Elon Musk calls Tim Walz ‘traitor’ amid Minnesota fraud investigations

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk did not mince his words describing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as Minnesota faces investigations into multiple alleged fraud schemes plaguing the state’s social services system.

Walz has faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks amid these investigations, while President Donald Trump has labeled Minnesota a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”

“Traitor Tim Walz,” Musk said in a Tuesday post on X. 

Musk’s comments came in response to another post on social media joking about a caller informing personal finance expert Dave Ramsey on his radio program about Walz’s leadership as governor.

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Specifically, the post pointed out that Walz raised taxes and burned through billions in a state surplus, and now is under scrutiny stemming from several key fraud schemes targeting the state’s Medicaid program and other federally funded programs that feed children.

Walz’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

The Trump administration and lawmakers have launched probes into Minnesota’s “Feeding Our Future” $250 million fraud scheme that allegedly targeted a children’s nutrition program the Department of Agriculture funded and that Minnesota oversaw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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At least 77 people have been charged in that scheme, which took advantage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to waive certain Federal Child Nutrition Program requirements.

Likewise, another fraud scheme in the state stems from the Housing Stability Services Program, which offered Medicaid coverage for housing stabilization services in an attempt to help those with disabilities, mental illnesses and substance-use disorders receive housing.

The Justice Department so far has charged less than a dozen people for allegedly defrauding the program that runs through Minnesota’s Medicaid service, but more charges are expected.

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The bulk of those charged are part of Minnesota’s Somali population, prompting Trump to announce in November that he was ending the Temporary Protected Status for Somali migrants in Minnesota that offers protections against deportation. 

Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it was spearheading a major operation to arrest and remove those involved in the fraud. 

“Our investigative agents are conducting a massive operation to identify, arrest, and remove criminals who are defrauding the American people. We will root out this rampant fraud plaguing Minnesota,” the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X.

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Even so, state officials have pushed back against fraud accusations, especially after a video YouTuber Nick Shirley posted Friday went viral, putting the spotlight on alleged fraud involving Minnesota childcare and learning centers. 

In response to the video, a spokesperson for Walz said that the governor had worked for years to “crack down” on fraud, and has “strengthened oversight” of these state programs. 

Likewise, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said Monday during a press conference that previous inspections of the centers did not detect fraud and that regulators are administering more unannounced visits to investigate the situation further.

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“We are aware of a video that’s being circulated that has gained local and national attention about childcare centers in Minnesota,” Brown said. “While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.