Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he’s not budging, even as a statewide fraud scandal hammers public trust and political opponents smell blood.
The Hill reported that at a Tuesday press conference on paid family leave, Walz rejected calls to resign, explained why he dropped his bid for a third term, and blasted President Trump for promoting a debunked conspiracy theory tying Walz to the killing of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
Walz aimed much of his frustration at Republicans, saying they “want to do nothing to improve this state” and that their version of progress is “being a parrot for Donald Trump,” a line that plays well in a partisan scrum but doesn’t answer the basic question voters are asking: Who is accountable when fraud hits statewide?
Walz said Tuesday that demands for him to step down will go nowhere, telling critics, “Well here’s what I’m going to tell you: It ain’t happening.” It was a blunt message from a governor facing a scandal he can’t talk his way around with slogans.
He went further, adding, “I’m not going anywhere and you can make all your requests for me to resign. Over my dead body will that happen.” Defiance can be a political strategy, but it also risks sounding like leadership is treating legitimate outrage as just noise.
The Tuesday appearance marked the first time Walz addressed the fraud scandal in more depth, though the event itself was billed as a press conference on paid family leave. If the administration wants the public to focus on policy, it also has to convince people their tax dollars are being protected, not merely promised.
Walz had briefly appeared before reporters on Monday, reading a statement announcing he would not seek another term and declining to take questions. When a politician won’t take questions, it’s usually because the questions are the story.
In that statement, Walz argued that defending his own political future would distract from governing, saying, “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.”
That’s a tidy moral frame, but voters may wonder why protecting Minnesotans from “criminals” and “cynics” apparently required waiting until now to clear the deck.
Walz said he chose to exit the race so others can focus on campaigning while he focuses on governing, telling reporters, “So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.” It’s a convenient pivot, though it also sidesteps the political fallout that comes with a scandal tied to misuse of public money.
Walz also criticized Trump for promoting on social media a conspiracy theory alleging Walz was involved in Hortman’s assassination last year, a claim the reporting notes has been debunked. Even in the rough-and-tumble of politics, pushing a false narrative about a murder is the kind of thing that corrodes public life fast.
Walz said the post endangered Hortman’s children and his own family, saying, “What Donald Trump tweeted the other night put the Hortman [children] at risk. They have to look at security. Put my family at risk again.”
The point lands: Whatever people think of Walz, a murdered public official’s family shouldn’t be forced into a security posture because viral content needs clicks.
Colin Hortman, Melissa Hortman’s son, urged Trump to remove the video and apologize to the family, according to KARE. That request is not partisan theater; it is a straightforward demand for basic decency after a public tragedy.
Sophie Hortman, Melissa Hortman’s daughter, said the “video promotes a false narrative which fuels the flames of political division,” according to NBC News. That’s hard to dispute, and it underscores how conspiracy politics can punish the wrong people first and fastest.
Walz, however, didn’t stop at condemning the conspiracy claim; he also turned the moment into a broader attack on Republicans’ agenda.
He predicted they will lose races “up and down the ticket,” asking, “Where’s their plan on health care as health care prices doubled? Where’s their plan to push back on the president?”
He also scolded Republicans for not denouncing the post, saying, “Again, for God’s sake, the children of a murdered Speaker and they can’t speak up and say ‘Mr. President, this is wrong. Stop it.’” It’s a strong moral appeal, but it still leaves unanswered how Walz plans to restore confidence in state oversight amid the fraud scandal.
The White House response was sharp, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson arguing Walz’s decision to leave the race doesn’t erase the scandal’s impact. Jackson said Walz dropping out would not allow him to avoid accountability tied to the fraud issue.
Jackson attacked Walz directly, saying, “No matter how hard he tries, Tampon Tim can’t distract from the rampant fraud that he’s allowed to ravage Minnesota communities and that has now forced him to end his campaign.”
She added, “His only statement should be apologizing to hardworking Minnesotans for allowing their tax dollars to be misused so badly.”
