US President Donald Trump on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Tim Walz and Jacob Frey, both Democrats, accusing them of “inciting insurrection” following the fatal shooting of a man by federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The comments marked a further escalation in tensions between the White House and state and city authorities over federal immigration actions.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump alleged that the Minnesota governor and the Minneapolis mayor were actively fuelling unrest through what he described as “pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric.” He claimed that instead of criticising federal enforcement agencies, local leaders should focus on what he alleged was massive financial fraud involving billions of dollars taken from the people of Minnesota and the United States.
Trump questioned why local law enforcement agencies were not deployed to provide security for officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the operation. He suggested that police had been deliberately withdrawn or prevented from assisting federal agents, thereby hindering them from carrying out their duties and forcing ICE officers to protect themselves in a volatile situation.
In the same post, Trump asserted that the man who was killed was armed, claiming that a loaded gun with additional magazines had been recovered. He asked why local police were not present to secure the scene and alleged that city and state leadership had ordered officers to stand down. According to Trump, the absence of police protection directly contributed to the violence.
The president also shared images of a law enforcement officer who, he claimed, had part of a finger bitten off by one of the protesters during the unrest. Using the incident to reinforce his argument, Trump portrayed federal officers as victims of unchecked violence and disorder.
Describing ICE officers as “patriots,” Trump urged the public to allow them to carry out immigration enforcement without interference. He went on to allege widespread fraud in Minnesota, claiming that individuals who had “stolen money from the people of Minnesota and the United States” would soon face imprisonment. Trump said that around 12,000 “illegal alien criminals” had been arrested and removed from the state as part of federal operations.
According to Trump, criticism of federal immigration enforcement was merely an attempt to divert attention from what he characterised as large-scale theft and corruption. He likened the alleged fraud to a massive bank robbery and insisted that those responsible would be prosecuted. He concluded his post by once again accusing state and city leaders of inciting insurrection and ended with a capitalised demand: “LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!”
The remarks followed the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident by federal agents during the enforcement operation, an incident that has drawn intense scrutiny and public anger. The episode came just weeks after the January 7 killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot when an ICE officer fired into her vehicle during a separate federal operation under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Governor Walz strongly condemned the federal actions, calling for an immediate halt to the immigration operations in Minnesota. In a post on X, he described the situation as “sickening” and demanded that the president withdraw what he called thousands of violent and untrained officers from the state without delay.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed that the latest victim was an American citizen and a lawful gun owner who possessed a valid permit to carry a firearm. He also stated that multiple federal officers were involved in the shooting, adding further complexity to the investigation.
The incident has deepened the rift between Minnesota’s state leadership and the Trump administration, as federal immigration enforcement continues to expand in the state. Local officials have intensified their criticism, while the White House has responded with increasingly forceful rhetoric, turning the confrontation into a broader political flashpoint over immigration, law enforcement authority, and public safety.
