What Minneapolis Cops Are Saying That News Ignores | Michele Tafoya

Michele Tafoya asserts that Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey were 'MIA' during the George Floyd riots and have similarly failed to assist law enforcement during recent ICE-related incidents. She claims police leadership stated that tragedies could have been avoided if they were allowed to use prisons/jails to transfer criminals directly to federal agents.

Tafoya states, 'Governor Walls, you could have assisted. You could have helped. Uh, Mayor Fry, you could have assisted. You could have helped. But just like during the George Floyd riots when both of those guys were MIA, they were not around to do anything. I've spoken with leadership um in the St. Paul Police Department and Minnesota uh police officers who have said this stuff could have been avoided.'

Tafoya suggests that the recent surge in protests and 'chaos' in Minnesota might be a deliberate distraction from ongoing investigations into significant fraud. She notes that the fraud conversation quieted down when protests escalated but is now resurfacing as protests wane.

Rubin asks, 'how much of the craziness...is the fraud?' Tafoya responds, 'it's so sad that you you think of things in those terms and it sounds so conspiratorial, but my gosh, they sure have benefited from this. You know, the fraud conversation is not at on the front page like it was...but it's it's now it's it's it's coming back because we are seeing a quieting down of these ICE protests.'

Tafoya expresses anger over the drastic decline in Minnesota's education system. She notes that fewer than 50% of students can read or do math at grade level, and performance worsens in higher grades. She attributes this to 'activist teachers' and misspent funds, despite increased spending.

Tafoya states, 'education here in Minnesota...It used to be when I moved here 32 years ago, it was like, oh, the education in Minnesota, some of the best in the world and now fewer than 50 less than 50% of our kids can read or do math at grade level.' She adds, 'you've got these activist teachers and you've got a a a group here saying, "We've got to spend more. Our test scores are going down. We got to spend more." But you keep spending more and the results keep declining.'

Tafoya observes that the increasing integration of politics and culture wars into major sporting events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics is making it difficult for former players and general audiences to enjoy them. She cites the all-Spanish Super Bowl halftime show and Olympic athletes expressing disinterest in representing the US as examples.

Tafoya mentions, 'I've talked to former players who are having a hard time watching the Super Bowl. And even one told me he's having a hard time watching the Olympic games because of the politics around it.' Regarding the Super Bowl halftime, she notes, 'the fact that it was all in Spanish was was sort of um I don't know. I I think there were a lot of people who didn't appreciate it.'