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10 Times Democrats, Corporate Media Leaped to Defend Somalis Despite Massive Fraud Scandals

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Democrats and the corporate media rushed to defend Somalis throughout the end of 2025 as reports emerged that they committed widespread fraud in Minnesota.

Federal prosecutors charged dozens of Somalis with stealing over $9 billion of taxpayer money intended for social services, including the nonprofit Feeding Our Future.

As more details have emerged about their fraudulent actions, Democrats accused President Donald Trump and conservatives of using Somalis as scapegoats and expressed their support for the population.

Tim Walz Pivots to Attacking White Peoples’ Crimes 

In response to a question about whether Somalis should be held accountable, Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has faced scrutiny for his handling of the fraud, immediately pivoted to saying that white men have committed several crimes.

“Look, it’s not law-abiding citizens. If that were the case, there’s a lot of white men should be holding a lot of white men accountable for the crimes that they have committed,” Walz said during a Dec. 12 press conference.

“I think for the community to maybe educate their population, because I think what you’re seeing here is there’s secondary victims in this, that there’s providers inside the community that are then victimizing the community themselves by signing them up, because when we’re going to some of these people, they’re like, I had no idea I was in this program. So I think it’s asking us then, you know, for every crime, which of course the majority being committed by white men, asking us to do more about that. I think it’s crime in general.”

Walz faced scrutiny from state officials who accused him of “willfully” disregarding “rules and laws to keep fraud reports quiet.” The governor accused President Donald Trump of engaging in a “PR stunt” and of “indiscriminately targeting immigrants” as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ramped up operations in Minnesota to detain Somali nationals.

Minnesota State Senators Tear Up as They Expresses Support for Somalis

Democrat state Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart tearfully apologized to Somalis and extended her support for them during an event at a Somali mosque on Dec. 12.

“We are heartbroken by the horrible actions of our government, and we want you to know that at the state level, we will do all that we can to support you. Whether you live in our district or not, we are here,” Stewart said through tears. “We are 100% committed to helping you. You are welcome here, you belong here and we are here for you. I apologize, I have to leave for another commitment.”

Democrat state Sen. Steve Cwodzinski then praised diversity and stated that America is a nation of immigrants.

“That’s what America is all about. We’re not a nation of ‘we’re all the same.’ We’re a nation of immigrants. We’re a nation of diversity. That’s our strength, not our weakness,” Cwodzinski said. “I really don’t know what to say.”

Their statements came after Trump referred to Somalia as a “garbage” country during a Dec. 8 Cabinet meeting. He also said that many Somalis, such as Democrat Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, had no appreciation for the U.S. despite giving them everything.

In response to the fraud, the administration has also cracked down on detaining and deporting Somalis in the U.S. illegally. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday that Trump supports denaturalizing any Somali convicted of the crimes.

Ilhan Omar Claims Trump Is Only Angry About Somali Fraud Because He’s Racist 

Democrat Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar said Trump does not want Somalis in the U.S. because he is “bigoted” and “Islamophobic.”

“The president has always had very bigoted, xenophobic, Islamophobic comments when it comes to, you know, people who are of Muslim faith or people who are black. We’ve seen him call African nations as ‘shitholes.’ So it’s not really surprising,” Omar said. “But what is weird to me is just how creepy he’s been obsessed with me and the Somali community.”

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar condemned President Trump’s recent comments about Somalis and said his focus on her is “creepy.” pic.twitter.com/mXLC0N1hve

— New York Post (@nypost) December 4, 2025

Omar, a Somali immigrant, has defended Somalis by saying they think of themselves as Americans and pay taxes. She has urged people not to blame the Somali community for the actions of a few.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent alleged on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that individuals charged with stealing from Minnesota’s “Feeding Our Future” donated to Omar’s campaign. Omar denied any wrongdoing.

Democrat Minneapolis Mayor Says Somalis Are ‘Welcome’ In His Community 

After Trump condemned the fraud and cracked down on Somalis, Democrat Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey affirmed his support for Somalis, saying they are part of the city’s “family.”

“Minneapolis is proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the country. They are our neighbors, our friends, and our family — and they are welcome in our city. Nothing Donald Trump does will ever change that,” Frey said.

Minneapolis is proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the country. They are our neighbors, our friends, and our family — and they are welcome in our city. Nothing Donald Trump does will ever change that. pic.twitter.com/3DmvQ4jRov

— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) December 2, 2025

Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Wears Hijab on Television 

Minnesota Democrat Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan appeared on the TV station, Somali TV of Minnesota, on Dec. 26 wearing a hijab, stating that Somalis are “part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota.”

“My name is Peggy Flanagan. I’m the lieutenant governor of Minnesota and I’m really honored and humbled to be here with you all today. I am incredibly clear that the Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota,” Flanagan said.

Boston’s Mayor Claims Somalis Are Responsible For City’s ‘Every Achievement’ 

Democrat Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stated that “hate has no place in our society” without expressing any criticism for the crimes committed by the Somali population.

“You cannot talk about any achievement that the city of Boston has had in safety, jobs, and economic development, in education, without talking about the Somali community that has lifted our city up. We are proud and we are grateful for our Somali community and for our Somali American neighbors. Boston and the country are clear that hate has no place in our society,” Wu said.

“We will use every attack to actually strengthen and expand the services available, to empower and work alongside our community members who are already doing so much good in the world and setting the example for the rest of the country,” she continued.

MS NOW Analyst Laments How Somalis Are Allegedly Being ‘Scapegoated’ 

MS Now political analyst Mara Gay said on “Morning Joe” that Somalis were victims of the so-called far-right’s anti-immigrant narrative. She also downplayed the significance of the fraud by saying that these types of actions are “not unique to politics.”

“Let’s recall too that there’s also other scandals in other states,” Gay said. “For example, the Mississippi welfare scandal. This is not unique to politics. Americans know that. But of course, the other factor here is that because it looks like the Somali population in Minnesota, the Somali immigrant population may have been involved in some way, those people are being scapegoated.”

“And that community is being scapegoated in a way that certainly serves the far right. And so, that’s also something to keep an eye on. And that’s inappropriate, absolutely,” Gay added.

More reports of fraudulent crimes committed by Somalis have continued to emerge. While a majority of those stealing from social programs are Somali, YouTube Nick Shirley released a documentary on Dec. 26 which indicated that Somali daycare centers that receive taxpayer money are not actually providing any services.

CNN’s Abby Phillip Claims Somalis Are ‘Under Attack’ 

CNN anchor Abby Phillip criticized Shirley for exposing the daycare centers for their alleged fraud, saying that the population is “under attack” and receiving threats.

“But, you know, honestly, you knock on the door of a daycare center, and you’re like, let me in, let me in. What do you expect people to do? You know, in some of those cases, there were children in there. What do you want people to do in that situation? Open the door and say, come on in. When they know that the Somali community is under attack, is being threatened every single day, what is going on here?”

Politico Reporter Makes Thinly Veiled Threat to Nick Shirley 

Politico senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein claimed in a Monday X post that citizen journalists like Shirley could be shot under “stand your ground” laws.

“At some point, the amateur effort to knock on doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand-your-ground laws,” Gerstein said.

At some point, the amateur effort to knock on doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand-your-ground laws

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) December 30, 2025

Minnesota is not a “stand your ground” state, but instead imposed a “duty to retreat” before using force, according to the United States Concealed Carry Association.

CNN Publishes Article About Somali Community’s ‘Anxiety’ 

CNN published an article on Dec. 4 titled, “Anxiety grips Somali community in Minneapolis as ICE agents zero in on the Twin Cities,” which claimed that Somalis in Minnesota were living in fear because of Trump’s crackdown.

“A young man working at a bakery at the Karmel Mall south of downtown Minneapolis said the shopping center on Tuesday night was dead compared to usual. The man, who only gave his first name, Fawzi, said he is nervous even though he was born in Minneapolis, CNN wrote.

The article detailed how Somali shops in the area were deserted and how many were carrying IDs and papers in case they were confronted by immigration officials. It also quoted local Somalis condemning Trump’s statement about them.

The outlet wrote a separate piece on Dec. 7, which said that Somalis were embraced by Minnesota after being “scorned” by Trump.

Originally published by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

AUTHOR

Nicole Silverio

Nicole Silverio is a contributor to The Daily Caller News Foundation. Nicole on X: .

RELATED POSTS:

Independent Journalists First Reported Minnesota’s Somali Fraud Scandal in 2018

Walz, Omar, and the Billion-Dollar Minnesota Fraud Scandal

Minnesota Fraud Controversy Shakes Capitol Hill

5 Ways Trump Put Pressure on ‘Rampant Fraud’ in Minnesota This Week

RELATED VIDEO: BREAKING: Trump Freezes ALL Childcare Funding, Marxism in NYC, Iran Burning, Somali Death Threats

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Signal column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

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Dems Think Swearing Like Drunken Sailors Will Help Make Americans Like Them

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Democratic members of Congress have upped their use of profanity in an effort to be more relatable to Americans, Politico reported Sunday.

The upsurge in swearing comes as Democrats face criticism for their conduct during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, when they remained seated and rarely applauded during Trump’s address, even when Secret Service Director Sean Curran presented Devarjaye “D.J.” Daniel, who is battling brain cancer, with credentials during the speech. One Democratic strategist told Politico that some of the increased use of profanity by Democrats was an affect, rather than being “authentic.”

“If the first time you’ve used a cuss word in public is reading off a script, it’s probably not authentic and not something you should do,” Democratic advisor Lis Smith, who reportedly was responsible for an “R” rating for a documentary about former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign due to her facility for salty language, said after over 20 Senate Democrats read the same script on a video posted to social media that included the word “shit.”

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas unleashed two notable instances noted by Politico. On Feb. 25, she told White House senior advisor Elon Musk to “fuck off” during a media interview, before saying someone should “slap” her to “wake me the fuck up” when talking with a reporter after she walked out of Tuesday’s speech by Trump.

Crockett also posted a contrived dance video to social media before Trump’s address.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, known for cussing at times, questioned where the profanity came from when asked for comment by Politico. “Goddamn it, tell me who started that?” Fetterman asked Politico.

Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, an ex-Marine, pointed to his military service as a reason for his colorful language. according to Politico.

Democrats have appeared to struggle with messaging since Trump defeated then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5, 2024, presidential election.

Democrats have also made widely-panned outreach on social media. Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Lauren Underwood of Illinois, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, Judy Chu of California, Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Susie Lee of Nevada took part in an 18-second video similar to the character selection screens of the arcade and console franchise that influencer Sulhee Jessica Woo posted on Instagram Wednesday evening.

A Quinnipiac University poll found only 21% of respondents approved of congressional Democrats, compared to a 40% approval rating for Republicans in Congress.

AUTHOR

Harold Hutchison

Contributor.

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RELATED VIDEO: Far-Left Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas Says Trump Is ‘Enemy To The United States’

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

The Media’s Latest ‘Book Ban’ Story Appears To Be Completely Unfounded

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Numerous major media outlets quickly seized on a story claiming that a Florida school had “banned” a poem, but according to a message sent to school parents and obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, the book is accessible to “all students.”

The Associated Press, USA Today, NPR, Politico, The New York Times, CNN and the Guardian ran headlines claiming a school within Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) had “banned,” “block[ed]” and “restrict[ed] access” to “The Hill We Climb,” a poem read at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, after a parent complained it contained “hate messages.” However, it appears elementary school students can still access the book; MDCPS sent a letter Wednesday, obtained by the DCNF, that informed parents that though the poem had been moved from the elementary school section to the middle school section, the poem is still accessible to “all” students.

“Recently, there has been media coverage regarding one of the books in our collection entitled The Hill We Climb,” the message read. “This text was reviewed and placed in the middle grades area of our school media center. As an additional point of information, The Hill We Climb is classified as Young Adult in Titlewave by Follet and categorized as Middle Grades in Accelerated Reader. However, to be clear, even though The Hill We Climb is located in the middle grades area of our media center, it remains accessible to all students.”

Prior to the Wednesday statement, the school district clarified in a tweet Tuesday that the book had not been “banned” or “removed” from any schools.

Moreover, Ana Rhodes, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, told The Washington Post that elementary school students must request the book from a media specialist and prove they read at a middle school level, but can otherwise access the text.

The origin of the news story appears to be a Miami Herald report, based on documents obtained by the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which said that elementary school students’ access to the poem was restricted.

Nowhere in the documents does it say that the poem was ever banned. Instead, the documents merely say that the poem was deemed “educational” and its vocabulary was “of value” for middle school students, and would be placed under the older age group’s section of the library. There does not appear to be any evidence for the assertion that the poem was ever banned.

Politico included the school district’s original tweet and issued a correction clarifying that the poem was not “outright banned.” USA Today wrote that the poem was now only available to middle school students, but included the school district’s original tweet.

The AP, which described the poem as “banned,” wrote that the poem had been placed on a “restricted list” and that the school district said the poem is available to middle school students.

The Guardian’s headline states that the poem was “ban[ned]” and that it “was removed for reading by elementary school children.”

The book was deemed more age-appropriate for older students after a parent of a student at Bob Graham Education Center, a K-8 school within the district, challenged the poem stating it was “not educational and have (sic) indirectly hate messages,” and would “cause confusion and indoctrinate students,” according to documents released by the the Florida Freedom to Read Project.

The parent challenged four additional books and poems, though the school district’s materials-review panel decided to not completely remove the material, a Florida Freedom to Read Project report stated.

“So they ban my book from young readers, confuse me with Oprah, fail to specify what parts of my poetry they object to, refuse to read any reviews, and offer no alternatives … Unnecessary book bans like these are on the rise, and we must fight back,” Amanda Gorman, the author of the poem, said in a tweet.

The Associated Press, USA Today, NPR, Politico, The New York Times and CNN did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments a Miami-Dade County Public Schools spokesperson made to The Washington Post.

AUTHOR

REAGAN REESE

Contributor.

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All Praises due Sens. Kirk and Menendez on Nuclear Weapons Free Iran Act

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Yesterday, as I entered a December monthly luncheon meeting of the Tiger Bay Club in Pensacola I was taken aside by a fellow member who told me how much he valued the work of Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) on the latest Iran sanctions effort.  We were there to hear David Wasserman of the Cook Report and assistant editor of the National Journalgive a presentation on the 2014 electoral map for the crucial midterm elections for President Obama. He is seemingly in trouble over the debacle of his keystone domestic program, the Affordable Care Act.  We have great respect for Sen. Kirk given our September 2008 NER interview with him when he was a Member of the US House of Representatives from a suburban Chicago  Congressional District, involved with the bi-partisan effort working on early Iran nuclear sanctions legislation.

My Tiger Bay colleague was referring to new bipartisan sanctions legislation, the Nuclear Weapons Free Iran Act co-sponsored by Sen. Kirk, a ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  Prominent among the 26  co-sponsors of the new sanctions legislation were Sens. Casey (D-PA), Graham (R-SC), McCain (R-AZ), Rubio (R-FL), Schumer (D-NY), Warner (D-VA). Clearly, these Senators are skeptical that an ultimate agreement can be achieved with the Islamic Regime in Tehran based on the P5+1 interim agreement and Joint Plan of Action (JPA). This despite President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry’s lobbying effort aimed at providing a hiatus to resolve issues with Iran. They are not the only ones; French Foreign Minister Fabius also renewed his dour prediction that a final agreement to prevent nuclear breakout and a weapons delivery capability may not be possible.  The US Senators and French Foreign Minister Fabius can point to a Press TV news release with comments by Ali Akbar Salehi, Iranian head of their Atomic Energy Organization.  Salehi said “the country’s nuclear facilities, including Arak heavy water reactor, will continue running, dismissing Western governments’ call on Tehran to suspend activities at the facility”.

Kirk’s and Menendez’s statements introducing the new legislation reflected a deepening skepticism on Capitol Hill and in polls across America and in Israel that Iran will honor any agreements.  This is based on its track record of deception, relentless pursuit of nuclear hegemony in the Middle East and its global reach of terrorism against the West.  They commented:

“The American people rightfully distrust Iran’s true intentions and they deserve an insurance policy to defend against Iranian deception during negotiations,” Sen. Kirk said. “This is a responsible, bipartisan bill to protect the American people from Iranian deception and I urge the Majority Leader to give the American people an up or down vote.”

“Current sanctions brought Iran to the negotiating table and a credible threat of future sanctions will require Iran to cooperate and act in good faith at the negotiating table,” said Sen. Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “The Iranians last week blamed the Administration for enforcing sanctions; now, they criticize Congress. The burden rests with Iran to negotiate in good faith and verifiably terminate its nuclear weapons program. Prospective sanctions will influence Iran’s calculus and accelerate that process toward achieving a meaningful diplomatic resolution.”

Jennifer Rubin in a Washington Post column, Friday, “Congress is trying to stop a war, not start one”, outlined what the new bi-partisan sanctions legislation contains:

. . . to enact sanctions if Iran cheats during the interim agreement or fails to reach a final deal and to reaffirm the parameters of a final deal (terms embodied in United Nations resolutions and articulated by three presidents, including this one).

Those parameters include “dismantl[ing] Iran’s illicit nuclear infrastructure, including enrichment and reprocessing capabilities and facilities, the heavy water reactor and production plant at Arak, and any nuclear weapon components and technology, so that Iran is precluded from a nuclear breakout capability and prevented from pursuing both uranium and plutonium pathways to a nuclear weapon.” In addition, Iran must come into compliance with all U.N. resolutions and allow round-the-clock inspections.

The bill includes broad waiver authority for the Administration. (This had been a concern for some Democrats.)

At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, President Obama’s Press Spokesman Jay Carney fired back, “We don’t think this action is necessary. We don’t think it will be enacted. If it were [passed] the president would veto it.”

President Obama in his year end press conference, prior to his departure for a vacation with family in Hawaii, responded to questions about the new Senate sanctions initiative, saying:

What I’ve said to members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, is there is no need for new sanctions legislation, not yet.

Now, if Iran comes back and says, we can’t give you assurances that we’re not going to weaponize, if they’re not willing to address some of their capabilities that we know could end up resulting in them having breakout capacity, it’s not going to be hard for us to turn the dials back, strengthen sanctions even further. I’ll work with members of Congress to put even more pressure on Iran. But there’s no reason to do it right now.

Referring to a recent Administration action black-listing 12 Iranian companies following the P5+1 interim agreement, Jonathan Schanzer of the Washington, DC –based Foundation for Defense of Democracies commented in a Politico column, “The White House Can’t Have it Both Ways on Iran”:

Actively punishing Iran for its mendacity while trying to selectively reduce other sanctions (in this case, automotive, petrochemicals and precious metals) for the sake of diplomacy projects two competing messages. It should come as no surprise that this dual approach has inspired the confidence of neither Iran nor Congress. Indeed, the only actors out there who are heartened by Washington’s conflicted policies are the companies eyeing investments in Iran. They see confusion, and therefore ambiguity. And that’s a whole lot better than the investment environment of just a few months ago, when Iran appeared to be completely off limits.

Watch this Wall Street Journal video interview with Schanzer of FDD by Mary Kissel discussing “Totaling up Iran’s Sweet Sanction Deal”:

In our recent post on the efficacy of sanctions we concluded:

…military force coupled with improved sanctions may be the only option that brings the Islamofanatics in Tehran to heel.  Israel demonstrated that in both Iraq (Operation Opera 1981) and Syria (Operation Orchard 2007). Despite initial criticism, the US subsequently showed begrudging respect. That is not lost on the worried Saudis and the Gulf Emirates, critical of US policies in the roiling Middle East.

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared on The New English Review.