Walz & Frey ‘Choose Violence & Destruction’ Over Taxpayers [WATCH]

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sharply criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey during public remarks, accusing both leaders of encouraging violence, undermining law enforcement, and refusing to cooperate with federal authorities as crime and unrest continue in Minneapolis.

“We also recognize that the Minnesota Governor and the Minneapolis Mayor need to take a long, hard look in the mirror,” Noem said.

“They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their conversations and their encouragement of such violence against our citizens and our law enforcement officers.”

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Noem pointed directly to recent statements by Walz, accusing him of mischaracterizing federal officers and putting them at risk.

“I’ll remind you that Governor Walz today in his press conference said that our officers were not even law enforcement, which is a lie,” Noem said.

“He’s called them the Gestapo. He’s encouraged residents and citizens and violent rioters to resist. He’s doxed their identities, putting themselves and their families lives in jeopardy.”

The DHS secretary also accused Walz of obstructing justice by refusing to cooperate with federal law enforcement.

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“He’s refused to turn over murders to federal law enforcement officers,” Noem said.

“He’s protected illegal criminals and protected them from being brought to justice.”

Noem further accused Walz of presiding over widespread misuse of taxpayer funds.

“He’s even overseen a historic, unprecedented theft of American taxpayer dollars,” she said.

“10s of billions of dollars were stolen under his watch, and he allowed it to happen, and in some instances, may have even facilitated it.”

Contrasting Minneapolis with other cities, Noem cited Memphis as an example of what she described as effective cooperation between local and federal officials.

“I’ll point to the city of Memphis, which is where there is a Democrat mayor in place,” Noem said.

“He worked with us in our federal law enforcement officers, and we saw murder rates drop by 50% because of that partnership.”

She said Memphis experienced historic lows in criminal activity despite having the same number of officers.

“We’ve had the same amount of law enforcement officers there, but a very different result because of the leadership in place,” Noem said.

Noem also referenced recent enforcement activity nationwide.

“Last week, ICE did over 2000 different operations, and we saw people be brought to justice, and the American people made safer because of that work,” she said.

According to Noem, states that cooperate with federal authorities avoid the problems now facing Minneapolis.

“We don’t have this problem in Texas or in Florida, because those individuals in those states work with us, and they make sure that they keep peace and calm while they bring criminals to justice,” she said.

She accused Walz and Frey of choosing a different path.

“In Minneapolis, Governor Walz and Mayor Frey, they instead choose violence,” Noem said.

“They instead choose to encourage the destruction of their city and the crime against their people.”

“It appears that they want this lawlessness to continue,” she added.

“It appears that they want chaos to distract from the theft and the fraud and the corruption of their city.”

Noem said she has repeatedly made two requests to Minnesota leaders, both of which she claims have been ignored.

“And there are two things that we have repeatedly asked the governor and the mayor to do,” she said.

“Number one, all we want them to do is that when they are going to release a dangerous criminal from their jails, turn them over to us so we can get them out of this country as soon as possible.”

She said that since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, Minnesota officials have declined to do so.

“Since we have been back in the White House with President Trump’s leadership, they have released over 490 criminals onto their streets, rather than allow us to get them out of the country to keep families safe,” Noem said.

Her second request, she said, was basic law enforcement support.

“The second thing that we have asked the governor and the mayor to do is to help us keep people safe,” Noem said.

“Just give us back up on the streets while we do our targeted operations to get illegal criminals out of our country.”

She said refusal to provide that support has placed federal officers in danger.

“Then we wouldn’t have to be there facing these types of situations that we face with violent rioters who are impacting and attacking our law enforcement officers,” Noem said.

Noem concluded by accusing Minnesota leaders of shifting focus away from corruption.

“They have refused because they want us talking about attacking law enforcement officers instead of the fraud and the theft that they facilitated in Minnesota,” she said.

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