Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said her agency will be investigating rampant fraud in California after President Donald Trump announced that his administration plans to look into the matter.
The fraud issue garnered national attention after it was revealed that Minnesota allowed up to $9 billion in federal welfare fraud to persist. Now, it appears the spotlight might be turning to the Golden State.
During an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Watters, Noem said that what’s been discovered in Minnesota “is just the tip of the iceberg” and that the investigation “is leading us to networks all over the country and overseas.”
Homeland Security Investigations is an incredible team of individuals who go after human traffickers, sex traffickers. But the fraud that we have in our public programs that are tied to California, absolutely. We're going to come to you, Governor [Gavin] Newsom, and we're going to arrest every single individual that has ties to this ceiling of taxpayer dollars, and we will hold them accountable.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says Homeland Security Investigations is headed to California to look into fraud.
— Jeff Charles, Asker of Questions🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) January 7, 2026
"We're going to come to you, Governor Newsom, and we're going to arrest every single individual that has ties to this ceiling of taxpayer dollars." pic.twitter.com/Q5jxziMoaC
Trump announced the investigation in a Tuesday post on Truth Social. “The Fraud Investigation of California has begun,” he wrote before thanking us for our attention to this matter.
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Gov. Newsom and his hair gel clapped back at Trump, touting his record on fighting fraud in California. “"Donald Trump is a deranged, habitual liar whose relationship with reality ended years ago,” Newsom’s office wrote in a statement to ABC News. “This is not complicated. He spends his days posting whatever garbage his shriveled little brain can cough up -- and Fox News dutifully treats it like the Lord's scripture.”
Meanwhile -- in the actual world where adults govern -- Gavin Newsom has been cleaning house. Since taking office, he's blocked over $125 BILLION in fraud, arrested criminal parasites leaching off of taxpayers, and protected taxpayers from the exact kind of scam artists Trump celebrates, excuses, and pardons.
Gavin Newsom runs a state. Donald Trump runs his mouth and little fingers.
While Donald Trump runs his little mouth, @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom is busy blocking $125 BILLION in fraud, arresting criminals stealing from taxpayers, and shutting down the exact scam artists Trump pals around with. pic.twitter.com/3NMHdRPQ3a
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 7, 2026
However, Newsom’s team might have trouble proving he is doing his utmost to combat fraud and abuse given the state’s history.
California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) admitted to losing $55 billion in fraudulent unemployment payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Auditor acknowledged that California “received 21 percent of all federal unemployment money, even though it has only 12 percent of the U.S. population.”
If you think Tim Walz is bad, just wait until you see what Gavin Newsom has done to California.
— Digital Gal (@DigitalGalX) January 6, 2026
$76.5B in alleged fraudulent spending.
A record of failure and deception brought to you by Newscum.
👇 👇 pic.twitter.com/mcsiZM5vjh
Community Colleges were also targeted, with fake students using bots and AI to defraud the system out of millions in financial aid each year.
To make matters worse, Newsom’s former chief of staff was recently arrested on 23 federal counts. She is accused of swiping hundreds of thousands of dollars for luxury expenses.
Newsom might be talking a big game. But even this small number of examples shows that when HSI investigates, it will likely find that the fraud issue in California far surpasses what’s been happening in Minnesota.
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