‘Somali Flag’ at the Minnesota Governor’s Mansion

New Delhi, December 30, 2025: A digital frenzy has been ignited this week following the circulation of a viral video purportedly showing a Somali flag flying prominently at the Minnesota Governor’s Mansion. On December 28, 2025, footage shared across X and TikTok suggested that Governor Tim Walz had replaced the American or state flag with the national emblem of Somalia. The claim, which has garnered millions of views, has been used by critics to allege “foreign influence” and a lack of loyalty to the state. However, a closer inspection of the footage and official state records reveals that the “Somali flag” in question is, in fact, the new Minnesota state flag.

Design Confusion: The ‘L’Étoile du Nord’ Star

The controversy stems from a widespread misunderstanding of Minnesota’s recently adopted state flag. In May 2024, the state retired its historic seal-based flag in favor of a minimalist design featuring a dark blue field in the shape of Minnesota and a white, eight-pointed star. Because both the Somali national flag and the new Minnesota flag feature a white star on a blue background, the two have been frequently conflated by online commentators. It was noted by design experts that while Somalia’s flag features a five-pointed star centered on a light blue field, the Minnesota flag uses a distinct eight-pointed “North Star” positioned on a dark blue segment.

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The Redesign Commission and the Somali Narrative

The narrative that the flag was intentionally designed to resemble Somalia’s emblem has been repeatedly debunked by the State Emblems Redesign Commission. It was clarified by the flag’s designer, Andrew Prekker, that the inspiration for the colors and the star came exclusively from Minnesota’s identity as the “North Star State” and its “abundance of water.” Despite these clarifications, the presence of the largest Somali-American community in the U.S. within Minnesota has allowed the “Somali flag” rumor to persist as a recurring political attack line during the 2025 holiday season.

Governor Walz and the “Billion-Dollar Fraud” Context

The timing of the viral video has been linked to an intensified political standoff regarding Medicaid and childcare fraud in the state. In late December 2025, high-profile figures, including FBI Director Kash Patel and federal administrators, were heard criticizing the Walz administration for oversight failures in programs largely utilized by various immigrant communities. The viral “flag video” has been observed being used as a visual metaphor by critics to tie the Governor’s “policy failures” to a perceived cultural shift. Consequently, the flag has become a lightning rod for broader debates on immigration and state identity.

Fact-Checking the Digital Mirage

As the year 2025 draws to a close, the “Somali flag at the mansion” claim has been officially rated as False by multiple independent fact-checkers. The Governor’s office confirmed that the flag flying at the residence is the legally adopted state flag of Minnesota, flown alongside the Stars and Stripes as per standard protocol. This incident serves as a significant example of how “visual similarity” can be weaponized in the social media era to create a misleading political narrative. As we move into 2026, the new flag remains a polarizing symbol, reflecting the deep ideological divides in the Gopher State.