White House claims ICE protests are ‘cover-up for Minneapolis fraud’

Karoline Leavitt claimed that Tim Walz and Jacob Frey have been encouraging ICE protesters to “distract” from Minnesota’s childcare fraud scandal. The White House press secretary’s comments came after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed nurse Alex Pretti in the city. The 37-year-old was filming DHS agents during an operation. In a Truth Social post, Trump accused the Minneapolis mayor and the Minnesota governor of “inciting insurrection” and claimed: “Much of what you’re witnessing is a cover-up for this theft and fraud.” A non-profit fraud scheme was uncovered in 2022 with 80 people so far facing charges. The prosecutions began under the Democratic Biden and Walz administrations. But the scandal intensified scrutiny of Minnesota’s welfare programs and late last year a viral video prompted fresh allegations against Somali-run daycare centers which Trump and many on the right have latched on to to attack the immigrant community in the state. Both Mr Frey and Mr Walz have called on the Trump administration to withdraw federal immigration enforcement agents from the city.