Karoline Leavitt criticizes Tim Walz after second fatal Minneapolis shooting, says he 'wants chaos'

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt launched a blistering attack on Minnesota Gov Tim Walz on Sunday, January 25, blaming his leadership for what she described as escalating violence and disorder following a second fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis.

In a lengthy post on X, Leavitt accused Walz of undermining law enforcement, obstructing federal immigration operations and spreading what she called “malicious lies” that placed federal officers in danger.

“Tim Walz does NOT believe in law and order,” Leavitt wrote. “No amount of propaganda from his allies in the liberal media will convince the American people otherwise.”

Clash follows Tim Walz's call to remove federal agents

Leavitt’s remarks came in direct response to a post from Walz earlier in the day, in which the Democratic governor demanded the Trump administration pull thousands of federal agents out of Minnesota.

“Minnesota believes in law and order. We believe in peace,” Walz wrote. “Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street.”

That statement followed the second fatal shooting of a US citizen in Minneapolis in less than a month, intensifying political tensions over the federal immigration enforcement operation underway in the state.

In her response, Leavitt accused Walz of actively preventing local and state law enforcement from cooperating with ICE, arguing that the governor’s policies had made Minnesota less safe.

“Walz refuses to allow local and state law enforcement to cooperate with ICE in arresting and removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota communities,” she wrote.

Leavitt also claimed that since President Donald Trump had returned to office, Walz had released nearly 500 criminal illegal migrants back onto Minnesota’s streets rather than transferring them to federal custody.

Karoline Leavitt slams 'mismanagement'

Leavitt tied the unrest in Minneapolis to broader accusations of mismanagement under Walz, pointing to massive fraud cases plaguing the state recently.

“Under the incompetent leadership of Tim Walz, Minnesota oversaw massive fraud schemes that resulted in tens of billions of dollars in stolen American taxpayer funds,” she said, without citing specific cases.

She also accused Walz of endangering federal officers through his rhetoric, saying his public statements had encouraged hostility toward agents on the ground.

“Walz has spread malicious lies about federal law enforcement officers, placing targets on the backs of the men and women who risk their lives every day,” Leavitt wrote.

Leavitt further alleged that Walz had emboldened activists to interfere with federal operations, claiming he had encouraged left-wing protesters to monitor and record ICE and Border Patrol agents during enforcement actions.

“Walz wants chaos,” she said, arguing that such behavior led to officers being doxxed, targeted, and placed in dangerous situations.

She also invoked the 2020 unrest in Minneapolis, blaming Walz for failing to stop riots following the killing of George Floyd.

“Don’t forget, this is the same Tim Walz who allowed rioters to burn Minneapolis in the summer of 2020,” Leavitt wrote.

Trump administration doubles down

Leavitt closed her statement by reaffirming the Trump administration’s commitment to aggressive immigration enforcement, framing it as a central mandate from voters.

“President Trump will never back down on his core promise to deport violent illegal criminals from American communities,” she wrote, noting that nearly 80 million Americans voted for that agenda.

She urged Walz to reverse course and work with federal authorities rather than oppose them, pointing to Republican-led states as examples.

“Just look at states like Florida and Texas,” Leavitt said. “When there is cooperation among law enforcement, there is peace and safety.”