Overview
- President Trump announced during the State of the Union that JD Vance will direct a nationwide effort targeting public‑welfare fraud.
- Trump singled out Minnesota, alleging members of the Somali community stole about $19 billion, while one outlet reported more than $9 billion, reflecting wide, unverified estimates in the coverage.
- Trump said Democratic-led California, Massachusetts and Maine are "even worse" and argued that recovering fraud could quickly balance the federal budget.
- He linked the initiative to immigration, asserting that "open borders" bring problems to the U.S. and promising a tough response.
- Trump offered no specifics on Vance’s mandate or coordination with prosecutors; earlier this year Vance proposed creating a new Justice Department assistant attorney general focused on fraud with nationwide jurisdiction.