The Trump Administration has initiated inquiries against the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz and the Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey, setting the scene for a new politics based showdown.
While the ex president asserts his allegations of wrongdoing against the Democrats in a state that has consistently voted against him.
There is as yet little information on these probes. Nothing formal has been put out by federal authorities as to the parameters and time frame of these investigations and Walz and Frey do not yet face any charges.
The fact is however, that these incidents further highlight the Trump presidency’s abuse of its powers against its political enemies.
This is something which the former president has been under the gun for during past administrations and election cycles.
Sources say that the cases are related to some of the actions taken by state and city authorities in times of civil disturbance and response efforts which have long been an area of contention between Trump and Minnesota authorities.
The city of Minneapolis was the focal point of a countrywide protest in 2020 and Trump often criticized the response to order and policing by state governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Frey
The Trump administration believes that federal involvement is required in cases in which state activities could be in conflict with federal laws, although specific violations in the current situation have not been provided.
Walz, former congressman and former member of the National Guard has refused allegations of any improper action.
Attorneys describe the probes of sitting state and local officials as rare but not unheard of.
There is a good deal of latitude granted to the agencies of the federal government on matters of potential violation of federal statutes, especially concerning the questions of civil rights or the assertion of emergency powers or the allocation of federal funds.
For Trump, the probes connect with a larger political story.
He has often charged that Democratic state governors and mayors are incompetent or ideologically misguided especially with regard to crime, policing and protests.
Supportive voices say that evaluating what Minnesota state leaders are doing is in order in a bid to reestablish accountability. Others argue the probes could politicize federal law enforcement.
Minnesota has long been considered an important Democratic state in the last few presidential election cycles and Walz is not only an important local politician but also has national standing in his party.
Rumors of any kind of federal inquiry could fire up Trump supporters, aside from rallying Democrats behind him.
In the case of Frey whose city faces challenges of police reform and economic revival these federal inquiries only add to the complexity of the environment.
At this point, it would seem that there is little practical effect. Walz and Frey are both still in their positions and operating within their political powers in every respect.
There are no court rulings or other bureaucratic measures reminding them of their limits.
Until more information becomes public these inquiries represent another point of contention in the longstanding feud Trump has maintained with the Democratic Party’s leadership.
