Overview: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned Vice President JD Vance’s statement that white Americans "don’t have to apologize for being white anymore," calling it proof the Trump administration is tolerating white supremacy. Walz made the comments while responding to about $9 billion in reported fraud claims in Minnesota and argued the administration was targeting Somali communities. Vance delivered the controversial line at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest while praising rollbacks of federal DEI programs. The exchange underscores heightened tensions over race, DEI, and political rhetoric.
Tim Walz Says JD Vance’s 'You Don’t Have To Apologize For Being White' Remark Signals Embrace Of White Supremacy
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sharply criticized Vice President JD Vance after Vance declared that white Americans "don’t have to apologize for being white anymore," calling the remark evidence that President Donald Trump’s administration is tolerating — and normalizing — white supremacist rhetoric.
Walz made the comments at a Tuesday press conference where he was responding to reports of roughly $9 billion in fraud claims in Minnesota. He argued the administration was "waging war" on his state and specifically on the Somali community living there, saying those attacks were rooted in racist scapegoating.
"This is what happens when they target communities for their own benefit; this is what happens when they scapegoat, and this is what happens when they no longer hide the idea of white supremacy," Walz said, accusing the administration of openly embracing divisive rhetoric.
Walz also referenced Vance’s recent remarks at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, where the vice president celebrated rolling back federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Vance argued such policies discriminated against white and Asian Americans and touted a merit-based approach to admissions and hiring.
From Vance: "In the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore...Because we judge people based on who they are, not on ethnicity and things they can’t control."
Vance’s line drew loud cheers from the Phoenix crowd. The remarks came after a viral article in Compact that alleged some professional fields had gatekeepers who favored non-white applicants over the past decade.
Walz’s public rebuke highlights how heated the national debate over race, DEI policies and political rhetoric remains. Supporters of the administration say rolling back DEI restores fairness and meritocracy; critics say those moves and the rhetoric surrounding them embolden discriminatory attitudes and harm marginalized communities.
