White House slams Walz, Democrats in Minnesota following governor's 'direct appeal' to Trump

The White House pushed back Thursday after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told President Donald Trump to "turn the temperature down" following a warning from the president that he could invoke the Insurrection Act over unrest in Walz’s state. 

In a "direct appeal" on X, Walz pleaded to Trump to "Stop this campaign of retribution" and said that "This is not who we are." The Democrat’s comments came after a second U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-involved shooting in Minneapolis in recent days sparked demonstrations in the streets.

"Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, and Democrat leaders in Minnesota have done nothing but turn up the temperature, smear heroic ICE officers, and incite violence against them — all in defense of criminal illegal aliens," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News. 

"In Minnesota, ICE has arrested rapists, drug traffickers, domestic abusers, and more, despite Democrat opposition. The Trump Administration will protect the American people and enforce the law without apology. The only statement Tim Walz should be making is an apology. He has repeatedly compared ICE officers to Nazis and lied about their important work, including in his speech just last night," Jackson added.

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The White House’s Rapid Response team also criticized Walz, writing on X, "Tampon, you gave a statewide address last night calling for ICE agents to be prosecuted for enforcing the law, so you might want to sit this one out." 

"You're a pathetic failure and total disgrace," it added. 

The account shared a video clip of Walz speaking on Wednesday.

"Help us establish a record of exactly what's happening in our communities. You have an absolute right to peacefully film ICE agents as they conduct these activities," Walz said. "So, carry your phone with you at all times. And if you see these ICE agents in your neighborhood, take out that phone and hit record. Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans, not just to establish a record for posterity. But to bank evidence for future prosecution." 

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Trump warned Thursday that he would invoke the Insurrection Act if people in Minnesota don't obey the law and continue attacking federal agents there. 

"If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

The Insurrection Act, an 1807 law, has not been invoked since the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

The order allows the president to deploy the military to suppress rebellions and enforce federal laws. If invoked, it would grant Trump the authority to federalize the National Guard and deploy active duty forces to restore order. It would temporarily override the Posse Comitatus Act, which normally restricts the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. 

Fox News' Morgan Phillips, Landon Mion and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.