This article may contain commentary
which reflects the author’s opinion.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that his state is “under assault” from what he called the Trump administration’s “petty, vile” campaign against him, as a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis and a widening fraud scandal plunged Minnesota politics into turmoil.
Speaking at a press event in Minneapolis after announcing he would not seek a third term, Walz framed his exit from the 2026 governor’s race as a response to “unprecedented federal aggression.”
“I don’t think any governor in history has had to fight a war against the federal government,” Walz said. “We are under assault, like no other time in our state’s history because of a petty, vile administration.”
Walz’s remarks came hours after federal immigration officers fatally shot a 37-year-old woman, Renee Nicole Good, during what the Department of Homeland Security called the largest immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota history.
Officials said the shooting occurred as ICE agents attempted to conduct a “targeted operation” in Minneapolis. According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, Good blocked officers with her car and attempted to run them over.
“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called the shooting a “preventable tragedy,” saying both the agent and the deceased woman’s family “deserve prayers.” Noem said Good “weaponized her vehicle” and described the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism.”
“This appears as an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to agents,” Noem said. “The ICE officer, fearing for his life and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.”
President Donald Trump also addressed the incident on Truth Social, calling Good a “professional agitator” who “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer.”
“It’s hard to believe he is alive,” Trump wrote, adding that the episode reflected a “Radical Left movement of violence and hate” targeting law enforcement. “They are just trying to do the job of making America safe.”
Local leaders have pushed back sharply against that account. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted the DHS narrative as “a garbage story with no truth,” and demanded an independent investigation.
“I want to tell you … that is bull—-,” Frey said at a press conference Thursday night. “This is spin, and it’s disgraceful.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that Good was not the target of any federal enforcement activity, saying she appeared to be sitting in her car when agents opened fire.
“I am obviously very concerned that a woman who was sitting in her car blocking the street and not the target of any enforcement activity is now deceased,” O’Hara said.
The FBI and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are now leading the investigation into the shooting.
Meanwhile, Walz’s political troubles continue to deepen as state and federal authorities probe what prosecutors describe as one of the largest social service fraud scandals in U.S. history. Federal indictments tied to programs overseen by Walz’s administration allege that billions of dollars were misused through fraudulent housing, autism, and meal-assistance programs, many connected to Somali-run nonprofits.
Walz has blamed the Trump administration for escalating enforcement operations in Minnesota, claiming the state is being targeted for political reasons. “We are fighting to protect the dignity of Minnesotans,” he said Friday, “and I won’t let Donald Trump turn this state into a political punching bag.”
Republicans, however, argue that Walz’s rhetoric is a diversion from his failures. House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has described the Minnesota fraud crisis as “a catastrophic breakdown in accountability under Democratic leadership,” while Trump officials have defended ICE’s presence as part of a broader national crackdown on organized fraud and illegal immigration.
For now, Walz maintains that his decision to withdraw from the race was “a matter of accountability,” not retreat. But with a dead protester, mounting federal raids, and corruption allegations overshadowing his tenure, Walz’s career as an elected official may soon be over.
