Podcast host Joe Rogan unleashed a blistering critique of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday, accusing the Democratic leader of presiding over massive fraud involving taxpayer dollars and suggesting that recent unrest across the state is no coincidence.
During the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan used unusually harsh language to describe Walz, calling him dangerous and accusing him of allowing what prosecutors have described as an “industrial scale” fraud scheme totaling roughly $9 billion. Rogan said Walz does not behave like anyone he knows and questioned how such an operation could have gone unnoticed by the state’s top executive.
Rogan said he believed Walz was aware of the fraud well before it became public, arguing that meaningful action only followed viral reporting by independent journalist Nick Shirley on X. Shirley’s reporting raised questions about several Somali-run operations that had received millions in public funding, prompting widespread attention and scrutiny.
One example highlighted involved a Minneapolis daycare called Quality Learning Center. According to Shirley’s reporting, the facility received $1.9 million in funding in 2025, but was reportedly empty when he visited. The sign outside the building misspelled the name as “Quality Learing Center,” and the daycare has since been shut down. While Shirley’s reporting has been widely questioned and scrutinized for accuracy, even critics have acknowledged that widespread fraud did occur.
Rogan said that exposure was the tipping point for Walz, arguing that the scandal had finally broken into public view in a way that could not be ignored. From there, Rogan moved beyond the fraud itself and turned his attention to unrest that has followed the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Rogan speculated that the wave of anti-ICE protests and riots in Minnesota has been deliberately intensified to distract from the fraud revelations and what he described as Walz’s incompetence. He claimed that the timing and location of the unrest raised serious questions, though he acknowledged he had no direct evidence identifying who may have instigated the protests.
“This gets exposed, it gets into the public zeitgeist, it becomes a huge news story,” Rogan said, adding that it was “not a coincidence” that riots were breaking out in the same areas where fraud was being publicly uncovered. He went further, asserting that the most violent clashes were occurring where the fraud had been most visible, claiming that “this is all by design.”
Rogan also pointed to Walz’s decision not to seek reelection this year as further proof that the situation had spiraled out of control. He speculated openly about potential motives behind that decision, floating possibilities ranging from federal pressure to cooperation with investigators, while conceding that no one outside the process knows for sure.
The episode showcased Rogan’s unfiltered reaction to a scandal that has drawn national attention and intensified scrutiny of Minnesota’s leadership. While his claims about coordination and intent were speculative, Rogan framed the fraud revelations and subsequent unrest as interconnected developments that, in his view, demand serious public accountability.
