Olson on NewsNation: Minnesota Fraud Probe & NYC’s New Mayor Mamdani
Byline: Olson Strategies Staff
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Dustin Olson, Managing Partner at Olson Strategies, joined NewsNation’s New Year's Eve coverage to break down two stories shaping the political landscape heading into 2026: the huge Minnesota Fraud Scheme and the Trump administration’s decision to pause child care payments to investigate potential fraud, and the transition to a new Socialist-Democrat mayor in New York City.
Minnesota Fraud Scheme
Olson was first asked about the Somali fraud scandal taking place in Minnesota. He commented that, while this is a very bad incident on its own, it is likely not the only one happening across the country.
“This is the tip of the iceberg, and it's a pretty remarkable tip of the iceberg. We're looking at $9 billion—I mean, how big could this be? It's interesting—going back to the original DOGE efforts with Elon Musk—he estimated that there might be a trillion dollars worth of waste, fraud and abuse. That was hard to believe, but when we see things like this, maybe it's a lot worse than we all think.”
Zohran Mamdani Sworn in as Mayor of NYC
The conversation then moved to Zohran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York City, being sworn in following the ball drop as is tradition in NYC. Olson provided his thoughts on what the new Socialist-Democrat mayor’s first days may look like.
“With him taking office tomorrow, and implementing his policies, I think a lot of Republicans hope that he pushes for the most socialist policies possible. I have a feeling that he won't necessarily be as aggressive as Republicans hope.”
Olson also discussed the issue of crime in NYC, which American Pulse polling found to be a major issue for New Yorkers, and likely one that will determine how successful the people view Mamdani’s administration.
“85% of New Yorkers believe that crime is a problem, and almost half of them believe it's a serious problem. So I think his decision to keep his police commissioner is actually a good idea, and I think he's going to follow through with those policies.”
📊 For more insights, visit: PollingClub.com