New Year’s Eve, writing: “Much of the fraud in Minnesota – up to 90 percent – is caused by people who illegally enter our country from Somalia. ‘Congresswoman’ Omar is an ungrateful loser who only complains and never does anything Contribution, she is one of many liars. Is she really marrying her brother? Send them back from their homeland to make America great again!
Trump’s outburst came after his administration froze $185 million in federal child care funding in Minnesota after allegations of fraudulent day care operations went viral. The Department of Health and Human Services announced sweeping changes that will require states to provide “justification and receipt or photographic evidence” before receiving federal funds.
YouTuber Nick Shirley sparked controversy after posting a video showing him visiting federally supported child care centers around Minneapolis and finding no children present. His video, which has attracted tens of millions of views, alleges that nearly a dozen day care centers are failing to provide services while pocketing taxpayer funds.
But the daycare charges are just one piece of Minnesota’s massive fraud puzzle. Federal prosecutors estimate the total fraud in multiple state programs could exceed $9 billion. The biggest scam involved Feeding Our Future, a coronavirus-era nonprofit that prosecutors called “the largest fraud of the pandemic era in America.”
Aimee Bock, founder of Feeding Our Future, was convicted earlier this year of defrauding $250 million. The group claimed to distribute meals to schools and programs but submitted false invoices and meal counts, making millions in administrative fees and kickbacks.
Fraud has also plagued Minnesota’s housing stabilization program, which officials shut down this summer after discovering “large-scale fraud.” Eight people have been charged with submitting millions of dollars in false bills, including two Pennsylvanians who allegedly traveled to Minnesota specifically to commit crimes and engage in “fraudulent tourism.”
Autism services programs have faced similar problems, with defendants accused of hiring unqualified staff and paying kickbacks to parents who signed up their children. Prosecutors said 14 Medicaid services are currently under audit and deemed “high risk” for fraud.
Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed Minnesota’s Somali community for fraud, calling Somali immigrants “trash” who “contribute nothing.” He ended temporary deportation protections for Somali immigrants and claimed without evidence that “Somali gangs are terrorizing” Minnesota.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz faces intense scrutiny over his administration’s handling of the crisis. Walz defended his response, saying officials “spent years fighting fraudsters” and accusing Trump of “politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans.”
The U.S. Treasury Department is investigating whether the stolen funds ended up in the hands of the Somali terror group al-Shabab. However, multiple federal investigators told CBS News there is no evidence that taxpayer money went directly to terrorists.
Court records show the defendants used the stolen funds to purchase cars, property and luxury travel. They also wired millions of dollars overseas, including nearly $3 million to accounts in Kenya, and sent additional funds to banks in China.
Republican Rep. James Comer launched the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the fraud and announced plans to hold hearings to hear testimony from Walz and other officials. As the scandal intensified in December, Walz launched a new statewide fraud prevention program.
Donald Trump and his attack on Omar on New Year’s Eve repeated his longstanding false claims about Omar’s personal life while painting the entire immigrant community as criminals. The president’s inflammatory rhetoric drew sharp criticism from Minnesota lawmakers, who accused him of demonizing Somali Americans based on the actions of individual fraudsters.
The fraud investigation has resulted in federal charges against 92 people, 62 of whom have been convicted to date. FBI Director Kash Patel called the Feeding Our Future case “just the tip of the iceberg.”
