VINCE Podcast – Episode 183: "Stop the Somali Steal"

Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Vince Coglianese
Guest: Emily Jashinsky

Overview

In this episode of “VINCE,” host Vince Coglianese tackles the so-called “Somali steal,” a massive welfare fraud scheme in Minnesota that allegedly diverted up to $8 billion in taxpayer funds, mostly attributed to members of the Somali community. Vince explores the political, cultural, and media ramifications of the scandal, implicating local Democrats and discussing the broader issues of immigration, assimilation, and media accountability. Emily Jashinsky joins to provide analysis and contextualize how public awareness finally caught up with years of warnings. The episode is punctuated by biting satire, strong political viewpoints, and a focus on holding leaders accountable.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Holiday Deportation Messaging & Deportation Updates

[02:17 - 04:45]

• Vince kicks off with a tongue-in-cheek review of the Department of Homeland Security’s holiday-themed deportation message: “You are going ho ho home,” underscoring current large-scale deportations.
• He reports nearly 3 million deportations in the current year and credits ICE for hiring 10,000 new agents.
• Quote:
  “If you don’t go, go, go, you will be brought ho, ho home by ICE. So thank you to ICE for doing that. Thank you to DHS for that wonderful Christmas message.” — Vince [03:22]

2. The Minnesota Somali Fraud Scandal

[04:45 - 08:20]

• Coverage of recent investigative reports unveils that Somali-run nonprofits in Minnesota, particularly “Feeding Our Future,” stole upwards of $8 billion through Covid-19 relief programs (PPP fraud).
• Political fallout: Local Democrat politicians, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, Mayor Jacob Frey, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, received $53,000 in campaign donations from individuals involved in the fraud.
• Vince alleges local politicians “looked the other way” because they benefited indirectly.
• Quote:
  “Look, they stole $8 billion from us, the American taxpayer, in your state — because you let them. And by the way, one of the reasons so many...let these Somalis steal money is because...Minnesota Democrats were stealing themselves from the same pot.” — Vince [06:04]

3. Political and Media Responses

[08:20 - 12:35]

• Clips play of Ilhan Omar on TV, suggesting the Somali community are also “victims” because they’re taxpayers who missed out. Vince ridicules this, noting almost all indicted are of Somali descent.

• Vince criticizes media framing (Margaret Brennan’s question on “how was this fraud allowed to get so bad?”) for allegedly shifting blame away from the perpetrators.

• Highlights interview with Omar calling Stephen Miller (Jewish Trump advisor) a “Nazi” for saying assimilation is necessary — Vince accuses Omar of hypocrisy and antisemitism.

  Quote:
  “When I think about Stephen Miller and his white supremacist rhetoric, it reminds me…of the way the Nazis described Jewish people in Germany.” — Ilhan Omar [11:43] "So in this equation, Stephen Miller is a Jewish person. Meanwhile, Ilhan Omar has used anti Semitic tropes…That’s Ilhan Omar turning everything on its head covered in a turban." — Vince [12:35]

4. Assimilation & Cultural Clashes

[14:27 - 17:29]

• Treasury Secretary “Scott Bessant” says: “When you come to this country, you gotta learn which side of the road to drive on...and you gotta learn not to defraud the American people.” [14:38]
• Vince expands: highlights observations about disorder in other countries, suggesting it's being imported with mass migration and a lack of assimilation.

5. Pushback and Excuses from Media/Politicians

[17:29 - 23:19]

• CNN’s Dana Bash downplays the scale, saying the number of illegal Somali immigrants is “very, very small.”

• ICE's Tom Homan rebuts, noting millions of "gotaways" and that the scale of crime outweighs pure numbers.

• Vince mocks politicians, notably Sen. John Curtis (R-UT), for focusing on welcoming immigrants rather than prioritizing citizens.

  Quote:
  "We need to be more welcoming to immigrants. Fuck that noise. How about you start looking after American citizens?" — Vince [24:00]

6. Law Enforcement Actions and Media Framing

[20:37 - 28:25]

• Vince highlights video footage of ICE raids on Somalis in Minnesota, showing aggressive SWAT-style arrests.

• Critiques the claim that ICE unlawfully detains US citizens; explains, with Tom Homan, that “reasonable suspicion” justifies brief stops and detentions.

  Quote:
  “Stop trying to turn a very normal, very legal sequence of events into something scandalous. It’s not.” — Vince [27:22]

7. Emily Jashinsky Interview

[32:42 - 48:09]

Media Gatekeeping and Delayed Acknowledgment

• Emily laments that it takes New York Times reporting years after local concerns and conservative outlets covered the story for “mainstream” legitimacy.
• She connects it to similar media patterns with COVID-19 and Biden’s age.
• Quote:
  “It’s just crazy how suddenly we're talking about this. ...it took the New York Times wading into it for the people in Minneapolis who have been screaming into the void about the story...to finally be taken seriously.” — Emily [33:13]

Weaponizing Accusations

• Discuss discussion of how the Somali community and Democrats “weaponized” accusations of racism to shield themselves from scrutiny.
• Emily cites a Minnesota Reformer op-ed by a Somali American on this point.

Cultural and Political Implications

• Vince and Emily cite a NYT-sourced expert saying Somali immigrants are “accustomed to stealing from their old government and now steal from ours due to cultural norms.”
• Discusses literal tribal politics (not just metaphorical) shaping Minneapolis politics—a markedly different approach from Western liberal norms.

Political Corruption

• Feeding Our Future and other nonprofits funneled money to local Democrats, which, according to Jashinsky, muted oversight or criticism.
• Quote:
  “Their silence and their tacit agreement to this allowing it to happen was kind of bought and paid for, wasn't it?” — Vince [41:55] “I think pretty clearly that was happening.” — Emily [42:56]

Public Attitudes and Media Disinformation

• Emily notes that amongst a fragmented media landscape, legacy outlets still wield disproportionate influence on opinion, leading to misinformation among Democratic voters (e.g., "Americans being deported" myths).
• Vince and Emily emphasize that mainstream media are still “closer to the levers of power.”

8. Broader Immigration Enforcement & Crime Stories

[48:11 - 54:01]

• Vince updates on a recent violent stabbing in Charlotte, NC, allegedly by Honduran illegal Oscar Solorzano (with extensive criminal record and earlier deportations).

• Critiques Democratic local officials for failing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

• Satirically proposes “facial tattoo profiling” to identify likely criminals.

  Quote:
  “If you have a face tattoo, we should screen you for your criminal history...I’m for facial profiling. I didn’t say racial, I said facial.” — Vince [53:05]

9. Political Persecution and Trump’s Actions

[54:01 - End]

• Vince describes Rep. Henry Cuellar’s (D-TX) support for secure borders leading to Democratic legal retaliation. Trump pardoned him, hoping he’d switch parties—so far, he hasn’t.
• Quote:
  “What do the Democrats have to offer Henry Cuellar? They’ve offered him nothing but misery...He spoke out...he said ‘Hey, I’m with Donald Trump on securing the border.’ Well, then why not the rest of it? ...You would think you’d have some sense to be like, you know what, this party’s not for me, they hate me. Why don’t I join the other side?'” — Vince [56:57]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cultural Assimilation:
  “You can’t have a country if you open our borders and then no one assimilates into the culture of our country. If that’s what you’ve got, you don’t have a country, your country collapses.” — Vince [13:16]

• On Political Corruption:
  “This scheme is corrupt. And then Ilhan Omar...said…the real victims...are the Somalis.” — Vince [07:59]

• On Media Complicity:
  “I want to get to a place...where we can just skip that part where there’s about three years plus of people being called racist or conspiracy theorists for saying something the New York Times is later going to then report out…” — Emily Jashinsky [35:09]

• On “Weaponized” Racism:
  “...the Biden administration, like the Somalis in Minnesota, weaponized racism. Again, that's not me saying it. Minnesota Reformer ran a piece from a member of the Somali community who was investigating fraud...saying they were weaponizing these charges…” — Emily Jashinsky [37:50]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:48] DHS “Ho Ho Home” deportation message
• [04:45] Minnesota Somali welfare fraud: $8 billion estimate
• [06:04] Politicians implicated, Feeding Our Future campaign donations
• [08:20] Ilhan Omar’s media defense; Margaret Brennan exchange
• [11:43] Omar calls Stephen Miller’s assimilation argument “Nazi” rhetoric
• [14:38] Scott Bessant on assimilation and fraud
• [17:29] CNN's Dana Bash and ICE's Tom Homan debate numbers
• [20:37] ICE and SWAT raids on Somalis in Minnesota
• [26:08] Debate over American citizens being detained by ICE
• [32:42] Emily Jashinsky joins; NYT gatekeeping and media pattern
• [35:09] Comparisons to COVID and Biden; media follows belatedly
• [41:55] Feeding Our Future, political corruption
• [48:11] Charlotte light rail stabbing by deported Honduran national
• [54:01] Political persecution of Henry Cuellar, Trump’s pardon and reaction

Tone and Language

The episode is marked by Vince’s signature satire, pointed political commentary, and persistent critique of both Democratic politicians and establishment media. Sarcasm and mockery are frequent, particularly when referencing Ilhan Omar, media personalities, and opposing politicians. The discourse is direct, sometimes coarse, and unapologetic in advocating for stricter immigration enforcement and greater scrutiny of so-called “political correctness” hampering law and order.

Summary

Episode 183 of VINCE centers on the unfolding “Somali steal” fraud case in Minnesota — as a lens into deeper systemic problems of immigration, assimilation, media denial, and political corruption. Vince dissects the role of local Democrats both in perpetrating and covering up fraud, attacks media complicity, and celebrates newly aggressive federal enforcement actions. The guest segment with Emily Jashinsky illuminates how establishment media protects ruling class interests, weaponizes accusations like racism to silence critics, and only admits inconvenient truths when forced. The episode closes with a call for prioritizing American citizens’ interests, the need for assimilation, and a warning against political inertia in the face of mounting fraud and criminality connected to immigration dysfunction.