Readers Write: Gov. Tim Walz’s new campaign, Pete Hegseth’s preening, Kash Patel and the FBI

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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As a progressive Minnesotan, a parent of two young boys in public school and someone who works in local government, I believe deeply in the role government can and should play in building strong, equitable communities. That’s why it pains me to say this: Gov. Tim Walz should not seek a third term.

I’ve supported many of the governor’s policies over the years. I believe in public investment, in responsive leadership and in the idea that government can be a force for good. But the repeated and large-scale fraud that has occurred under this administration — from Feeding Our Future to housing stabilization programs and now the autism therapy billing scandal — has shaken my confidence.

These are not isolated incidents. They represent a pattern of oversight failure that has allowed blatant theft from Minnesota taxpayers, including working families like mine. This isn’t just about dollars lost — it’s about trust broken. And for those of us who believe in the power of government to do good, that broken trust is devastating.

I live in Minneapolis, where the effects of these failures are felt acutely. We’re navigating a child care crisis, a school calendar that doesn’t align with working parents’ needs and a downtown core struggling with visible homelessness and public safety concerns. We want to live in dense, vibrant neighborhoods supported by small businesses and public infrastructure — but that vision is undermined when basic systems are mismanaged and accountability is lacking.

Walz has served through unprecedented challenges — a global pandemic, civil unrest and economic upheaval. He deserves credit for navigating those storms. But leadership also means knowing when to step aside. I fear he will not only lose in his bid for a third term but take with him the credibility of pragmatic progressives who are trying to make real, lasting change in this state.

For the sake of our state’s future — and for the progressive values we hold dear — I respectfully urge Walz to step aside and make space for the next generation of leadership.

Katie Henly, Minneapolis

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Mike Lindell, the MyPillow salesman and election denier, now possibly wants to be Minnesota’s governor. This is the same guy who lost or risks losing millions in defamation suits against Dominion, Smartmatic and their employees, not to mention the $5 million at issue in the legal case with the man who proved his “computer evidence” of election fraud was pure nonsense.

Minnesota needs leadership grounded in reality, not fluff and fantasy.

An Old West mentality in a modern military? Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed, in his unprecedented in-person gathering of top military brass from around the world, that “we have the strongest, most powerful, most lethal and most prepared military on the planet. That is true, full stop. Nobody can touch us. It’s not even close.” Yet, he then added that “foolish and reckless politicians” had forced the military “to focus on the wrong things” and that it had promoted too many leaders “based on their race, based on gender quotas.” Interesting that with a diverse military we have the “strongest, most powerful, most lethal and most prepared military on the planet” and yet the military has been focused “on the wrong things.”

But he didn’t stop there. He also told the generals that that day was “the liberation of America’s warriors, in name, in deed and in authorities. You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct and don’t necessarily belong always in polite society” and so he is loosening rules about hazing and bullying (that helped to reduce the high rate of suicide among the military ranks), changing physical fitness norms “to the highest male standard” with the clear, unspoken intent to get women out of combat roles, and prohibiting beards, which will force primarily Black men out of the service, because Black men suffer at a much higher rate than white men do from a chronic skin condition that makes shaving painful and can cause scarring.

This kind of implied Wild West military ethos encourages the assumptions that “might makes right” and “the fastest draw” knows best — no matter the judgment, principles, ethics or morals of those individuals. While physical prowess is an important part of the military, military might — without a high moral, ethical center — is a dangerous thing. We witnessed it during the Civil War, in both World Wars and in regional conflicts more recently as well. A macho, dominating, controlling soldier in the newly resurrected “Department of War” — one who is free to ignore, deny and denigrate the skills of our diverse population both within and outside the military — is not in our nation’s best interests.

Jerry Friest, Eagan

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For an apt analogy, ask any Vietnam vet what happened to bright shiny officers fresh out of West Point or Officer Candidate School who showed up in country, called the working troops from their assignments, had them stand at attention while he polished his brass buttons, then proceeded to chide them on their “look,” their grooming and their lack of warrior ethos. Oh, and Reveille at 0600! What happened was, they failed to gain the respect of those under their command.

The fact that this preening, strutting martinet Hegseth hasn’t been dealt with roundly and firmly and shown the door forthwith says more about the decline in military readiness than any lecture from any of the TV clowns and social media influencers who, sadly, comprise this government’s administration.

William Mayer, Minneapolis

The business adage goes, “First-rate leaders bring on first-rate people. Second-rate leaders bring on third-rate people.” FBI Director Kash Patel just demonstrated that in spades.

You would think that a competent director would check with the State Department’s protocol office for advice on gifts to give foreign government officials. Apparently, Patel did not. He gave New Zealand security chiefs 3D printed guns (“New Zealand says no thanks to Patel’s gifts of 3D-printed guns,” Oct. 1). In a country with some of the strictest gun laws in the free world. Even though the guns were inoperable, they could be made operable and were therefore illegal. The gifts had to be confiscated and destroyed. This is on top of pulling FBI agents and entire offices off counterterrorism, counterespionage and anti-gang missions to help round up brown-skinned people who may (or may not) be illegal immigrants.

The cartels and adversarial powers must be holding a party to celebrate.