California Gov. Gavin Newsom showered praise on his Minnesota counterpart Tim Walz – and was promptly blasted for boosting his fellow Democrat in the wake of an alleged billion-dollar welfare scandal.
Newsom spoke of Walz in glowing terms in a Monday social media post after the Minnesota pol dropped his gubernatorial reelection bid as welfare fraud accusations swirled.
“Tim Walz is a man of character, strength, and compassion,” Newsom said on X. “Minnesota — and America — is better off thanks to his lifelong public service.”
People were quick to react to Newsom’s post on social media, questioning his endorsement of Walz and warning fraud in California is next to be exposed.
“Highly likely this tweet is brought up in future presidential debates,” one user posted, alluding to Newsom’s expected bid to run for president in 2028.
One user posted a cartoon meme of a boat marked “USS Taxpayers crashing into an iceberg whose tip is labeled Minnesota while the massive remaining chunk under the surface is labeled California.
“You are cut from the same cloth,” the user posted.
Another quipped, “hey @grok can you make a list of things that age badly like this post will?”
“You’re next, Gavin,” one critic snapped.
Walz announced in September he would seek a third-term for governor, but on Monday he abruptly dropped out of the race as federal authorities investigate whether billions of taxpayer dollars were stolen in a mind-boggling social-services scam.
“Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences,” Walz said in a statement.
The North Star State came under scrutiny in recent weeks following a viral video from YouTuber Nick Shirley showing empty taxpayer-funded day care centers.
While the 61-year-old governor and 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing, he has largely been criticized for his handling and oversight of the social programs that are most prevalent among Minnesota’s Somali population.
Meanwhile, Newsom has dealt with a scandal within his own administration, when his former chief of staff Dana Williamson was arrested in November and accused of plotting to steal $225,000 from an inactive political campaign. She has pleaded not guilty.
The California governor put Williamson on leave back in 2024 when he first learned she was being interviewed by the FBI, and according to Politico commended “her insight, tenacity, and big heart,” in a sendoff statement.
Trump administration officials told The Post on Monday it will cut off more than $10 billion in social services and child care funding in a handful of Democrat-led states, including Minnesota and California, over fraud concerns.
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