The fog of war. This is what you and the press don t understand. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defending the second strike on a suspected drug vessel at a newsy cabinet meeting. The results of a crucial special election in Tennessee are in, I think the man s a grossly incompetent man. Governor Tim Walz under fire amid reports of rampant fraud in his state. And one of America s wealthiest families makes a historic donation set to benefit millions of children. All that and more coming up in your AM Update.
00:03:43.740Yesterday, suspect Romanola Lock and Wall appearing virtually in D.C. court pleading not guilty to all charges.
00:03:51.340The judge ordering Lock and Wall held without bond.
00:03:55.500Elsewhere in the cabinet meeting, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth saying the U.S. military has only just begun striking drug trafficking boats.
00:04:03.320Yesterday, Secretary Hegseth providing insight on how the much-debated September operation went down.
00:04:09.140I wish everybody could be in the room watching our professionals.
00:04:13.340The deliberative process, the detail, the rigorous, the intel, the legal, the evidence-based way that we're able to know who's on it, what they're doing, what they're carrying.
00:04:23.320All these white bales are not Christmas gifts from Santa.
00:04:37.140I watched that first strike lot, so I didn't stick around for the hour and two hours, whatever, where all the sensitive site exploitation digitally occurs.
00:04:46.940And by the way, Admiral Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat.
00:04:52.880Secretary Hegseth asked if he personally saw any survivors after the first strike.
00:04:58.060I did not personally see survivors, but I stand, because the thing was on fire.
00:05:03.500It was exploded in fire, smoke, you can't see anything, you got digital.
00:05:08.620This is what you and the press don't understand.
00:05:11.560You sit in your air-conditioned offices or up on Capitol Hill and you nitpick and you plant fake stories in the Washington Post about kill everybody.
00:05:19.660Phrases on anonymous sources not based in anything, not based in any truth at all.
00:05:24.820And then you want to throw out really irresponsible terms about American heroes.
00:05:28.980Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer yesterday morning calling on the secretary to release the full, unedited tape of the strikes as the House and Senate probe the issue.
00:05:39.260While the majority of the suspected boats, taken out by the military, are believed to have ties to Venezuela.
00:05:46.720President Trump putting all traffickers, land and sea, on notice.
00:05:50.820If they come in through a certain country or any country or if we think they're building mills for whether it's fentanyl or cocaine.
00:06:00.220I hear Colombia, the country of Colombia, is making cocaine.
00:06:04.180They have cocaine manufacturing plants, okay?
00:06:22.100The results are in from the final House showdown of 2025, the special election in Tennessee's 7th District to replace Republican Congressman Mark Green, who resigned earlier this year to enter the private sector.
00:06:35.540Republican Matt Van Epps, a decorated helicopter pilot and lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard, defeating Democrat Afton Bain, a representative in the statehouse.
00:06:46.440The contest drawing in millions in outside spending, despite the district's deep Republican lean.
00:06:54.280Democrats aiming for one final momentum boost heading into the 2026 midterm season, the race ultimately finishing much closer than past election cycles.
00:07:04.640Heavy hitters for both parties pulling out all the stops.
00:07:08.520President Trump on Monday dialing into a Van Epps rally.
00:07:47.200To run for office in an R-plus-22 seat takes a very special kind of person, and it's not just about an ideology, but it is about a character, a kind of person that says,
00:08:02.520we're not going to do something because it's easy, we're going to do it because it's the right thing to do.
00:08:09.000Sometimes when an everyday person sticks their hand up to say, I just want to stand up and fight for my neighbors, really beautiful things can happen.
00:09:15.380With this result, the House balance of power will rest at 220 Republicans to 213 Democrats once Van Epps is officially sworn in, which is likely to happen within days.
00:09:37.660Coming up, Minnesota under the microscope, following widespread reports of fraud on Governor Tim Walz's watch and a generous gift to American children from one of America's wealthiest families.
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00:11:00.220Minnesota under more scrutiny this week.
00:11:02.800The City Journal reporting on numerous fraud scandals that have come to light since Democrat Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz took office in 2019.
00:11:10.440Perpetrated mostly by members of the Somali community, which has a large, politically active presence in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
00:11:19.340The Fed's so far prosecuting and convicting dozens related to three major schemes.
00:11:25.620A meals program for needy children called Feeding Our Future, a program for individuals at risk of homelessness, and an autism therapy program.
00:11:34.780The New York Times later reporting total fraud losses surpassing $1 billion.
00:11:41.360The Trump administration yesterday ordering ICE to target undocumented Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities.
00:11:48.380CBS News reporting the operation is expected to begin in the coming days.
00:11:52.860U.S. Congressman from Minnesota, Republican Tom Emmer, yesterday on Fox saying,
00:11:57.320the breadth of this fraud smacks of more than just negligence.
00:12:01.900Al-Shabaab controls all the financial infrastructure in Somalia.
00:12:23.180Tim Walz should be held accountable, and somebody in his administration,
00:12:26.620I'm just going to leave you with this.
00:12:28.440Over a billion dollars, Lawrence, you can't tell me that that's just negligent oversight.
00:12:34.900Someone is complicit, and maybe it's the governor because of his being a, he just, he's not a smart man.
00:12:42.180Treasury Secretary Scott Besson on Monday posting to X, quote,
00:12:45.680At my direction, the Treasury Department is investigating allegations that under the feckless mismanagement of the Biden administration and Governor Tim Walz,
00:12:53.920hardworking Minnesotans' tax dollars may have been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.
00:13:00.280Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, we are acting fast to ensure Americans' taxes are not funding acts of global terror.
00:13:08.380In addition to the federal probes, Chair of the House Oversight Committee, Republican James Comer,
00:13:15.660Conduct a thorough investigation into Governor Walz's failure to safeguard taxpayer dollars.
00:13:22.200Congressman Comer telling the New York Post,
00:13:24.200Governor Walz was warned about fraud relating to the Feeding Our Future program and failed to do anything about it.
00:13:29.900According to the Post, the Minnesota Department of Education initially halted payments in 2020 when it first became aware of fraud reports.
00:13:38.240But Walz reactivated the money flow when Feeding Our Future sued, alleging racism.
00:13:44.440Earlier this week, Governor Walz accusing President Trump of demonizing the Somali community and deflecting from his own administration.
00:13:52.220Yesterday, the governor posting to X, quote,
00:13:54.620We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime, but pulling a PR stunt and indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem.
00:14:05.300President Trump asked yesterday if the governor, who is seeking a third term, should resign.
00:14:10.580Look, I think the man's a grossly incompetent man.
00:14:13.580I thought that from the day I watched KD destroy him in a debate.
00:14:17.540But when I watch what is happening in Minnesota, Somalians ripped off that state for billions of dollars, billions, every year, billions of dollars.
00:14:44.940And from where they came from, they got nothing.
00:14:48.900You know, they came from paradise and they said, this isn't paradise.
00:14:53.200But when they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch, we don't want them in our country.
00:15:02.080Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, along with his wife Susan, on Tuesday announcing a massive donation totaling $6,250,000,000 to millions of American children
00:15:13.660via the Trump accounts program, signed into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
00:15:18.940The bill creating new tax-advantaged investment accounts for children under 18 through the Treasury Department.
00:15:26.080Up to $5,000 per year can be contributed to the accounts, which the child can access at age 18 to pay for college, buy a home, or start a business.
00:15:34.780If the child decides not to withdraw the money at that time, it then functions as a retirement account.
00:15:41.680Eligible children born from 2025 to 2028 will receive $1,000 in seed money from the Treasury to kickstart their investments.
00:15:50.040President Trump inviting the Dells to the White House to announce their contribution.
00:15:55.160Michael and Susan Dell are committing to one of the largest private donations in American history.
00:16:01.500In honor of America's 250th anniversary, the Dells are announcing today that they are giving 25 million American children $250 each to save and to invest in their personal Trump account.
00:16:15.980Now, that's the equivalent of $6.25 billion.
00:16:21.280These gifts will be available to the first 25 million children aged 10 and under the sign, the zip codes, where their median income is $150,000 or less.
00:16:33.540This will give millions of dollars, millions of children, middle-class families, a stake in American prosperity,
00:16:39.980a benefit from the rising stock market, and a better shot at the American dream.
00:16:44.860It really gives them a shot at the American dream.
00:16:48.160The Dells then speaking about their contribution, which will apply specifically to children who do not qualify for the $1,000 seed money.
00:16:56.480We believe the smartest investment that we can make is an investment in children.
00:17:00.180Susan and I are super excited to announce our $6.25 billion gift to 25 million American children, 10 and under,
00:17:12.400and our gift will cover most of the children that are 10 and under that are not part of the federal program.
00:17:18.620We believe that when children have a future that they can see is worth saving for,
00:17:26.980then that will help build hope and opportunity and prosperity for generations to come.
00:17:34.520So we're so excited to be doing this and hope to have many people join in our efforts.
00:17:41.340Treasury Secretary Scott Besson encouraging more philanthropists and companies to follow the Dells in donating to American children.
00:17:48.620Americans are the most generous people in the history of the world,
00:17:53.160and the Trump accounts will provide a vehicle for philanthropists such as Michael and Susan and many more to contribute.
00:18:01.760It can be tailored. It can be to employees.
00:18:04.600It could be a philanthropist could adopt a state.
00:18:08.020They can adopt a school. They can adopt a zip code.