Trump officially creates task force to investigate theft benefits fraud

President Trump on Monday formally launched a fraud task force to investigate the theft of taxpayer dollars from federally funded social-services programs in states across the country.

Vice President J.D. Vance will chair the task force, joining Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, where the president signed the executive order creating the task force.

“If we found half of the fraud that’s taking place in this country — and I think you have a chance of doing that — we would have much more than a balanced budget. That’s the kind of numbers you’re talking about. The theft is incredible,” Mr. Trump said.

“This is not a Republican-Democrat thing. This is wherever it is taking place,” the president said. “If it’s in a red state, we’ll go in there too, but it seems like it’s heavily, heavily Democrat.”

The task force will work to create a national strategy against fraud from programs administered by state and local governments that use federal dollars to provide food, housing, medical and financial assistance. It will also create anti-fraud protections, such as requiring proof of identity and audits.

Mr. Trump formed the task force amid allegations of substantial fraud in Minnesota, where several schemes have siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars from state and federal programs since 2018. So far, roughly 100 people are facing federal charges in Minnesota, with an additional 60 convictions.

Mr. Vance pointed to the defrauding of a Medicaid program in Minnesota by a group of Somali immigrants as an example of the impact of fraud. The program was supposed to help autistic children.

“You had a lot of people getting rich off the fraud while American citizens got poor, and the second thing is that it meant that you autistic kids in Minneapolis, suburban Minneapolis, who weren’t getting the benefits they needed because Somali fraudsters were literally stealing out of their pockets,” Mr. Vance said.

The task force will look at several other states, including California and New York.

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson will work with Mr. Vance as vice chair, while Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, will serve as senior adviser.

The task force is one part of Mr. Trump’s broader “war on fraud.” He also announced a new division for national fraud enforcement within the Department of Justice.

Colin McDonald, a senior fraud prosecutor, has been nominated to serve as the first assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement. He is awaiting Senate confirmation.