MN-06 WATCH • Weekly Recap
MN-06 Daily: February 14, 2026
“The Week in Receipts”
Six days. 72 posts. Two hearings. One shutdown. Here’s what your representative did — and didn’t do — the week of February 8–14, 2026.
72 posts (including retweets). 2 transcripts. 4 minutes of testimony. 0 questions answered. 1 government shutdown.
922 days since Rep. Emmer’s last in-person town hall
August 7, 2023 — Big Lake, MN
The Week at a Glance
This was the most consequential week in MN-06 Watch’s brief history. Seventy-two posts across two accounts. A Senate hearing he left after four minutes. A victory lap built on unverified numbers. A DHS shutdown — the third in six months — on his watch as Whip. An AFP donor appearance that contradicted nearly everything he said in public for the prior two months. And through it all, a congressman who never once faced a question from a constituent, a senator, or a journalist he hadn’t pre-selected.
Here’s how it unfolded.
Sunday–Monday, February 9–10
The Buildup
The week opened with Emmer flooding the zone on the SAVE America Act, a voter ID bill headed to the House floor. Across the full week, 27 of his 72 posts — 37% — were about the SAVE Act, including amplifications of endorsements from Tea Party Patriots, AMAC, CatholicVote, and others.
The other thread: fraud. On @TomEmmer, he posted: “That’s on top of the already 9 BILLION in fraud. We need change. @Tim_Walz must resign, and Minnesotans NEED to vote red.” On @GOPMajorityWhip: “The price tag for fraud in Minnesota keeps going up. False names. Fake driver’s licenses. Fraudulent doctor’s notes.”
On Monday he previewed the coming Senate hearing — “the chaos in Minneapolis was entirely preventable“ — and accused Rep. Goldman of “stoking the flames and fomenting violence against federal law enforcement officers.”
Also Monday: C-SPAN captured his House leadership stakeout. He led with: “Pedophiles, rapists, murderers, and drug traffickers.” Those were his chosen first words.
That same evening, he appeared on the Matt Gaetz Show. “They’re quiet, which is good,” he said of Minnesotans. Eighteen hours later, ICE agents caused a three-car crash at Selby and Western in St. Paul. A woman was hospitalized. Two schools went into lockdown.
Full coverage: MN-06 Daily, Feb 9 · MN-06 Daily, Feb 10
Tuesday, February 11
The SAVE Act and the Accusation Flood
This was Emmer’s most prolific day: 24 posts across both accounts. Fifteen were about the SAVE Act. The bill passed the House.
At a SAVE Act press conference, Emmer demanded Governor Walz hand over Minnesota's voter rolls to the federal Department of Justice: "Just ask my governor, Tim Walz, who refuses to hand over Minnesota's voter rolls to the Department of Justice. Huh. I wonder what you're hiding." He offered no evidence of non-citizen voting in Minnesota. The Brennan Center estimates that 21.3 million Americans lack ready access to the documents the SAVE Act requires. When Kansas implemented a similar requirement, it blocked 12% of registration applicants. Noncitizen registration before the law: 0.002%.
Retweeted by @GOPMajorityWhip, Feb 11. Original post by @EricLDaugh. 50.1K views, 1.56K reposts.
On @TomEmmer, the tone escalated further: "The FAKE news in Minnesota is complicit. @tim_walz is complicit. @IlhanMN is complicit. @keithellison is complicit. They all knew about the BILLIONS in fraud and hid it from you. Let that sink in."
That evening, Emmer appeared at Americans for Prosperity’s “One Small Step” event with Guy Benson. The topic was patriotism and civic engagement. He told the donor audience: “People need to start standing up and fighting back.” More on that below.
He also posted a northern border emergency thread accusing Democrats of “playing with American lives” — while simultaneously previewing the DHS funding fight he would lose three days later.
Full coverage: MN-06 Daily, Feb 11
Wednesday, February 12
The Hearing
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee convened at 9:00 AM. Emmer was the first witness. He was not sworn in. He spoke for approximately four minutes.
In those four minutes, he said AG Ellison has “a history of cutting deals with Somali fraudsters,” accused Walz of refusing to hand over voter rolls, and called Minnesota “a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens.”
Then he left. He did not take a single question. Emmer retweeted C-SPAN's clip of his opening statement:
The hearing continued for nearly four hours without him. Here is a fraction of what he missed:
Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) said there is “no justification for bad behavior from law enforcement.”
AG Keith Ellison (under oath) testified that 77% of those detained had no criminal record, that two of three Minneapolis homicides in 2026 were committed by federal agents, and that a five-year-old and a ten-year-old were among those detained.
Commissioner Paul Schnell (under oath) debunked a specific White House post about a detainee named Abdi Rashid Alim — Schnell testified the man was released to ICE from state custody in May 2025, months before the surge began.
Sen. Lankford (R-OK) announced mid-hearing that Tom Homan was ending Operation Metro Surge.
Emmer wasn’t there for any of it. But he tweeted about much of it — 17 posts on this day alone — including calling for Ellison to be “disbarred, kicked out of office, and INDICTED“ based on Sen. Hawley’s questioning, which Emmer did not witness and which Hawley delivered without being under oath.
What Hawley actually presented — and what the full 54-minute recording shows he left out — is the subject of tomorrow's Rhetoric vs. Reality. (Read RvR #4)
He also called Mayor Frey’s decision to meet with state Rep. Mamdani instead of testifying a sign that “like attracts like” — and labeled Mamdani “Commie Mamdani.”
The Decentralization Contradiction
At the AFP event the night before, Emmer had praised decentralization and DOGE: “The best government is the government closest to the person being asked to pay for it.”
At the SAVE Act press conference, he demanded that Minnesota hand its voter rolls to the federal Department of Justice.
The best government is the government closest to the people — unless those people elected someone Emmer disagrees with. Then it’s: “I wonder what you’re hiding.”
Full coverage: MN-06 Daily, Feb 12 — “Unsworn”
Thursday, February 13
The Victory Lap
Emmer posted six times (plus one retweet from a colleague about women’s sports). The lead tweet: “Operation Metro Surge got 4,000 criminal illegal aliens OFF the streets of Minnesota and found over 3,000 migrant children the Biden administration lost track of.“
He also told Fox News Digital: “Rapists, murderers, pedophiles, drug dealers — 4,000!”
The Fact-Check
The numbers didn’t hold up.
On the 4,000: DHS has not provided a criminal versus non-criminal breakdown. The Star Tribune reported the number is “nearly impossible to independently verify.” Ellison testified under oath that 77% had no criminal record. Even Sen. Lankford, a Republican, noted that only 14% had violent criminal records.
On the 3,000 children: CBS Minnesota, the AP, and USA Today all reported that the underlying claim “misrepresents or distorts data.” MinnPost asked DHS for specifics. DHS cited examples from 13 states. None of them were Minnesota. Experts called it “a missing paperwork problem, not a missing children problem.”
Emmer repeated both numbers without caveat, on the record, to a national audience.
The Contrast: “Stand Up and Fight Back”
Also posted Thursday: video from Emmer’s Tuesday night AFP appearance. Emmer told the donor room:
“People need to start standing up and fighting back.”
“Be involved. Be involved.”
“If you don’t do it, somebody else will.”
“Don’t just sit back and let the world pass you by.”
Here is what Emmer has said about Minnesotans who did exactly that — who stood up, got involved, and didn’t let the world pass them by:
“These are organized chaos agents. These are agitators that are paid.” (Faulkner Focus, late January)
“He’s siding with paid activists and agitators.” (Charlie Hurt Show, early February)
“The governor and local leaders’ rhetoric has empowered criminals and put federal law enforcement’s lives at risk.” (Fox News Live, January 31)
“Democrats are playing with American lives.” (Twitter, February 11)
PolitiFact rated the “paid agitators” claim False. Over 200 Minnesotans were arrested for allegedly impeding agents. The Hennepin County Attorney stated that every First Amendment case submitted to her office was dismissed. Two people who showed up — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — were killed by federal agents.
“Stand up and fight back” is the advice. Unless you’re fighting back against something Emmer supports.
Libertarians vs. 3,000 Federal Agents
At the AFP event, Emmer praised the pandemic for creating “the next generation of libertarians” — young people who “didn’t like being told who they could associate, when they could associate, where they could associate.”
He spent the previous two months supporting an operation that deployed 3,000 federal agents to a single metropolitan area, conducted warrantless street arrests, detained a five-year-old, crashed cars in residential neighborhoods, and killed two U.S. citizens.
Other AFP Highlights
“Donald Trump has been not only a breath of fresh air, he has been delivered by God.”
“Minnesotans didn’t invent passive aggressive behavior. Guy, we perfected it.” (His only mention of Minnesota — as a joke.)
On the Department of Education: “What in God’s name were they doing? 4,000 employees making an average of 100,000... Absolutely nothing, I would argue.”
Full coverage: MN-06 Daily, Feb 13 — “Mission Accomplished”
Friday–Saturday, February 13–14
The Shutdown
DHS officially shut down at 12:01 AM Saturday after Congress left for a 10-day recess without a funding deal. It’s the third government shutdown in under six months.
More than 260,000 DHS employees are affected. TSA agents, Coast Guard members, FEMA workers, and Secret Service personnel will be required to work without pay. Congress won’t return until February 23 at the earliest.
ICE and CBP are largely unaffected — they still have access to $75 billion from last year’s spending bill. The agencies at the center of the dispute keep operating. The ones that protect airports, coastlines, and disaster zones go unpaid.
As Majority Whip, Emmer’s job is to count votes and keep legislation moving. On Wednesday, he tweeted: “Democrats are going back on a nonpartisan funding bill for DHS and holding vital government functions hostage to their unreasonable demands. We’ve seen this movie before. The biggest loser? The American people.”
Two days later, DHS shut down. Congress left for a 10-day recess. Emmer went with them. The “vital government functions” he said were being held hostage? They’re now unfunded. The “biggest loser” — the American people — includes 260,000 DHS employees, many of whom will work without pay. Among them: TSA agents at MSP Airport, in his state.
On Valentine’s Day, Emmer posted twice. The first was a Valentine to his wife Jacquie. The second was an ICYMI retweet about tax breaks for seniors.
Nothing about the DHS employees working without pay in his own state. Nothing about the Coast Guard. Nothing about TSA. Nothing about FEMA. The Majority Whip’s job is to deliver votes. The government shut down, Congress left for vacation, and his public statement on the matter was silence.
The Week by the Numbers
What He Didn’t Talk About This Week
ICE crash at Selby and Western — three-car pileup caused by agents pursuing a man. A woman hospitalized. Two schools in lockdown. (MPR News, Minnesota Reformer, FOX 9, KARE 11)
Teen refugee held overnight in hotel room with ICE agents — part of a lawsuit involving refugees from three continents. (MPR News, NPR)
Operation Metro Surge economic toll — 50-80% sales drops for Minneapolis restaurants. Businesses closed. Schools disrupted. (Star Tribune, Gov. Walz press conference)
Detention conditions — court filings describe barriers to legal help and trash in cells at the Whipple Building. A federal judge ordered DHS to provide quick, private lawyer access. (CBS Minnesota)
DOJ dropped charges — against two men charged with assaulting ICE officers, citing “newly discovered evidence materially inconsistent with allegations.” (CBS Minnesota)
Measles outbreak — Minnesota among 11 states reporting first cases of 2026. Officials call it the nation’s “largest known outbreak.” (CBS Minnesota)
Boundary Waters — Senate vote on H.J. Res. 140 expected as soon as next week. Emmer voted YES in the House. No public communication to constituents. (Outdoor News, Field & Stream)
The Pattern
Every week, the pattern becomes clearer. Here is what it looks like:
On national media, Emmer is a warrior. He uses the sharpest possible language — “rapists, murderers, pedophiles” — and names names. He calls for indictments. He claims credit.
On local media, he is quieter. When he appeared on Fox 9 on February 6, he said: “I’m not going to dehumanize anybody.” He said: “Reduce the rhetoric.”
At donor events, he is optimistic. “Growth rings.” “Best days ahead.” “Stand up and fight back.”
In hearings, he doesn’t stay. Four minutes. Unsworn. No questions.
On Twitter, he is prolific. Seventy-two posts in six days. Twenty-seven of them about a single voter ID bill. He amplifies claims he hasn’t verified, echoes accusations made by senators who weren’t under oath, and calls for the indictment of officials who were.
On government shutdowns, he warns that Democrats are “holding vital government functions hostage” — then leaves for recess without a deal. Three shutdowns in six months. He is the Majority Whip.
In his district, he is absent. No public Q&A. No unscripted interaction with the people who pay his salary.
The audience changes. The message changes. The accountability stays at zero.
The Questions
We have sent questions to Rep. Emmer’s office every day this week via his official contact form. We have not received a single response. The questions remain open. They are archived at MN-06 Watch and available for any journalist, constituent, or candidate who would like to use them.
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Sources
Emmer tweets: @GOPMajorityWhip and @TomEmmer, February 8–14, 2026
Senate HSGAC hearing: C-SPAN, February 12, 2026
Guy Benson / AFP event: February 11, 2026 (posted Feb 13)
SAVE America Act press conference: February 11, 2026
C-SPAN House leadership stakeout: February 10, 2026
Matt Gaetz Show: February 10, 2026
Emmer interview, Fox News Digital (Elizabeth Elkind): February 13, 2026
Operation Metro Surge ending: Tom Homan press conference, Feb 12; Star Tribune; NBC News; CBS Minnesota; Axios
4,000 arrests / no criminal breakdown: Star Tribune; AG Ellison sworn testimony; Sen. Lankford (R-OK)
3,000 children fact-check: CBS Minnesota; MinnPost; AP; USA Today
DHS shutdown: NPR; NBC News; CNN; CBS News; ABC News; Fox News, February 13–14, 2026
“Paid agitators” rated False: PolitiFact / PBS NewsHour
Hennepin County Attorney — 1A cases dismissed: hennepinattorney.org; CBS Minnesota
Nina’s Coffee crash / Selby & Western: MPR News, Minnesota Reformer, FOX 9, KARE 11
Economic damage: Gov. Walz press conference; Star Tribune
Detention conditions: court filing, CBS Minnesota
DOJ dropped charges: CBS Minnesota
Measles: CBS Minnesota
Boundary Waters: H.J. Res. 140; Outdoor News; Field & Stream
Previous editions: MN-06 Watch Substack (Daily editions, January 2026–present)