One day after Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz announced he will not seek reelection amid fraud allegations, President Donald Trump on Tuesday set his sights on California and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that California, led by Newsom, is "more corrupt than Minnesota," adding that a "Fraud Investigation of California has begun."
Trump's message followed days of intensifying scrutiny on alleged abuse of public programs in Minnesota, and his broader argument that Democrat-led states have grown comfortable with waste, fraud, and political favoritism.
"California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that's possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun," Trump wrote.
Trump's comments came as Walz, a Democrat who was his party's 2024 vice presidential nominee, abruptly ended his reelection bid.
Walz blamed the political environment and negative attention surrounding Minnesota's child care fraud investigation, saying he could not campaign and govern at the same time.
Walz framed the controversy as partisan attacks, claiming Trump and allies want to make Minnesota "a colder, meaner place."
But Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill have argued that the fraud concerns are real and reflect deeper governance failures.
In a separate Truth Social post reacting to Walz's exit, Trump accused the governor of being "caught, redhanded" in a massive scheme involving "tens of billions of taxpayer dollars," and claimed Walz was not alone.
Trump said Newsom and other blue-state governors have performed "an even more dishonest and incompetent job," insisting, "No one is above the law!"
Trump's latest focus on California also taps into long-running conservative criticism that Newsom presides over a system with weak oversight, ballooning costs, and entrenched corruption while Sacramento demands more money from working Americans.
Those claims received fresh ammunition in a recent assessment from California's nonpartisan state auditor, which placed Newsom's administration and several major agencies under heightened "high-risk" scrutiny.
The auditor warned that persistent failures across benefit programs, unemployment systems, financial reporting, cybersecurity, and water infrastructure could expose the state to billions of dollars in additional costs and serious public safety risks.
Among the most striking findings:
- California's CalFresh program was flagged due to a nearly 11% payment error rate, with the auditor warning the state could face as much as $2.5 billion in added exposure by 2028 if the problems persist.
- The auditor cited improper unemployment payments totaling roughly $1.5 billion across 2023 and 2024 — years after pandemic-era fraud rocked the system and raised national alarm.
- The report pointed to sloppy financial reporting that undermines transparency, cybersecurity gaps across agencies, and dam infrastructure concerns that could threaten lives and property if failures occur.
- Whistleblower investigations described wasteful spending, including millions paid for unused state-issued mobile devices.
Trump has argued that this one-party Democrat rule produces big government with little accountability.
In recent remarks aboard Air Force One, Trump has vowed to push tougher oversight, restore law-and-order standards in federal agencies, and ensure taxpayers aren't treated like an endless ATM for mismanaged states.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.