adminOn Jan. 17, 2026, Rep. Claudia Tenney told viewers on Wake Up America that the national media’s obsession with anti-ICE protests in Minnesota is deliberately diverting attention from far more important issues — namely the sprawling, alleged fraud unfolding in state-run social service programs. Tenney accused reporters of “wearing a team jersey for the Democrats,” amplifying performative protests while ignoring evidence and federal probes that threaten to expose corruption and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
What exploded into nightly demonstrations began on Jan. 7, 2026, when an ICE agent’s shooting of Renee Nicole Good sparked outrage and mass rallies across the Twin Cities and beyond, drawing thousands into the streets. Those protests have been raw and emotional, and they have featured clashes outside federal buildings, church disruptions, and calls for ICE to leave Minnesota — all of which the press has treated as the story rather than the government failures that allowed alleged fraud to flourish.
Meanwhile, federal investigators have been digging into alleged fraud in multiple Minnesota programs, from pandemic-era feeding schemes to childcare subsidies, prompting freezes on roughly $185 million in federal child care funds and House Oversight hearings earlier this month. Republicans and whistleblowers say the scope of the problem demands scrutiny and accountability; instead of sober coverage of those investigations, too many outlets have preferred the drama of protests. Hardworking taxpayers deserve to know where their money went, not to be spoon-fed outrage theatre.
Tenney and other conservatives insist this is not a case of choosing sides on immigration enforcement but of defending the rule of law and protecting America’s taxpayers. She warned that delegitimizing ICE and other federal agents through orchestrated protests and sympathetic coverage creates a dangerous narrative that shields bad actors and undermines the brave men and women who enforce our laws. If the media truly cared about lives and safety, they would demand answers about fraud and oversight failures instead of staging one-sided sanctimony.
The protests have even spilled into sacred spaces, with demonstrators interrupting services and prompting religious leaders to call for the protection of worshippers’ rights — a development that should trouble every American who values civil order. While peaceful protest is a protected right, the larger pattern of spectacle around ICE operations has often obscured the central questions: why did billions in potential fraud go unchecked, and who in state government failed to perform basic oversight? These are questions that deserve headlines, not footnotes.
Conservative lawmakers have rightly pushed for thorough audits, congressional hearings, and prosecutions where warranted, calling out Gov. Tim Walz and local officials for what they describe as dereliction of duty. If the federal government and Congress are to restore trust, they must prioritize transparency and recovery of stolen funds, not simply bow to pressure from politically motivated street theater that conveniently distracts from accountability.
Americans who work for a living know the difference between righteous protest and manufactured diversion. It’s time for principled journalists and elected officials to stop enabling spectacle and start defending taxpayers, law enforcement, and the institutions that keep our communities safe. Focus on the fraud, follow the money, and demand answers — because patriotism means protecting both the rule of law and the people’s hard-earned dollars.
