Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other Democrat state lawmakers have been "incentivizing" anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters to help change the narrative centering on government fraud in the North Star State, state Rep. Drew Roach told Newsmax on Monday.
Roach, a Republican, made the remarks during an appearance on "Wake Up America Early" with host Alex Kraemer, as Minnesota continues to face national scrutiny over protests targeting ICE, violent incidents tied to those demonstrations, and mounting questions about billions of dollars in alleged taxpayer fraud.
"It's frustrating to see the continued back-and-forth between Walz and ICE," Roach said. "Walz has not helped the situation at all. He's continuing to fester this animosity with the protesters, kind of incentivizing them to continue with this anti-ICE rhetoric and making law enforcement's jobs more and more difficult."
According to Roach, the chaos surrounding ICE operations is no accident. He argued that Democrat leadership is deliberately stoking tensions to divert attention from what he described as massive fraud involving Minnesota tax dollars.
"Just weeks ago, we were talking about $9 billion in stolen tax money and fraud," Roach said. "Now, we're talking about ICE in our streets. He's stoking the flames along with Mayor Jacob Frey and Attorney General Keith Ellison."
Minnesota has been rocked by multiple fraud scandals in recent years, including federal prosecutions tied to misuse of pandemic-era funds.
Roach said Republican lawmakers plan to push for accountability when the Legislature reconvenes.
"We're looking to bring impeachment articles when we get back into session on Feb. 17 against Tim Walz," Roach said. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. We're going to continue to find more fraud, and Minnesotans deserve to know where their money went."
The unrest escalated further after a weekend shooting connected to ICE-related activity.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem placed much of the blame on local and state leaders, saying Walz and Frey should "take a long, hard look in the mirror" over their rhetoric toward law enforcement.
Roach agreed, adding that responsibility extends beyond the governor's office.
He cited reports suggesting Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan may have been involved in Signal chats that promoted anti-ICE activism, along with other Democrat lawmakers allegedly encouraging protesters.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the violence, questioning why ICE officers were not adequately protected and renewing his criticism of Minnesota's leadership for what he called "inciting insurrection."
While Roach said he hopes it does not come to federal intervention, he warned that continued defiance of federal law could have consequences.
"I don't want to see military in the streets," Roach said. "But Tim Walz needs to lead, calm things down, tell agitators to go home, and let law enforcement do their jobs. Unfortunately, I don't see him having the temperament to do that. He's more interested in changing the narrative than fixing the problem."
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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