ESTABLISHING THE TASK FORCE TO ELIMINATE FRAUD: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to establish the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. This Task Force is tasked with advising the President and orchestrating a government-wide initiative to tackle pervasive fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
- The Vice President will lead the Task Force as Chair, with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission serving as Vice Chairman. The Assistant to the President for Homeland Security will act as Senior Advisor, and an Executive Director will oversee daily operations. Cabinet secretaries and agency heads will also participate as Task Force members.
- The Executive Order mandates the Task Force to develop a comprehensive national strategy to curb fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal benefit programs like housing, food, medical care, and cash assistance. These programs, administered with State and local partners, aim to safeguard benefits for eligible Americans.
- The Task Force will focus on enhancing eligibility verification, establishing pre-payment controls, identifying high-risk fraud patterns, and dismantling fraud networks along with their operational mechanisms.
- The Task Force will also work on creating minimum anti-fraud standards to prevent the misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits. This includes identity verification, documentation requirements, risk controls, audits, and corrective measures, while each member agency develops a measurable implementation plan.
- The Task Force will regularly update the President on its progress.
STOPPING FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE IN FEDERAL BENEFITS: President Trump is committed to restoring the integrity of taxpayer-funded safety-net programs that have been exploited by illegal aliens, criminals, foreign gangs, bureaucrats, and non-governmental organizations.
- Many benefit programs funded by the Federal Government are administered by states, some of which have adopted policies that avoid individual eligibility validation, allow self-certification, and extend eligibility beyond Congressional intent. These states have also resisted sharing enrollee data necessary for reasonable Federal oversight, creating systemic vulnerabilities that facilitate large-scale fraud.
- In July 2025, 21 states filed a lawsuit in California to block the federal government from conducting a basic review to verify whether their enrollees are eligible for taxpayer-funded benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
- In Minnesota, Medicaid fraud could amount to billions. Nearly 9% of food stamp spending includes errors, and scams like Feeding Our Future misappropriated nearly $250 million intended for needy children.
- Hundreds of millions in Federal childcare funds were misused by an organized ring involving Somali immigrants, who spent the money on cars, property, and luxury travel, and allegedly diverted some funds to a notorious terror group in Africa, while State officials overlooked or failed to detect the fraud.
- Similar vulnerabilities are suspected in California, Illinois, New York, Maine, and Colorado, where weak safeguards and oversight increase the risk of widespread fraud.
- Fraud and mismanagement in these programs equate to theft from American taxpayers and eligible beneficiaries, contributing to inflation in essential goods and services and adding to the national debt.
- The Biden Administration weakened Federal oversight by reducing common-sense verification safeguards, expanding access without adequate controls, tolerating unacceptable error rates, and fostering conditions where fraud was institutionally enabled and tolerated.
- President Trump is dedicated to protecting Federal benefits for American citizens who are genuinely in need, rather than allowing them to be exploited for fraudulent purposes.
DELIVERING FOR TAXPAYERS: President Trump is employing all available tools to combat fraud, close loopholes, and ensure benefits are reserved for eligible Americans.
- President Trump: “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
- In February 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to prevent taxpayer resources from incentivizing or supporting illegal immigration.
- In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to eliminate information silos within the Federal Government to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
- In March 2025, another Executive Order was signed by President Trump to enhance the Department of the Treasury’s ability to screen for improper payments and fraud, track transactions, and manage Government disbursements.
- In April 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum aimed at preventing illegal aliens and other ineligible individuals from receiving Social Security Act benefits.
- In January 2026, Vice President JD Vance announced the creation of a new division at the Department of Justice focused on national fraud enforcement.
- The Administration has taken significant steps to address Minnesota’s fraud issues, including temporarily halting certain Medicaid funding to the State to prevent the payment of questionable claims while further investigations are conducted.
