Tim Walz slams Tom Emmer over comments targeting Somali immigrants

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took aim at U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, saying he had ruined his reputation "for the privilege of being Donald Trump's skin tag." Walz made the remark in a post on X while sharing a video of Emmer claiming that the U.S. is a Christian nation and accusing Walz of allowing immigrants in Minnesota to "lie, cheat, and steal." Speaking at a Faith & Freedom Coalition town hall on Capitol Hill, Emmer had called Minnesota a state "mismanaged by criminals."

"Our founders, who were Christian, created a Christian-based nation. And I come from the people's republic of Minnesota, that has been so mismanaged by criminals. They are criminals. They lie, they cheat, and they steal. And by the way, they let immigrants, who come to this country, not wanting to assimilate, lie, cheat, and steal from them. Our money," he said, and singled out Somali immigrants in the state.

"There is nothing racist about calling out a criminal," Emmer continued. "Minnesotans are so afraid that you're going to call us a racist, you're going to call us an Islamophobe, you're going to call us some name that we just don't want to get into that fight. You know what? I would argue that I never did care, but I'm done being even the least bit careful... They (Somalis) don't assimilate. And if they don't assimilate, then they should go the hell back to where they came from."

Fellow Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, herself an immigrant from Somalia, clapped back at Emmer, calling him an "idiot" for wanting Somalis to return to their country. "I assimilated all the way to Congress, and this idiot still tells me to go back where I came from," she wrote on X. Emmer was also criticized by U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, who's running for U.S. Senate. She took to X to call the House Majority Whip's statement "racist."

Minnesota has the largest population of people of Somali descent in the United States, with recent U.S. Census Bureau data indicating that around 107,000 live statewide and about 84,000 reside in the Twin Cities metro area.

Emmer has also recently criticized Walz over the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 2025 report on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment error rates. The report found that Minnesota had an overpayment rate of 9.86%—among the highest in the country—amounting to an estimated $86.6 million in overpayments.

"Under Walz's so-called leadership, our overpayment rate increased by more than 50% in just one fiscal year. This is unacceptable, and if it continues, hardworking Minnesotans are going to pay the price for the Walz Administration's total inability to manage and safeguard taxpayer dollars. Minnesotans deserve better, and there needs to be accountability for the elected officials who continue to mismanage government funds," Emmer had said.