At today's House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) exploded at Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN).
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00:00One from the National Immigration Center.
00:02Without objection to order.
00:03National Immigrant Justice Center and the Alliance for Immigrants.
00:08Without objection to order.
00:10They speak for themselves.
00:11Chair recognizes Mr. Stauber from Minnesota.
00:14Thank you very much.
00:15Governor Rawls, thanks for being here today.
00:18I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I ask you to keep your remarks brief.
00:21I've got a lot to go through.
00:22As you know, I spent 23 years as a law enforcement officer in the state of Minnesota.
00:27You know that, right?
00:27Do you know that, yes or no?
00:30I don't know how many.
00:31It's not a trick question.
00:32It's not a trick question.
00:33Congressman, I don't know how many years.
00:34I'll answer it for you.
00:3523 years in Duluth.
00:36Thank you for that.
00:37So, Governor, do you recognize this picture?
00:43I do recognize the picture.
00:45Briefly describe it to us.
00:46What is it?
00:46What's going on?
00:49These were folks.
00:50I believe the people in the picture now are incarcerated in Minnesota.
00:53It's a precinct three burning down because of your decision.
00:56Was this a peaceful protest?
00:59Was this a peaceful protest?
01:02The gentleman standing there?
01:04Was this a peaceful protest?
01:07It was a criminal act that people were prosecuted for.
01:10So, it wasn't a peaceful protest, right?
01:13As I watched lawlessness devastate Los Angeles this past week, I was reminded of your failure
01:20to protect Minnesota from similar riots.
01:22Governor Walz, on May 29th of 2020, during your own press conference, you described your
01:30response to the riots during the 2020 Summer of Love as, quote, an abject failure.
01:36Governor, I couldn't agree with you more.
01:38That's out of context.
01:39And on May 17th, 2025, you were at the law school, graduating Minnesota law school, talking
01:47to the graduates.
01:48And we've talked about this.
01:50You called the enforcement of illegal immigrants a modern-day gestapo.
01:55You've been asked three, four times if you would rescind that, and you won't.
02:00Will you rescind it?
02:00This is like the fifth time.
02:02Yes or no?
02:03Congressman, I was talking to law students about due process.
02:05And I said, you took an oath to due process.
02:07Governor, was there a violent Al-Shabaab terrorist who entered our country illegally arrested
02:11in Minneapolis last year?
02:14Yes, there was.
02:16Were there three illegal child predators arrested by ICE in St. Paul earlier this year?
02:25I certainly hope so.
02:26That's their job.
02:26Yes, there was.
02:27Are the officers who arrested the Al-Shabaab terrorists or the child predators, are they
02:33Nazi?
02:34Nazis are the Gestapo?
02:36The tactics of wearing masks?
02:38They're not!
02:39The tactics of wearing masks unidentified.
02:42Why did you tell us that they were the Gestapo?
02:47Do you believe that any of the violent illegal immigrants I have mentioned have a right to
02:53be in this country?
02:54I don't know what their immigration status was.
02:59They're illegal, violent criminals that ICE took off the streets of Minneapolis.
03:04You did not say, Congressman, what their status was.
03:07Governor, last week, law enforcement officers in the state of Minnesota took 900 pounds of
03:13meth off the streets.
03:14Do you support that?
03:17We certainly do.
03:18Fentanyl.
03:19Do you know that ICE assisted in that arrest, those arrests and investigations?
03:23Do you support the assistance of ICE in that enforcement action?
03:28Yes or no?
03:29I can't speak to that because we were not included in the briefing.
03:32You don't know if ICE was part of it?
03:34I'm telling you they were.
03:36I don't have that data.
03:38I would have to trust you.
03:39Will you apologize to our constituents and law enforcement officers for making them and
03:45their families less safe with your incendiary actions?
03:50I'll congratulate them that they helped us work on the largest pension bill for Minnesota
03:55law enforcement in 30 years.
03:57Governor, claiming my time.
03:58Governor, what weapons did you carry in war?
04:01Congressman, for 24 years I carried.
04:03No, no, no.
04:04What weapons did you carry in war?
04:09What did you carry in war?
04:11You know I misquote.
04:12Governor, you're parking down the wrong tree, okay?
04:15You know I misquote.
04:15You lied to the Minnesotans.
04:17You said that you carried weapons in war.
04:20That is stolen valor.
04:22You know what?
04:22My wife served 25, 24 years in the military and she's an Iraq war veteran.
04:27You know what I mean?
04:27He was over in the war zone.
04:30That's stolen valor and I'm so disgusted with you and so are the people that you serve with.
04:35Point of order.
04:36That's stolen valor.
04:37Just a minute.
04:37Stolen valor.
04:39You didn't carry weapons in war.
04:42Congressman, my 24 years with public questions many, many years.
04:46Will you apologize for lying?
04:46Objection.
04:47Will you apologize for lying?
04:48Objection.
04:50Hold on.
04:50Pause.
04:51That's not questioning a witness.
04:53That's not questioning a witness.
04:55Point of order.
04:56State your point, Mr. Reckermann.
04:58No, no.
04:59You're yelling at him.
04:59You're hectoring.
05:00You're hectoring.
05:01You're hectoring.
05:02You're hectoring.
05:03State your point.
05:03Governor, you didn't carry weapons in war, did you?
05:05State your point.
05:06You didn't carry weapons in war.
05:07Proceed.
05:07You've got 24 seconds.
05:07Good job.
05:08Congressman, you know I'm involved.
05:09You didn't carry weapons in war, yes or no?
05:11You lied.
05:12Governor, what rank did you retire at?
05:16What rank did you retire at?
05:17Congressman, I served my battalion as the command sergeant major.
05:20That's not the question I asked.
05:22What rank did you retire at?
05:24I retired as a master sergeant at EA.
05:26Okay, here's your coin that says you're retired at a command sergeant major.
05:32That's your challenge coin.
05:34It says I wore the rank.
05:36That's right.
05:37You didn't retire, did you?
05:39I did retire after 24 years.
05:41Here is a picture of your coin, your challenge coin.
05:44I'm disgusted with you.
05:47I'm just, Governor, you lie when the truth is better.
05:51You called half Trump supporters Nazis and fascists, and you know what?
05:56That's why the Minnesota Police and Peace Association did not support you in the last election.
06:02Oh, I support that.
06:03On behalf of the folks from the Land of Rocks and Cows, thank you.
06:10Now you're back.
06:11Chair recognizes Ms. Tenney from New York.