Walz-led board pardons Laotian national convicted of raping 10-year-old girl
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Summary
The Gutfeld segment opens with rapid-fire comedic headlines on unrelated news before focusing on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's role in the Board of Pardons granting a full pardon to Tou Lue Vang. It criticizes Walz for later opposing Vang's deportation and quotes media defenses of the decision. Guests Kennedy, Rich Voss, Cat Timpf, and Tyrus join to mock the pardon rationale and media coverage.
Editorial Assessment
The broadcast accurately reports the conviction details, 2005-2006 guilty plea for abuse of a 10-year-old, June 2026 unanimous pardon, and July 2026 deportation. It correctly identifies Walz's public criticism of the removal. Context omitted includes the victim's letters of support and forgiveness cited by the board, plus the formal clemency review process. Framing consistently portrays the pardon as shielding a predator from lawful removal without noting the victim's agency in the decision. The segment functions as opinion comedy rather than straight reporting, amplifying one side of a charged policy debate.
Key Moments
Walz board unanimously pardoned Vang, convicted of repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl over two years in the mid-2000s
Confirmed by DHS statement and MPR News reporting on the June 2026 vote.
Vang was deported after the Trump administration acted on the pardon news
DHS announced ICE arrest and removal of the Laotian national in July 2026.
Minnesota Star Tribune praised Walz and compared the case to Jan. 6 pardons
Segment accurately paraphrases the opinion piece's proportionality argument.
Walz questioned whether deportation made children safer or was fair without due process
Matches Walz's public statements criticizing the removal as reported in multiple outlets.
Notable Concerns
- Strongly one-sided sourcing and guest selection emphasizing conservative critics
- Omission of victim's expressed support for the pardon
Sources Consulted
- DHS deports Minnesota man despite pardon backed by target of his sexual abuse
- DEPORTED: DHS Removes Convicted Child Rapist Pardoned by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
- Minnesota's victim-backed pardon of man convicted of child sex abuse draws scrutiny
- World’s Largest Nutcracker in Luverne, Minnesota completed