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By Ryan Faircloth

The Associated Press

Good morning. U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer once responded forcefully to constituents who asked him how to stop Somalis from moving into St. Cloud. As long as they moved into the community legally, Emmer said, “you don’t get to slam the gate behind you and tell nobody else that they’re welcome.” 

A decade later, Emmer, who is now one of the most powerful Republicans in the country, has become a chief defender of President Donald Trump's crackdown on Minnesota's Somali community, my colleague Sydney Kashiwagi writes. After Trump called Somalis "garbage" last week and said they should "go back to their country," Emmer went on cable news and falsely claimed that 80% of the crimes committed in the Twin Cities are being committed by Somalis.

Emmer has embraced Trump and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement since the president derailed his bid to become U.S. House speaker in late 2023. The Republican from Minnesota's Sixth District has become a key ally for the Trump administration, regularly appearing on cable networks to tout the president's agenda.

Years ago, Emmer made a considerable effort to make inroads in his district's Somali community, which is home to about 16% of Minnesota's Somali population. He and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, now Minnesota's attorney general, formed the Congressional Somalia Caucus in 2015 to advocate for "peace and stability" in Somalia.

Ellison said the creation of the Somalia caucus “was a great expression of bipartisan cooperation.”

“And now he won’t denounce the president calling the Somali community, his community, garbage? That’s sad, and I’m deeply disappointed,” Ellison added.

Emmer ignored Kashiwagi on Capitol Hill when asked Thursday to clarify whether he agreed with what Trump said and if he condemned the president’s remarks. Read more.

Metropolitan Council members rarely ride Metro Transit. Metro Transit is desperate for riders, but it's not finding many on its own governing board. Minnesota Star Tribune intern Cole Reynolds reports that only nine members of the 17-person Metropolitan Council used their government-issued transit passes between September 2024 and September 2025, according to data collected by Metro Transit.

Safety concerns on buses and trains have hindered efforts to attract riders in the Twin Cities. As Met Council members try to reverse a ridership slump, their own habits show a gap in experience between transit leaders and the riders they're courting.

“It’s part of your duty, your due diligence, to get out there and experience what daily riders are,” said former Met Council Member Annette Meeks. Read more.

GOP state Sen. Steve Drazkowski won't seek re-election next year. The Republican from Mazeppa announced Tuesday that his nearly two-decade legislative career is coming to an end. He's represented Wabasha and Goodhue counties and parts of Olmsted, Winona, and Dakota counties in the Senate since 2023. Drazkowski served in the Minnesota House from 2007-2023. He's part of a growing list of legislative retirements ahead of the 2026 election. 

“Serving the people of southeastern Minnesota in the House of Representatives and Senate has been a great honor,” he said in a statement. "I have fought to secure our constitutional freedoms, promote fiscal responsibility, improve economic opportunity for families and small businesses, strengthen Minnesota’s agricultural and rural economies, and advance policies that increase transparency and accountability in state government."

Drazkowski will continue to serve until his term ends in January 2027.

Gov. Tim Walz is scheduled to host a reception for 2026 Special Olympics athletes and staff on Wednesday evening.

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Where do the other Republicans stand on Trump's comments about Somalis? Emmer is not the only Republican in Minnesota's congressional delegation who's avoided pushing back on Trump saying Somalis should "go back to where they came from" and are "garbage."

Reps. Pete Stauber and Michelle Fischbach ignored Kashiwagi on Capitol Hill last week when she asked him about Trump's remarks. Fischbach's office did not respond to a follow up email asking for comment.

So far, GOP Rep. Brad Finstad has been the only Republican in the delegation who's pushed back on Trump: "If it's Somalis, if it's Irish, if it's Norwegians, if it's Germans, if they've committed crimes, they should be prosecuted and we should have law and order. But to single out one population over another is a broad brush that I would not use," Finstad said during an interview this week on KTTC.