Trump Declares ‘Fraud’ Probe of California: ‘More Corrupt Than Minnesota’

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File

President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that a “fraud investigation of California has begun” and accused the state of being “more corrupt than Minnesota” without offering evidence or naming investigators.

Taking to Truth Social, the president wrote:

California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Trump did not specify which agency was leading the probe or what departments were under scrutiny. The message, however, revived Trump’s long-running feud with California Governor Gavin Newsom and appeared designed to tether the state to a separate federal crackdown unfolding in Minnesota.

Federal authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, stepped up investigations into alleged fraud schemes tied to government-funded programs in Minnesota after a viral video from YouTuber Nick Shirley focusing on daycare centers in Minneapolis was shared widely in MAGA circles.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz pushed back, arguing his administration had worked for years to crack down on fraudsters.

After increasing political pressure, Walz announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election in 2026, accusing Republicans of exploiting the investigations.