Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s approval rating in his state has plummeted to a level below President Donald Trump as the state’s top executive continues to face blowback from the massive fraud scandal that erupted under his watch. 

Walz, who is leaving office in January after announcing he will not run for re-election, has an approval rating of 39% in the state and a disapproval rating of 53% with 8% not sure, according to a new poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy Inc. for KARE 11, the Minnesota Star Tribune, and the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The poll surveyed 800 Minnesota registered voters likely to participate in the November general election via live telephone interviews from June 8-10, 2026 and the numbers represent Walz’s lowest approval rating since taking office six years ago.

On the fraud issue, 45% of voters say they trust Republicans to fix it compared to 38% who chose Democrats and 14% who said neither party.

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The same polling unit registered Trump’s approval rating in the state at 41% this week, which conservatives on social media took notice of.

«Tim Walz has a lower approval rating than President Trump in deep blue Minnesota right now,» Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. «That’s how toxic the fraud has become for Democrats.»

Over the past year, the Trump administration has taken a major interest in Minnesota and unleashed its fraud task force into the state, resulting in raids, arrests and further investigations into how the fraud was able to grow so quickly in the state.

Another contentious issue revealed by the poll is Minnesota’s new state flag, supported by Walz, that 50% of voters say they disapprove of. 

The state’s new flag has become a cultural and political flashpoint in a state already reeling from one of the largest fraud scandals in U.S. history, heavily involving the Somali immigrant community. The flag was approved by a 13-member commission created by the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2023. Critics of the flag say it is overly simplistic and some have even knocked it as bearing a resemblance to Somalia’s national flag. 

MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS UNLOAD ON WALZ’S ‘LEGACY’ AFTER HE TOUTS FRAUD RECORD IN FINAL ADDRESS: ‘RIDICULOUS’

«Two issues that unite a majority of Minnesotans are the rejection of Tim Walz and his failed policies and our hatred for the Minnesota Somali state flag,» Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. «The flag is an embarrassment and good on the cities who are actively removing it from their city halls and communities.» 

«President Trump is more popular than Tim Walz in his home state because Minnesotans are sick and tired of Walz siding with illegal aliens and Somali fraudsters over his hardworking, taxpaying constituents.» he continued. «The legacy of Tim Walz will be the fires that destroyed Minneapolis, the fraud that he allowed to be stolen under his watch, and his failures that have harmed our great state.» 

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a press conference about the state’s new paid family leave policy at the Coliseum Building in Minneapolis on Jan. 6, 2026. The event occurred a day after Walz announced his withdrawal from the 2026 gubernatorial race. (Photo by Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

Fraud appears to have played a significant role in Walz’s cratering approval, which is evidenced by a 10-point drop in his support since last year as the fraud scandal has dominated headlines.

Only 1% of Republicans in the state say they approve of the job Walz is doing, along with 73% of Democrats and 32% of Independents.

«America rejected Tim Walz in 2024,» Republican Minnesota State Sen. Michael Holmstrom told Fox News Digital. «Now Minnesotans are following suit. The good news for Tim is that, now that his record is on full display, he could soon be the most popular guy in the jailhouse.»

Republican State Sen. Mark Koran told Fox News Digital that the polls «really tell you what Gov. Walz has done to himself.»

«He let his fraud crisis blow up and didn’t do anything to fix it while he was busy shoving all this radical stuff into state government,» Koran said. «After years of extreme far-left ideology and policies that don’t help normal people, Minnesotans have had enough. His legacy is going to be the fraud crisis and desecrating the state flag. Minnesota is just tired of it.»

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report

Este jueves, los votantes de Makerfield, un distrito electoral del norte de Inglaterra, acuden a las urnas para unas elecciones extraordinarias cuyo resultado podría cambiar el panorama político británico.

En ciertos aspectos, la contienda es típica, con muchos candidatos centrados en cuestiones hiperlocales, como la recolección de basura, los baches en las rutas y la financiación de los colegios.

Pero, en otros aspectos, es única. Andy Burnham, el candidato del Partido Laborista, se presenta para convertirse en diputado con el fin de poder disputar al primer ministro Keir Starmer el liderazgo del partido. Si eso ocurre, Burnham podría convertirse en el próximo primer ministro del Reino Unido.

Esto es lo que hay que saber.

¿Por qué se celebran estas elecciones en Reino Unido?

Las elecciones extraordinarias, conocidas en el Reino Unido como “by-election” (elección parcial), se convocaron después de que un diputado laborista, Josh Simons, renunciara para dejar paso a Burnham, alcalde del Gran Mánchester.

Si Burnham gana, podrá disputarle el liderazgo a Starmer, cuya popularidad se ha desplomado hasta alcanzar uno de los niveles más bajos de cualquier primer ministro en la historia moderna del Reino Unido. En las encuestas, los ciudadanos expresan su descontento con la economía, los servicios públicos, los impuestos y la inmigración, pero también manifiestan un rechazo visceral hacia el propio primer ministro.

Starmer ha logrado avances a la hora de abordar algunos problemas, pero no los suficientes para hacer cambiar la opinión pública. Burnham, un comunicador más carismático y el político más popular del Partido Laborista, es considerado dentro del partido como su mejor esperanza para recuperar votantes.

En Makerfield, el Partido Laborista se enfrenta a una competencia especial por parte de Reform UK (Reformar Reino Unido), el partido populista de derecha. Las encuestas fiables son escasas, pero los conocedores de la situación creen que el resultado podría estar reñido.

¿Quién es Andy Burnham y qué defiende?

Burnham, de 56 años, nació en las afueras de Liverpool y creció en Culcheth, no muy lejos de Makerfield. Sus raíces del norte han marcado su trayectoria política, y lleva mucho tiempo quejándose de que Westminster y los medios de comunicación están demasiado centrados en Londres.

El periodo más largo de su carrera lo pasó como miembro del Parlamento por Leigh, en el Gran Mánchester, desde 2001 hasta 2017. Como legislador, Burnham ascendió con velocidad, llegó a ser secretario de Cultura y, más tarde, secretario de Salud bajo el mandato del primer ministro Gordon Brown.

Intentó en dos ocasiones convertirse en líder del Partido Laborista, en 2010 y en 2015, cuando partía como claro favorito, pero perdió frente a Jeremy Corbyn, de tendencia más a la izquierda. Desencantado con Westminster, Burnham abandonó el Parlamento y ganó las elecciones a la alcaldía del Gran Mánchester. En 2021, volvió a ganar con un porcentaje de votos aún mayor.

Leé también: Reino Unido: renunció un miembro del gabinete de Keir Starmer y se agravó la crisis en el gobierno laborista

Los casi diez años de Burnham como alcalde coincidieron con un periodo de crecimiento económico en Mánchester. Se ganó el reconocimiento de los vecinos durante la pandemia del covid, cuando pronunció un discurso en el que criticó con dureza al gobierno conservador por los efectos de los confinamientos en su región. Volvió a nacionalizar los autobuses de la ciudad, e hizo que algunos trayectos fueran gratuitos.

A lo largo de este tiempo, transformó su identidad política en la de un outsider frente al gobierno de Londres. Y se ganó la reputación de ser una persona que habla sin rodeos y que entiende las necesidades de la clase trabajadora. Sus detractores han señalado que tiene poca experiencia en política exterior, lo que, según ellos, podría suponer un punto débil para un futuro primer ministro en un mundo que se enfrenta a guerras prolongadas y tensiones geopolíticas.

¿Qué dirán los resultados sobre la derecha británica?

En mayo, el partido Reform UK, liderado por Nigel Farage, ganó 24 de los 25 escaños del consejo municipal en disputa en la zona de Makerfield, que había estado dominada por el Partido Laborista durante décadas. Las elecciones del jueves brindan a Farage otra oportunidad de demostrar que los votantes apoyan su programa antiinmigración, antieuropeísta y con una agenda contraria al objetivo de cero emisiones netas.

Si gana el candidato de Reform, Rob Kenyon, podría decirse que representaría una de las mayores victorias de Farage desde su campaña para el referéndum del Brexit de 2016, que sacó al Reino Unido de la Unión Europea.

Pero un partido de extrema derecha emergente llamado Restore Britain (Restaurar Reino Unido) también se presenta en Makerfield, y ha recibido el apoyo en internet de Elon Musk. Si eso divide el voto de la derecha entre Restore y Reform, podría beneficiar a Burnham. (Según el sistema electoral británico de mayoría simple, los ganadores solo necesitan un voto más que cualquier otro candidato).

Una derrota supondría un duro golpe para Reform, lo que pondría en duda su capacidad para presentar candidatos de calidad y para dar respuesta a las preguntas sobre su dependencia de unos pocos donantes acaudalados. El mes pasado se reveló que Farage había aceptado un regalo por valor de 5 millones de libras (unos 6,7 millones de dólares) de un multimillonario británico del sector de las criptomonedas radicado en Tailandia.

¿Podría Keir Starmer realmente verse relevado de su cargo?

Sí, aunque no está claro qué tan rápido. Burnham ha dicho que, si gana, se presentaría a cualquier contienda por el liderazgo contra Starmer.

También podrían presentarse otros candidatos, entre ellos Wes Streeting, que dimitió el mes pasado como secretario de Salud de Starmer.

El primer ministro ha dicho varias veces en las últimas semanas que se enfrentaría a cualquier desafío.

Muchos diputados laboristas esperan que, si gana Burnham, Starmer acepte un calendario en el que permanezca en el cargo durante unas semanas o meses para garantizar la estabilidad, al tiempo que se celebra la contienda por el liderazgo. Un nuevo líder laborista –y primer ministro– podría tomar posesión en el congreso anual del partido en septiembre.

Por Michael D. Shear

A divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court, including two Democrat justices, ordered Soros-backed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office to face new outside scrutiny over its post-conviction concessions, after the state’s high court found the office’s handling of one convicted murderer’s case was unreliable and said similar problems extended beyond just that single case.

Justice Kevin Dougherty wrote the 4-3 opinion in the case of Levar Brown, a Philadelphia man whose murder convictions became the centerpiece of a broader legal fight over Krasner’s Conviction Integrity Unit and the office’s willingness to concede relief in serious criminal cases. Dougherty was joined by Justice Daniel McCaffery, another Democrat judge on the state’s Supreme Court, and two other Republican judges. The dissenters were all Democrats.  

The 4-3 decision reversed a Philadelphia post-conviction order granting Brown a new trial after Krasner’s office conceded his conviction should not stand and a Philadelphia judge approved the request. It also ordered that, going forward, Philadelphia judges handling post-conviction challenges must notify the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and allow the office to intervene before granting relief in any case where Krasner’s office concedes that a conviction should be overturned.

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The ruling stops short of handing control of the cases to the state attorney general, but it creates a new court-ordered check on Krasner’s office in future post-conviction matters.

«The prosecutor does not decide whether a defendant is entitled to relief under the Post Conviction Relief Act,» Dougherty wrote for the majority, emphasizing that a judge must independently determine whether a conviction should be overturned even when prosecutors agree with the defense.

The majority concluded that Krasner’s office’s concession in Brown’s case «was not reliable,» finding that Krasner’s office conceded relief when it was not warranted by the existing record, withheld material evidence from the court, submitted a false stipulation of fact, misstated facts in its pleadings, failed to conduct a reasonable investigation and opposed a required evidentiary hearing.

The court suggested that if its concerns in the Brown case were confined to just that case alone, it would not have justified a broader remedy. But the majority opinion said the concerns were evident in other post-conviction cases as well.

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Since 2018, the Philadelphia DA’s office has conceded relief «well over 100 times,» mostly in murder cases, according to the opinion. The court also said there are apparently more than 1,000 cases still waiting to be reviewed by the office’s Conviction Integrity Unit.

The case was brought to the high court by family members of murder victims Michael Richardson and Robert Crawford. Brown was convicted by a Philadelphia jury in the 2004 murder of Richardson and convicted by another Philadelphia jury in the 2005 murder of Crawford, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Two decades later, Krasner’s office conceded that Brown should receive a new trial and argued that relief was due without an evidentiary hearing, the attorney general’s office said.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner speaks during a news conference in Philadelphia, on Jan. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday praised the ruling, saying his office will now be able to serve as a check on the process for Philadelphia residents and victims’ families.

«As prosecutors, our role is to advocate for victims of crime, for public safety, and for justice,» Sunday said in a statement. «Centuries of experience teach that the best way to achieve that justice is through the adversarial process, with vigorous representation for both sides.»

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Sunday’s office said the court concluded the Philadelphia DA’s concession in Brown’s case was «not reliable» and «recognized that similar concessions in numerous other cases also appeared to be unreliable.»

«The Court directed judges to notify the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General of any concessions before granting relief, and to permit the Office of Attorney General to intervene in future cases where the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office attempts to concede a conviction,» the office said.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office said it is still assessing what the ruling will mean for its workload, budget and personnel.

«We are assessing what yesterday’s Supreme Court of Pennsylvania order will mean for our office’s workload and what impacts it may have on our budget and our personnel,» the OAG Press Team said. «Given the many unknowns involved, including the number of cases concessions will be made in and our response to those concessions, it may be difficult to fully assess these impacts until the process truly begins.»

The office added that it appreciates the court allowing the AG’s office to «serve as a check on this process for the citizens of Philadelphia and ensure that the interests of victims’ families are represented.»

The State Capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.  (Rachel Wisniewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Krasner’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. But Krasner posted a video response online defending his reform agenda and attacking the ruling as an anti-democratic move that treats Philadelphia differently from other counties.

The video featured images of civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. as Krasner framed criminal justice reform as part of a broader social justice movement.

«Reform can be scary to those who need it,» Krasner said in the video. «Which part don’t you like? The safety or the freedom?»

Krasner said Philadelphia has not had better numbers for «safety» or «freedom» in his lifetime and argued that critics are fighting a national criminal justice reform movement.

«The truth is that criminal justice reform is a national social justice movement,» Krasner said. «And like all other social justice movements, it follows a certain pattern. First they ignore you. We’re past it. Then they laugh at you. We’re past that. Then they fight you. And we have been fighting for eight and a half years. And then the next step – we got to get there – is you win.»

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner speaks in Philadelphia, on Jan. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Krasner said the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a «close decision,» ruled that when his office supports a defense position that someone deserves a new trial or release from custody, «we need to have the attorney general’s office looking over our shoulder unlike every other county.»

«Does that help democracy? No,» Krasner said. «It actually undermines the value of a vote in Philadelphia as compared to every other county.»

The majority opinion, however, said the order does not strip Krasner’s office of prosecutorial discretion. Instead, the court said the DA’s office remains free to litigate cases as it sees fit, but that the attorney general’s independent assessment and participation will «enhance the reliability» of post-conviction proceedings and their subsequent decisions.

In dissent, Justice David Wecht warned that the majority was injecting the attorney general into local post-conviction proceedings and interfering with the discretion of Philadelphia’s elected prosecutor. But the majority rejected that argument, saying the attorney general’s role would not override the DA’s discretion and would instead give courts the benefit of an adversarial process before convictions are overturned.

The ruling sends Brown’s case back to the Pennsylvania post-conviction court for further proceedings and sets a new process for future cases where Krasner’s office seeks to concede relief.