Vance calls Walz ‘a joke,’ claims Minnesota governor enabled massive fraud

Vice President JD Vance unleashed on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday, and gave him a new moniker: "a joke." 

Vance’s comments come after Walz reminisced on Minnesota’s contribution to the Union during the Civil War, following an incident where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37. 

Walz, who announced Monday he wouldn’t run for re-election, already has faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks as Minnesota faces investigations into multiple alleged fraud schemes plaguing the state’s social services system.

"Look, Tim Walz is a joke. His entire administration has been a joke," Vance told reporters Thursday. "The idea that he's some sort of freedom fighter, he's not. He's the guy who has enabled fraud and maybe, in fact, has participated in fraud."

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"I don't care what Tim Walz says," Vance said. "I care about getting to the bottom of this fraud for the American people." 

Walz’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that Good "weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them." 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that Good "hit" the ICE agent involved with a vehicle, and described the incident as an act of "domestic terrorism."

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However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey later challenged the administration’s description of events, and claimed that the shooting wasn’t an act of self-defense like the administration was trying to "spin" it. 

Earlier Thursday, Walz described the contributions of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Battle of Gettysburg, who were responsible for holding the Union line against Confederate troops. 

"I've seen it throughout our history," Walz said. "When things looked really bleak, it was Minnesota's 1st that held that line for the nation on that July 3rd, 1863. And I think now we may be in that moment, that the nation is looking to us to hold the line on democracy, to hold the line on decency, to hold the line on accountability."

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Vance isn’t the only one to unleash on Walz recently. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently called Walz a "traitor." 

Meanwhile, Walz has come under fire from Republicans and President Donald Trump, who has labeled Minnesota a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity."

The Trump administration and lawmakers have launched probes into Minnesota's alleged "Feeding Our Future" $250 million fraud scheme that allegedly targeted a children's nutrition program the Department of Agriculture funded and that Minnesota oversaw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Likewise, another alleged fraud scheme in the state stems from the Housing Stability Services Program, which allegedly offered Medicaid coverage for housing stabilization services in an attempt to help those with disabilities, mental illnesses and substance-use disorders receive housing.