Holocaust Museum Criticizes Gov. Tim Walz’s Comments on Minnesota Children and Anne Frank
The Hall of Remembrance during an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event January 27, 2015 at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Tim Walz announced that he would not be seeking reelection on Monday, January 5, 2026, at a press conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Credit:
Alex Wong/Getty; Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty
### U.S. Holocaust Museum Criticizes Tim Walz’s Comments
The U.S. Holocaust Museum has condemned remarks made by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in which he compared the fears of children in Minnesota to those faced by Holocaust victim Anne Frank. This statement was made during a press conference on January 25, following the tragic shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal officers.
During the press conference, Walz stated, “We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody’s going to write that children’s story about Minnesota.”
In response, the Holocaust Museum issued a statement pointing out the inappropriateness of drawing parallels between contemporary issues and the Holocaust. The statement emphasized that, “Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish,” adding that “leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable. Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges.”
These comments and the museum’s reaction have surfaced amid escalating tensions in the Minneapolis area, particularly following incidents involving federal law enforcement. Precise numbers of those affected by the recent violence are not available, but the community is visibly shaken.
President Donald Trump noted in a post on Truth Social that he had discussed the shootings with Walz. He described their conversation as a “very good call,” indicating a collaboration between state and federal authorities concerning public safety. Trump said, “Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota. The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future.”
Amid these developments, some school districts in Minnesota have offered students the option to transition to online learning in response to rising concerns about safety. Stacie Stanley, superintendent of St. Paul schools, noted in a video message, “Over the past several days, I have received hundreds of messages about offering a temporary virtual learning option for students who do not feel comfortable coming to school right now.”
This transition comes as reports indicate that many students from immigrant backgrounds are staying home from school due to increased Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the area. As reported, on January 9, approximately half of Spanish-speaking students and a quarter of Somali-speaking students in St. Paul were absent.
The offer of remote education resonates with recent incidents, including the detention of a five-year-old boy and his father by ICE agents, raising alarms in the local immigrant community about safety in accessing education.
