Two Voices
MN-06 Daily: February 25, 2026
On State of the Union night, Rep. Tom Emmer appeared on Fox 9 Minneapolis — warm, local, grateful: “It’s an honor to represent the 6th Congressional District.” Three hours later, he was tweeting about “Somali fraudsters,” mocking a colleague’s “TDS,” and telling Rep. Omar he’d “hold her hand” while the administration came for her constituents. The Star Tribune editorial board gave him a “solid F in civic leadership.” His own constituents are starting to agree.
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29 tweets. 1 local TV interview. 0 votes. 0 town halls. Two very different Tom Emmers — on the same night.
931 days since Rep. Emmer’s last in-person town hall — August 9, 2023 — Hamburg, MN
DHS Shutdown: Day 11. 260,000 workers without pay. Global Entry still suspended. TSA PreCheck suspended and reversed. FEMA at emergency operating status. Emmer’s tweets about the shutdown today: 0.
The Two Voices
We documented this pattern three weeks ago, in our February 7 daily: “The Echo Chamber: When Your Congressman Has Two Faces.” The conclusion then was that Emmer modulates his message for his audience — fire for national conservative media, moderation for local Minnesota outlets.
State of the Union night made the pattern undeniable. The compression is now measured in hours, not weeks.
Fox 9 Minneapolis — February 25, 5:00 PM (3:53 interview)
Emmer appeared alongside his SOTU guests: Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany and Dean Dally of Blaine Brothers trucking. The tone was everything you’d want from a local congressman:
“It’s an honor to represent the 6th Congressional District.”
“So many people I could have invited.”
“Both of these gentlemen fit the theme of no tax on overtime, 100% expensing — it’s about keeping our officers happy, keeping our truckers on the road.”
Chief Podany called it “an incredible honor” and praised “incredible support from our residents and businesses.” Dally talked about recruitment and retention. It was warm. It was local. It was the Tom Emmer that MN-06 rarely gets to see anymore.
Twitter — Same night, starting ~8:00 PM
Three hours after that interview aired, Emmer was a different person entirely:
“Law-abiding taxpayers in Minnesota are PISSED we’ve been taken advantage of by Somali fraudsters.”
“Ilhan, we’re going to hold your hand while we tell you this... The war on fraud is underway!”
“While Democrats dress up as giraffes and act like everything is a joke, radical leftists are deranged, chanting, and screaming... Republicans are chanting USA!”
“Angie’s got a bad case of TDS.”
“Sage’s story” — attacking Governor Walz over Minnesota’s trans refuge policies.
Same man. Same night. Same event. One voice for Fox 9’s Minneapolis audience. Another for his national Twitter following.
This is not a politician adapting his tone. This is a congressman who understands that the people who actually live in his district would recoil at what he says when he thinks they’re not watching.
“Somali Pirates”
The centerpiece of SOTU night — for Minnesota — was Trump’s extended attack on the Somali community.
The President told a joint session of Congress that “members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer” and that “the Somali pirates who ransacked Minnesota remind us that there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm.”
He announced JD Vance would lead a “war on fraud” and that the administration would pursue “every last cent.”
The numbers need context:
Trump’s claim: $19 billion in fraud. Federal prosecutors have estimated total potential fraud across all programs at approximately $9 billion — itself a figure that combines multiple programs, multiple years, and a wide range of allegations, many unproven. The Star Tribune has documented actual prosecuted fraud in the Feeding Our Future case at roughly $250 million. Of 70 defendants convicted so far, the vast majority are Somali American. But $19 billion conflates total federal program spending with actual fraud — a massive inflation of the documented problem.
The “pirates” framing. Nearly all Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, many of whom have lived in the state for decades. Many came as refugees fleeing the very “lawlessness” Trump invoked. The language is not accidental — it dehumanizes an entire community of American citizens.
Emmer’s echo. Within minutes, Emmer tweeted that Minnesotans were “PISSED” about “Somali fraudsters.” This is the author of the SCAM Act — the bill introduced January 20 to denaturalize and deport citizens convicted of fraud. His own words when he introduced it: “It’s time to send them home.”
Emmer did not tweet about the $19 billion claim’s accuracy. He did not note that his own SOTU guest’s department — the Blaine Police Department — explicitly states it “does not ask about or monitor immigration status.” He amplified the president’s framing without question.
What Happened in the Chamber
The SOTU was the longest in modern history — approximately 108 minutes. Several moments are relevant to MN-06:
Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) shouted from the gallery: “You have killed Americans,” “You’re a liar,” and “You are a murderer” — referencing Renee Good (killed January 7 by a federal agent in south Minneapolis) and Alex Pretti (killed January 24). Rep. Rashida Tlaib added: “You’re shooting them” and “Alex wasn’t a criminal.” Both left the chamber approximately 10 minutes later.
Rep. Al Green (TX-09) was ejected for displaying a sign reading “Black People Aren’t Apes,” referencing a video Trump had shared depicting former President Obama as an ape.
Emmer’s response to the confrontation: He did not address Omar’s substantive claims — that federal agents had killed American citizens in Minnesota. Instead, he tweeted the “hold your hand” mockery and cheerleading about the “war on fraud.”
What he could have said: A congressman representing a district adjacent to where those citizens were killed might have acknowledged the deaths, expressed concern, or even defended the administration’s actions while recognizing the gravity of the situation. Emmer chose mockery.
The Star Tribune Weighs In
Today, Star Tribune editorial columnist Rochelle Olson published a column headlined: “Emmer could’ve helped end Operation Metro Surge. He fanned the flames instead.”
The column makes several points worth documenting:
The Rybak challenge. Former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak wrote on February 5 that Emmer “alone could end the incursion by talking to President Donald Trump” — that if Emmer “simply said this is wrong” and “simply stood up for people he represents,” Operation Metro Surge “would end tomorrow.”
Emmer’s office responded. Olson asked about rumors that Emmer had been “working behind the scenes with corporate leaders to urge Trump to relent on the siege of Minnesota.” His spokesperson’s answer: The rumors are “completely false.”
That’s worth reading twice. Emmer’s own office confirmed he was not trying to help. Not privately, not publicly. He wasn’t working the phones. He wasn’t leveraging his position as the third-ranking House Republican. He chose not to.
The timeline of flame-fanning. Olson documented Emmer’s statements from January 7 through February:
January 12: Called Ellison “a sorry excuse for an attorney general” for filing suit against ICE operations.
January 13: Blamed “so-called leaders” Walz, Ellison, and Frey for the crisis.
January 27: Went on Fox News the same day Walz spoke privately with Trump, accusing the governor of “fomenting all of this nasty rhetoric” and “inviting these organized protesters and agitators.”
Called for Walz to resign “in handcuffs” and for Ellison to be “disbarred, kicked out of office and indicted.”
The grade: Olson called it “a solid F in civic leadership, compassion and the U.S. Constitution.”
The interview request: Emmer declined to be interviewed. Olson noted: “Despite being in Congress since 2015, Emmer runs and hides from challenging and uncomfortable questions with mainstream news organizations.”
This last point matters for MN-06 Watch. We’ve been documenting the same pattern — 931 days without a town hall, selective media appearances limited to friendly outlets, no response to our daily questions submitted to his office. The Star Tribune editorial board is now on the record with the same observation.
What His Constituents Are Saying
The comments on Olson’s column include several from self-identified MN-06 residents. They’re worth noting because Emmer has repeatedly claimed on national television that his constituents support his approach — telling Fox News that “the vast majority of Minnesotans that I know that are talking to me, they appreciate the fact that federal law enforcement has arrived.”
From the comments:
“I live in the 6th District of Emmer WHO? Represents. I can not stand this guy. Emmer also represent the St Cloud area. They have a large Somali population. Where was he when ICE showed up? Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“As an independent and someone in Emmers district, I actually voted for him when he first ran. I may have even voted for him the 2nd time. But soon it became clear that Tom Emmers interests were in Tom Emmer. Not the people of his district... He has shown time and time again that his ‘values’ are ‘whatever Trump wants.’ He is just a Trump tool and not an independent thinker.”
“Can anyone list the main things he has done for his district? I want to see a comparison of all 8 US Cong Reps from Minnesota focusing on concrete things we can point to that they either led or came up with on their own.”
One commenter answered that question with a blank list. Literally — an empty response.
We present these not as representative of the district, but as evidence that Emmer’s claim to speak for his constituents may not be as airtight as he suggests on national television. When he says Minnesotans are telling him they “appreciate” the federal enforcement, the question is: which Minnesotans? And how would he know? He hasn’t held a public town hall in 931 days.
The SOTU Fact-Check
Several of Trump’s claims are relevant to Emmer’s own talking points — claims Emmer amplified without correction:
“Stagnant economy” inherited: The economy grew 2.2% in 2025 — lower than any year under Biden (2.5% in 2022, 2.9% in 2023, 2.8% in 2024). Unemployment rose from 4.0% to 4.3%. This is the economy Emmer has been calling “STRONG” and “WINNING.”
“Largest tax cut in history”: The Tax Foundation ranks it sixth largest. Emmer has repeated this claim without correction.
“70,000 construction jobs”: BLS data shows approximately 44,000. A 37% exaggeration.
“Inflation plummeting”: CPI fell from 3.0% to 2.4% — a real decline, but consumer sentiment remains at the 3rd percentile historically. 46% of Americans cite high prices eroding their finances for seven consecutive months. Emmer tweeted “Inflation is cooling” without noting that his own constituents’ lived experience contradicts the headline number.
“Zero illegal aliens admitted in 9 months”: Border Patrol stopped releasing migrants into the interior, but encounters continued. The framing implies a sealed border; the reality is a policy change in processing.
The word Trump never said. One notable absence from the longest State of the Union in modern history: “ICE.” Trump devoted minutes to immigration, the Somali community, and the “war on fraud” — but never once named the agency that carried out Operation Metro Surge, the agency whose agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, and the agency at the center of the DHS shutdown he demanded Congress resolve in the same speech. Emmer has spent weeks defending ICE by name — calling Ellison “a sorry excuse” for suing them, attacking Walz and Frey for refusing to cooperate with them, praising Homan’s deployment of them. The President wouldn’t say the word.
Emmer amplified several of these claims in his SOTU night tweets. He corrected none of them. Yesterday, we documented that this was his third consecutive appearance with fabricated GDP numbers. Today he added presidential amplification to the pattern.
What He Tweeted (29 Tweets, Feb 24-25)
The Blaine Contradiction — Day 2
Yesterday we documented the contradiction: Emmer brought Blaine Police Chief Podany to the SOTU while demanding on CNBC that local police cooperate with ICE — even though Blaine PD’s own website says they don’t enforce immigration laws.
Yesterday’s Fox 9 interview deepened it. Emmer praised Podany warmly, talked about “keeping our officers happy,” and described it as an “honor” to bring him. But he didn’t mention the Blaine PD immigration policy. He didn’t mention Becky Ringstrom, the U.S. citizen detained by masked federal agents in Blaine on January 29. He didn’t explain how his SOTU guest’s department squares with his argument.
The Blaine Police Department’s website, as of today: “The Blaine Police Department does not ask about or monitor immigration status, and it does not enforce federal immigration laws. Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government.”
Emmer’s statement on the Ringstrom detention: [None]
7 Questions for Rep. Emmer’s Office
Submitted via official channels. As with previous dailies, we will publish any response in full.
During the Fox 9 interview, you called it “an honor to represent the 6th Congressional District.” Three hours later, you tweeted about “Somali fraudsters” and mocked Rep. Omar. Which message represents your view of your role?
The President claimed $19 billion in fraud by the Somali community. Federal prosecutors estimate approximately $9 billion across all programs; documented prosecuted fraud in Feeding Our Future is approximately $250 million. Do you agree with the $19 billion figure?
Your office confirmed to the Star Tribune that rumors of behind-the-scenes efforts to end Operation Metro Surge were “completely false.” As the third-ranking House Republican, why did you choose not to intervene — privately or publicly — while two U.S. citizens were killed by federal agents in your home state?
R.T. Rybak said you could have ended the operation with a single conversation with the President. Was he wrong?
The Star Tribune editorial board gave you “a solid F in civic leadership.” You declined their interview request. Will you accept ours?
Your SOTU guest’s department does not enforce immigration laws. You demand cities cooperate with ICE. Can you explain the contradiction?
It has been 931 days since your last in-person town hall. Your constituents are commenting in the Star Tribune that you don’t represent them. When will you hold one?
📊 MN-06 Watch Research Tools Vote Tracker • Tweet Archive • Transcripts
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📊 Source Data:
Fox 9 Minneapolis interview, February 25, 2026 (3:53): YouTube
Emmer tweet archive: 29 tweets tracked across @tomemmer and @GOPMajorityWhip, Feb 24-25
Trump SOTU transcript, February 24, 2026 (White House)
SOTU fact-checks: CNN, NBC, NPR, CNBC, WRAL
Rochelle Olson, “Emmer could’ve helped end Operation Metro Surge. He fanned the flames instead.” Star Tribune, Feb 25, 2026
Star Tribune comment section (MN-06 constituent statements)
Omar/Tlaib confrontation: CNN, Fox News, NBC, Democracy Now, Star Tribune, NOTUS
DHS shutdown: DHS.gov, Federal News Network, Government Executive
Operation Metro Surge: Wikipedia, Minnesota Reformer, Britannica, Unicorn Riot
SCAM Act: Emmer press release, January 20, 2026
Blaine PD immigration policy: blainemn.gov
MN-06 Watch, “The Echo Chamber: When Your Congressman Has Two Faces,” February 7, 2026
Consumer sentiment: University of Michigan, February 2026
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