The Megyn Kelly Show - Walz Grilled in Minnesota Fraud Hearing, Trump Preps Crucial Texas Senate Endorsement: AM Update 3/5

Episode Date: March 5, 2026

Lawmakers grill Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison over what prosecutors say could be $9 billion in fraud across Minnesota’s welfare programs, with many of the cases tied to schemes involving members of the state’s Somali community. The U.S.–Israel military campaign against Iran intensifies, with American forces striking more than 2,000 targets in the first hundred hours and officials claiming Iran’s navy and air force have been largely destroyed. Texas Democrats coalesce around State Representative James Talarico after Jasmine Crockett concedes the primary, while Republicans brace for a bruising Cornyn–Paxton runoff and a looming Trump endorsement. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem returns to Capitol Hill for a second day of testimony as lawmakers clash over immigration enforcement, DHS spending, and the administration’s tactics in Minnesota.   Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold    Lean: Discover why LEAN is becoming the choice for real weight‑loss results—shop now at https://TAKELEAN.com use code MK. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party and the Megan Kelly wrap-up show on Sirius XM Channel 111. It's Thursday, March 5th, 2026. This is your AM update. Is it racist for a government official to identify fraud? No. Lawmakers grill Minnesota Governor Tim Walls and state attorney general Keith Ellison over allegations of massive fraud in the state's welfare system. Decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective. The U.S. Israel joint operation against Iran continuing with American forces waging a relentless barrage of strikes. A bitter Senate race in Texas brewing, Democrats choose their candidate as the Republicans await a key endorsement from President Trump and Secretary Nome back on the hill for round two of questioning from lawmakers. All that more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

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as lawmakers probe allegations of widespread fraud across Minnesota's taxpayer-funded welfare programs. The Fed so far prosecuting and convicting dozens, mostly members of Minnesota's Somali community, relating to three major schemes, a meals program for needy children called Feeding Our Future, a program for individuals at risk of homelessness, and an autism therapy program. The scale of the alleged fraud, believed to be at least $9 billion in plundered taxpayer dollars, drawing such immense backlash, Governor Walsh in January, suspending his reelection campaign. Congressman Pat Fallon of Texas,

a Republican pressing Governor Wals on data surrounding the Somali communities use of state services in Minnesota. Do you believe the 70,000 strong Somali community as a whole has made a positive impact on your state? I do. And do you have any idea what percentage of the native-born Minnesotans all races live in poverty in your state right now? I don't have specifically. I'll share it with it.

It's 8%. For the Somali community, it's 52%. How about receiving food stamps? I don't have. All right. I'll run it down. with you. It's 7% and then compared to

54% in the Somali community and then one family member at least on Medicaid, it's 18% for Minnesota, 73% for the Somali community. Governor, do you happen to know what the percentages of all those who have currently been charged in this staggering social services fraud scheme

were native-born Minnesotans? What percentage? I do not have that. I think it was 85 at 98, which comes out to 13% Minnesota and 87% Somali, Minnesota. The only way this kind of fraud can reach this scale is if there's people in power that are colluding and collaborating and willfully blinding themselves to the realities around them. Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas, a Republican, pressing Governor Walls on

allegations that the fraud ran undetected due to retaliation against whistleblowers, with officials allegedly wary of backlash from Minnesota's politically active Somali voting bloc. Is it racist for a government official to identify fraud? No. No. Is it Islamophobic? Do identify fraud? To identify fraud?

No, I don't believe it would be. How come multiple whistleblowers have said that your administration told them not to say anything about widespread fraud across multiple agencies because doing so would be considered racist or Islamophobic? I can't speak to it because it's not anything I would say. And then we heard from Representative Kristen Robbins, quote, we have done. dozens of credible whistleblower reports saying the exact same thing that people were told not to say anything because they'd be called racist or Islamophobic or it would hurt the state. Do you think it's racist or Islamophobic to highlight and try to stop fraud? It is not. I certainly wouldn't know. It's not, but that was the message your administration was sending to multiple whistleblowers.

Congresswoman Emily Randall of Washington, a Democrat, tossing Governor Wals a softball, asking why he thinks the Trump administration has become so, quote, obsessed with alleged fraud in Minnesota. The governor speculates. I think it's been pretty clear the president does not like me personally. I think he continues to tell lies about our electoral system, claiming that he's won all three times when he lost all three times. I think he has people around him who were trying to find quotas around immigration, and they saw a perfect storm, if you will, that included some. Somali folks and a whole lot, you know, if we're going to condemn folks, there's no Somali folks

in the Epstein files, things like that, we know. But I don't know. It's an obsession. And I come back to it again. I think it because we are so ideologically opposed to making children go hungry, people go unhoused. We invest in education. We invest in research. And we believe everybody has a place. And so I think it's just personal about how we do business. Meanwhile, while Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana, a Republican, turning his focus to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. So you have the authority to lead your state's effort to respond to this massive fraud at the state level from within the health care realm where government money has been stolen at very, very high levels, unprecedented levels in your state. Are you leading that effort for the state of Minnesota? We are leading the effort to prosecute Medicaid fraud in Minnesota.

I'm not talking about Medicaid fraud. Don't hide behind that. You have the authority to prosecute anything criminally that the governor asks you to. And this thing is big. I'm giving you an opportunity, sir. Are you leading the criminal investigative effort into this massive fraud across the board in the health care spectrum in the state of Minnesota or not? We are following the law.

You are not leading. You're not leading. I'm going to say, Mr. Chairman, that the Attorney General of State of Minnesota should resign. As the U.S. Israel joint operation against Iran enters its fifth day, U.S. military forces releasing a relentless 24-hour barrage against Iranian military assets. In a joint briefing yesterday, Secretary of War Pete Hagseth and chair, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Raisin-Kane, providing an update on the campaign.

Here, Secretary Hagseth. The Iranian Air Force is no more built for 1996, destroyed in 2026. The Iranian Navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated, pick your adjective. In fact, last night, we sunk their prize ship, the Soleimani, looks so. like Potus got him twice. Their Navy, not a factor. Pick your adjective, it is no more. In fact, yesterday in the Indian Ocean, and we'll play it on the screen there, an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,

quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. According to the Secretary, more American forces are in route to the region, even as General Kane reports Iranian air defense capabilities are badly damaged, with a significant decrease in retaliatory strikes. U.S. forces striking more than 2,000 targets in the first 100 hours of the mission. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt yesterday announcing President Trump will attend the dignified transfer service for the six army soldiers killed in Kuwait amid the strikes. The ceremony will take place at Dover Air Force Base. The families of the fallen invited to attend.

The timing of the transfer has not yet been announced. Coming up, a heated Texas Senate showdown intensifies. Democrats lock in James Talariko as their nominee, a Republicans brace for a looming Trump endorsement. And Secretary Nome back on Capitol Hill for round two with lawmakers. Everybody's talking about weight loss injections because the results can be so dramatic. They work by lowering blood sugar and reducing appetite. But what if you're looking to lose weight, but you're not interested in painful weekly injections,

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That's promo code mk at takelein.com. Texas voters now gearing up for a bitter Republican running. off campaign, setting the stage for a bruising fight ahead of November's general election. On the Democrat side, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett officially conceding the race to state representative James Tallerico yesterday morning. Talariko winning the primary with 52% of the vote compared to Crockett's 46. The Congresswoman writing on X, quote, Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win.

I'm committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who issued a last-minute robocall endorsement for Crockett, now throwing her support behind Talariko, calling on Democrats to unite behind the nominee. With Talariko securing his place on the November ballot, Republicans quickly flooding social media with past videos and resurface posts from the Democrat. highlighting his radical progressive ideas. In a May 2020 thread on Axe, Tala Rico writing about Amad Arbery, a 25-year-old black man from Georgia

who was fatally shot while jogging by two white men. Tala Rico writing, quote, Amad Arbery is the latest American killed by the virus of racism. White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus, but we spread it wherever we go, through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don't have to be showing symptoms, like a White Hood or a Confederate flag to be contagious.

Congressman Randon Gill of Texas also posting a clip from a public education committee hearing in which Talariko addressed the issue of biological sex. I want us all to be aware of is that modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes. In fact, there are six, which honestly, Representative Hepner surprised me too. Surprise me too because I'm, you know,

I am not well-versed in this issue area. I'm not a scientist. I'm a politician, a lot worse than a scientist. Talariko now poised to face the winner of the Republican runoff between incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Senator Cornyn emphasizing his voting record, arguing it aligns with President Trump nearly 100% of the time, despite past clashes between the two.

Team Cornyn spending millions on ads, highlighting Paxton's long list of legal battles, and ethical controversies. Paxton, spending far less money on the race, focusing instead on his record suing Democrats, while arguing Texas needs new leadership in Washington after Cornyn's more than two decades in the Senate. President Trump weighing in on truth social yesterday,

writing the race, quote, cannot, for the good of the party and our country itself, be allowed to go on any longer. It must stop now. We have an easy-to-beat radical left opponent, and we must totally focus on putting him away quickly and decisively. Trump adding he plans to issue an endorsement soon and will ask the candidate he does not back to drop out of the race. The Atlantic reporting, Trump is leaning toward Cornyn, as recent Emerson polling

shows Cornyn as the stronger candidate against Talarico. The Republican runoff is scheduled for May 26th, at least for now. DHS Secretary Kristy Knoem back on Capitol Hill yesterday for round two, this time appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, lawmakers breaking largely along partisan lines with their questioning. Ranking member Jamie Raskin of Maryland using his opening statement to sharply criticize the secretary over a number of issues, including two fatal confrontations between federal agents and protesters in Minnesota, a costly DHS ad campaign, prominently featuring Nome, and the department's purchase of private jets. You're treating the billions of dollars our colleagues showered on your department like a personal slush fund you budgeted an astonishing

$220 million for media consultant contracts so you can star in self-promoting photo shoots and lavish ad campaigns you're living rent-free in the official waterfront residence reserved for the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard you spent $172 million to buy not one but two luxury jets for your travel and now you're using taxpayer funds to lease a third jet. Secretary Nome, you're flying high now, maybe even a little bit too close to the sun. But with all these free planes and houses and pilots, you've traveled a long distance from your actual job. With Democrats offering the secretary few opportunities to respond during lengthy monologues, Republicans offering their own time to allow Secretary Nome to defend herself. Here, Congressman Daryl Issa of California.

Is it fair to say that you and your family are at greater risk because of the job you're doing than anyone who's had your job perhaps since 9-11? Yes, sir. I can't speak specific to the threats. And so when the ranking member spends so much time talking about your being in a protective housing, by the way, one that is under your authority and one that the head of the Coast Guard normally would be in, you're simply in the housing that he historically had. Let me clarify a couple of things.

I'm not in the Commodonts house. I'm in a Coast Guard house, but not the Commodonts house. The Commandant is in his house. And I will also tell you that I rent that facility. I rent where I stay and pay personal dollars to do that. Democrats spending much of their time pressing the Secretary on Operation Metro Surge, the large-scale immigration enforcement operation targeting Minnesota's Twin Cities, as well as ICE tactics and oversight of federal agents.

Are agents trained to break the windows of people whose cars they encounter and drag them out forcibly without asking questions? Is that their training? DHS is supposed to be protecting our residents and upholding constitutional protections, but you've turned that on the head. You have actually turned the United States government against its own residents. And I want you to know that Americans will get accountability for the damage that you have done, for the lawlessness of aspects of DHS for killing innocent Americans, for terrorizing children, they will get accountability. Congressman Thomas Massey of Kentucky, a Republican, using his time to question the secretary

about body cameras for federal agents involved in immigration enforcement operations. I want to ask you for an update on body cameras and your opinion on that. That's something that the Democrats have demanded, but it's something that I think might just be common sense. Yes, we certainly are working to get body cameras on all of our officers. CBP has had them on many of their agents that interact with people for the last several years, but they haven't been many times supported financially for running the systems that run the body cameras. Also, ICE has body cameras deployed, but we're not funded for body cameras right now.

So that's one thing I'd like to ask you all to do. I have said that we will deploy every body camera that we have, but clearly we need tens of thousands more. And I agree with you. Our officers overwhelmingly, they support body cameras because they give you the full context, context of the interaction. Representative Massey, joining me on After Party last night. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Dershinsky, host of After Party. Catch the Megan Kelly show live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel 11 at noon east on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and on all podcast platforms.