The Daily Signal - Sen. Kelly Yells about Turtles, Special Election in Tennessee, Tim Walz Ignored Fraud | Dec. 2, 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Minnesota Governor Tim Walts is in hot water over allegations he purposely ignored over a billion dollars in fraud by Somali immigrants. Democrat Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona responds to accusations of encouraging sedition by saying President Trump is trying to kill him. And a special election for Congress in Tennessee includes a candidate who says she hates Tennesseans. I'm Tony Kinnett, host of the Daily Signals Tony Kinnett cast, syndicated nationally at 7 p.m. Eastern. It is Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025. This is the Daily Signals. Top News in 10. Democrat Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, is in serious hot water after a New York Times report says,

Starting point is 00:00:46 quote, how fraud swamped Minnesota's social services system on Tim Walts's watch. The article details several of the fraud investigations, leading to the arrest of over 70, Somalian migrants who had been laundering and downright stealing money from several Minnesota charities. The issue for Minnesota Governor Tim Walls comes from a social media account called the Minnesota Staff Fraud Reporting Commentary, a group of 400 individuals claiming to be members of the Minnesota state government who have posted tweet after tweet after tweet of allegations and evidence for years on this particular fraud of which individuals were just. charged a couple of months ago.

Starting point is 00:01:31 Here was Tim Walls initially sitting down with state media back in October, saying that this wasn't the end of state fraud investigations. You think the worst of the state government fraud cases have been uncovered, or do you have reason to believe there is more to come? Oh, I think there's more. And look, we've got organized crime ring in Minnesota. I think it's been going on for years. From feeding our future to autism programs to housing stabilization, Minnesota

Starting point is 00:01:58 taxpayers are victims of more than a billion dollars of fraud. Do you think there was not enough skepticism for too long in state agencies that were overseeing these programs? I think it's an unfortunate situation, but yeah, I think you need to be more skeptical now in this world. I think the COVID pandemic and the releasing of some of the rules, the relaxing of the rules, fostered this. On feeding our future, some of it in retrospect seems so obvious.

Starting point is 00:02:25 Thousands of children supposedly being fed at these sites. that were, it just physically wasn't even possible. Was that a big miss by members of your administration who were supposed to be overseen? I think in retrospect now, if you have the resources, and I think we do have more of those now, yes, it makes sense to just go out there and see if someone's doing this. Go out there and knock on the door. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Service employees account, quote, Tim Walls is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota.

Starting point is 00:02:55 We let Tim Walls know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership. in stopping fraud, but no, we got the opposite response. Tim Walls systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports. Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation by Walls, certain DFL members, and an indifferent mainstream media. It's scary, isolating, and left us wondering who we can turn to. In addition to retaliating against the whistleblowers, Tim Walls disempowered the office of the legislative auditor,

Starting point is 00:03:27 allowing agencies to disregard the legislature's audit findings and guidance. Media and politicians supporting Tim Walls or the DFL agenda attacked whistleblowers who were trying to raise red flags on fraudulent activities. Several of the posts go on to illustrate just how far back this organization was attempting to get a hold of public officials to alert them of the over $1 billion in fraud committed by members of the Somali Diaspora. This tweet in particular from September 11th, 2024, under a tweet by Kamala Harris, quote, Ms. Harris, please listen to Minnesota state employees who work every day to deliver

Starting point is 00:04:09 best services possible to our state and people who expect no less and pay our wages. Tim Walz has caused incredible harm to our state in agencies and retaliated against whistleblowers against fraud. They then included a spreadsheet showing over $500 million in estimated fraud, agencies that were suspected of being involved with this fraud, the source of the estimated fraud, the scandal of the organization in question, and then notes on how they received this information. Feeding our future, the Child Care Assistance Program, Frontline Worker Bonus Pay, and Evergreen Recovery Incorporated, as well as several Medicaid listings, are among those

Starting point is 00:04:47 that would later be charged over a year later, and over 70 Somalis being arrested for. for this large level of fraud. When Governor Tim Walls was asked on Meet the Press about this, here was his response. Well, certainly I take responsibility for putting people in jail. Governors don't get to just talk theoretically. We have to solve problems.

Starting point is 00:05:08 And I will note, it's not just Somalis. Minnesota is a generous state. Minnesota's a prosperous state, where AAA bond rated, but that attracts criminals. There's a reason Minnesota ranks as the top, lowest childhood poverty, best place for children to live. People are taking advantage that they're going to prison. That is totally disconnected with demonizing an entire group of people who came here fleeing civil war

Starting point is 00:05:31 and created a vibrant community that makes Minnesota and this country better. But that's Donald Trump. Deflect, demonize, come up with no solutions. He's not going to help fix anything on fraud. My God, there's a big difference between fraud and corruption. And corruption is something he knows about. Despite changing his tune several times on what constitutes an illegal order and or who should follow them, Senator Mark Kelly then lost it over two things in particular.

Starting point is 00:05:57 First, in a press conference yesterday, he tried to suggest that the president of the United States is trying to kill him. Check it out. President Trump is trying to silence me, threatening to kill me for saying what is true. And he sent his Secretary of Defense after me. And it's not going to work. He also expressed extreme distress over the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posting a fake book cover of the child's cartoon Franklin firing an RPG at narco-terrorist boats. This particularly upset the senator. Check it out. He's putting out on the internet turtles with rocket propelled grenades kill it.

Starting point is 00:06:45 I mean, have you seen this? This is the Secretary of Defense. This is not a serious person. He should have been fired after Signalgate. And finally, today marks the day of a special election for the congressional seat for Tennessee's 7th. The election pits Republican Matt Van Epps against Democrat Afton Bain. Afton Bain is the subject of quite a bit of scrutiny for suggesting that she despised people of Nashville, the district right next to where she's running for Congress, as well as Tennesseans in general. Check it out. I hate the city.

Starting point is 00:07:19 I hate the bachelorette. I hate the pedal taverns. I hate country music. I hate all of the things that make Nashville, apparently, and it's city to the rest of the country, but I hate it. And in rather bizarre clips says, quote, that her therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams, and the recurring dream I have had is standing up for a cafeteria full of women

Starting point is 00:07:39 and saying, I don't want children, I want power, end quote. My therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams when they happen. and the recurring dream I've had is standing up in a cafeteria full of women, I don't know why I was there or whatever, and saying I don't want children, I want power

Starting point is 00:08:00 and just screaming it at the top of my lungs. Now, CNN did ask her on November 30th if she regretted saying that she hated Nashville. Here was her response. I know you said those comments were taken out of context, but I want you to ask you

Starting point is 00:08:16 about it because I'm wondering, do you think it was a mistake to say that. Once again, I was a private citizen. Natural is my home. Do I roll my eyes at the Bachelorette parties and the pedal taverns that are blocking my access to my house? Yeah, every Nashvilleian does.

Starting point is 00:08:32 But this race has always been something about something bigger. It's about families across Middle Tennessee that are getting crushed by rising prices while Washington politicians and billionaires argue about this type of nonsense. The other candidate in this election is Republican Matt Van Ep.

Starting point is 00:08:48 Here's the Republican candidate suggesting on media what the stakes are in this particular election. I'm asking all Republicans in anyone who doesn't want a radical socialist in office to vote for us on December 2nd. And the distinction here could not be more clear. I'm a Christian, a husband, a father, an America first conservative, and a combat veteran. I was an Army helicopter pilot, worked in small business here in Nashville, served in Tennessee State Government, and still serving in the Tennessee Army National Guard. President Trump has fully endorsed Matt Van Epps calling into a rally with him alongside Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, endorsing him and also suggesting why the president doesn't want Democrat Bain to win the election. There are two things above all else that bothered me. Number one, she hates Christianity. Number two, she hates country music. How to hell can you elect a person like that? I just want to give my total support, and he's had it right from the beginning to Matt Bannaps.

Starting point is 00:09:52 He's going to be a fantastic congressman. He's going to represent you so well, and we'll keep our agenda going. As a reminder, Tennessee's poll closing times vary from county to county. You should go, if you do live in the state of Tennessee, to your local election board's website or social media, to find out whether your particular polling place closes. at 8 p.m. Eastern or at 7 p.m. Eastern or at 9 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Central time. Again, that varies by county. You should check that out. As well as checking out the Tony Kinnett cast this evening for updates on this particular special election

Starting point is 00:10:30 and around up of the day's news and nonsense. You can find a link for that in the description down below. I'm Tony Kinnett, and this has been the Daily Signals Top News in 10. Take care. Thank you. Thank you.

The Daily Signal - Sen. Kelly Yells about Turtles, Special Election in Tennessee, Tim Walz Ignored Fraud | Dec. 2, 2025

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