Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) told MS NOW correspondent Jacob Soboroff that he is retiring from politics.

JACOB SOBOROFF, MS NOW CORRESPONDENT: Is there — you mentioned this fraud investigation and the reason that they’re here. Is there anything you think, when you look back, you could have done differently to prevent them from showing up and doing what they’re doing here? GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): No. No. They were coming anyway. We had — this was — it was all make-believe that we’d been at it. Every state had this. And, look, I do think there has to be accountability in this. No one in state government was implicated. This happens all over. People did this. We find — we got it caught. We put them in jail or whatever. But somebody needs to be accountable. And I said, you know what? You’re right. I’m accountable for this. Let me, this year, get this all fixed, which we will have the strongest programs. We’re already doing it. But the people they had that were prosecuting these cases, those people that were over at the U.S. attorney’s office, they all quit. The people prosecuting fraud quit because of the corruption in this administration. And… SOBOROFF: They don’t want to prosecute the widow of Renee. WALZ: Right. And knowing that all of this is tied together. So, if their argument was, they came here to do this, one is, every state’s got it. We have some of the most secure systems. And the people who were actually doing the prosecuting, they don’t have anybody over there to do it. SOBOROFF: But it led you to end your political career, effectively. Do you regret jumping out before such a consequential moment? WALZ: No. No. And part of it was true. Look, I recognize that I’m lightning rod. And this is a tough — it’s a tough space for — I’m in, because I know they hate me personally. And they take it out on my constituents, because old white guys who are former governors tend to land on their feet OK type of thing. So it’s not — that attacking me. On that case of it, I — the thing that gets me the most — and this is where I do feel responsibility for it — is having faith in government and the transparency of government and making sure that that trust is in the public is really important. And I think on this one is, this was a move to show, look, you’re right, we can do better on this. I’m very proud. I think, in the long run, whether it’s paid family leave, feeding our kids, getting through COVID, as one of the states with the lowest death rates, I’m very proud of what my team has done. But I also think trying to remove myself from this. But in all fairness, on the timing, I removed myself and, then two days later, Renee Good is murdered. But I think one of the things is, is, I have no political consideration, will never run for an elected office again. SOBOROFF: Never again? WALZ: Never again. And I will just do the work. And what I found is, again, I’m going to say this. There’s heroes on the streets that we don’t know their names. They’re never going to run for office. And those grasstop leaders brought this administration to their knees this week to do something about it. So there’s other ways to serve. And I will find them.

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