Scott Bessent calls Tim Walz a ‘coward’ for withdrawing police protection in Minnesota

WASHINGTON, DC: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz a “coward” for allegedly refusing him police protection at the state capitol.

The conflict comes as the governor’s office faces a massive $9 billion fraud scandal involving missing taxpayer money.

Scott Bessent slams Tim Walz over withdrawn state police protection

The Treasury Secretary spoke out during a weekend interview with Christopher Rufo from TheBlaze. The interview was originally supposed to take place at the State Capitol in St Paul, but the plans fell through.

When asked why the location changed, Bessent blamed the governor directly. He pointed his finger and stated, “For one reason, Chris: Tim Walz is a coward! Is. A. Coward.”

Bessent claimed that Walz refused to ensure his safety during the visit. “Walz would not guarantee that the Treasury Secretary of the United States of America would have police protection in the Minnesota State Capitol. He is afraid of what is coming,” Bessent said.

Scott Bessent targets fraud scandal while Tim Walz vows to stay

Bessent said he would "love" to have Walz come to his office in Washington, DC, to explain the $9 billion fraud scandal that has hit Minnesota.

“He’s not gonna be able to hide behind his curtain, because we will get there,” Bessent remarked, adding, “And I don’t have to go into the Capitol Building to investigate him.”

Last week, Tim Walz announced he would not run for re-election. He told reporters on January 6, “I’m not going anywhere. And you can make all your requests for me to resign. Over my dead body will that happen.”

He added, “I will fight this thing ‘til the very end to make this state better. And the question I think they need to decide is when is the guy in the White House going to resign? When does he take accountability for what he did? Because it isn’t going to happen here in terms of us shying away from making the state better."

Scott Bessent slams mainstream media for ignoring Minnesota fraud report

Pressure on Tim Walz increased significantly after independent journalist Nick Shirley released a viral report on Somali-run businesses receiving millions in state funds.

Shirley’s investigation highlighted a daycare called "Quality Learning Center" that reportedly received $1.9 million in 2025 despite being empty when he visited.

The facility, which even had a misspelling on its front sign, closed shortly after the report gained national attention.

Bessent argued that Walz’s attempts to suppress the story failed and criticized news outlets, saying, “We really don’t have a functioning mainstream media.”