Retired Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer took to Newsmax on Thursday to criticize Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after the Democrat suggested his state is "at war with the federal government" in the wake of the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
On "The Chris Salcedo Show," Shaffer said Walz's inflammatory rhetoric crosses a dangerous line, warning it echoes the kind of defiance that once tore the nation apart.
"Apparently, he didn't study history," Shaffer said, pointing to the Civil War as the clearest example of what happens when political leaders frame their disputes with Washington as an outright battle.
"There was a whole bunch of states that fought against the federal government in 1861," he told host Chris Salcedo. "It's called the Confederacy."
Shaffer argued Walz's language is not simply hyperbole, but a sign of an increasingly radical posture among Democrats toward federal authority.
"And apparently, according to Tim Walz, the Democrat Party hasn't changed since 1861," Shaffer said. "It's still fighting the federal government."
The retired Army officer said the situation has become unacceptable in a moment already charged with grief and outrage after Good's death, urging leaders to work to reduce tensions instead of fanning the flames of unrest.
"This is not acceptable," Shaffer said, adding that Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey should face legal consequences for stoking public anger with federal law enforcement.
"He and Mayor Frey should both be arrested, as far as I'm concerned, on charges of sedition and incitement," he said. "There's no room for this."
Shaffer also called for a tougher response from President Donald Trump, framing it as a test of whether federal authority will be directly challenged by state officials.
"I think President Trump needs to call their bluff," he said.
Shaffer suggested the White House has already shown it is willing to call out behavior it considers seditious and he argued that similar resolve should be applied to elected officials who talk about war with the federal government.
He said that Trump called the bluff of Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and that "it's time he calls these knuckleheads' bluff as well."
On Monday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he is issuing a letter of censure to Kelly over the former astronaut's participation in a video that urged troops not to follow unlawful orders.
Proceedings could soon follow, potentially resulting in a demotion from Kelly's retired rank of Navy captain.
Shaffer's comments came as the fallout from Good's shooting continues to ripple across Minnesota and beyond, with the incident reigniting national debate about immigration enforcement, state resistance, and political rhetoric.
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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