Vice President JD Vance convened the first meeting of the new White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud on Friday, warning that large-scale fraud in federal programs is far more widespread than previously recognized.
Speaking in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Vance highlighted a major fraud scandal in Minnesota as a stark example of a problem repeating across states and benefit programs nationwide. He said schemes like those uncovered in Minneapolis are draining billions of taxpayer dollars from federally funded initiatives.
“What we’re seeing in Minneapolis, it is replayed again and again and again across many different states and across many different programs,” Vance said. “It has to stop. The president of the United States has ordered us to stop it, and that’s what this task force is going to do.”
The task force, formally established by President Donald Trump via executive order following his State of the Union address, aims to create a coordinated national strategy to detect, prevent, and prosecute fraud, waste, and abuse in government programs. It forms a key part of the administration’s push for greater accountability in federal spending, especially as attention turns toward the 2026 midterm elections.
Vance described the initiative as a “whole-government approach,” uniting senior officials from multiple agencies to safeguard programs providing food assistance, housing, medical care, and other public benefits. “This is not just the theft of the American people’s money,” he emphasized. “It is also the theft of critical services that the American people rely on.”
The task force includes high-level figures such as Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson (serving as vice chair), senior White House adviser Stephen Miller, and Justice Department leaders overseeing a newly created division dedicated to fraud prosecutions. Each federal agency will audit its own programs, strengthen safeguards like identity verification, and pursue targeted investigations into suspicious activities.
The effort gained urgency from revelations in Minnesota, where prosecutors have linked schemes—some involving pandemic-era relief and nonprofit organizations—to potentially billions in improperly obtained federal funds since 2018, including substantial Medicaid and food assistance fraud. Over 100 individuals have been charged, with dozens convicted.
Vance argued that current protections have failed to match the sophistication of modern fraud operations. “We’ve got allies across every major significant department,” he said, “and we are going to stop the fraud that’s being committed against the American people.”
Ferguson warned of deeper consequences, calling the fraud crisis “existential.” “If we fail to address it, the fabric of our nation will swiftly unravel,” he stated.
The task force’s work also touches on broader debates around immigration enforcement, state-administered programs, and program design. Administration officials stress that unchecked fraud not only wastes money but undermines the very services intended to help vulnerable Americans.
Vance’s prominent role chairing the task force marks one of his most visible assignments since taking office. As a figure widely seen as a potential future presidential contender, he is expected to drive inter-agency coordination and deliver regular updates on progress.
“It’s happening across the country,” Vance concluded. “And we’re going to stop it.”
