Trump Launches Task Force to Combat Fraud

ESTABLISHING THE TASK FORCE TO ELIMINATE FRAUD: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order creating the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which will advise the President and coordinate government-wide efforts to combat widespread fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal benefit programs.

• The Vice President will serve as Chair of the Task Force, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission will serve as Vice Chairman, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security will serve as Senior Advisor, and an Executive Director will manage daily operations. Relevant cabinet secretaries and heads of government agencies will serve as Task Force members.
• The Order directs the Task Force, on behalf of the President, to coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to stop fraud, waste, and abuse across Federal benefit programs, including housing, food, medical care, and cash assistance administered with State and local partners, in order to protect these benefits for eligible Americans.
  • The Task Force will coordinate measures to improve eligibility verification, implement pre-payment controls, detect high-risk fraud trends, and disrupt and dismantle fraud networks and the mechanisms through which fraud is committed.
  • The Task Force will also coordinate development of minimum anti-fraud requirements to prevent exploitation of taxpayer-funded benefits, including proof of identity and documentation requirements, risk controls, and audit and remedial actions, while each member agency' works to develop a measurable implementation plan.
• The Task Force will provide frequent updates to the President regarding its work.

STOPPING FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE IN FEDERAL BENEFITS: President Trump is restoring the integrity of taxpayer-funded safety-net programs that have been exploited by illegal aliens, criminals, foreign gangs, bureaucrats, and non-governmental organizations.

• States administer many of these benefit programs funded by the Federal Government, yet some have embraced policies that avoid individual eligibility validation, permit self-certification, and expand eligibility far beyond Congressional intent, while refusing to even share enrollee data necessary for reasonable Federal oversight - creating systemic vulnerabilities that enable fraud at massive scale.
  • In July 2025, 21 states filed a lawsuit in California seeking to block the federal government from even conducting a basic review to determine whether their enrollees are in fact eligible for taxpayer-funded benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
• In Minnesota alone, Medicaid fraud could total billions. Nearly 9% of food stamp spending is in error, and scams like Feeding Our Future stole nearly $250 million intended for needy children.
  • Hundreds of millions in Federal childcare funding were stolen by an organized ring involving Somali immigrants, spent to purchase cars, property, and luxury travel, and even allegedly funneled to one of Africa's most heinous terror groups - all while State officials ignored or failed to detect the fraud.
• There is strong reason to believe similar vulnerabilities exist in California, Illinois, New York, Maine, and Colorado, where insufficient safeguards and weak oversight increase the risk of large-scale fraud.
• Fraud and mismanagement of these programs constitute theft from American taxpayers and eligible beneficiaries, contribute to inflation in essential goods and services, and add to the national debt.
• The Biden Administration weakened Federal oversight by reducing commonsense verification safeguards, expanding access without adequate controls, tolerating unacceptable error rates, and creating conditions in which fraud was institutionally enabled and tolerated.
• President Trump is committed to safeguarding Federal benefits for American citizens who are truly in need, rather than allowing them to become a free pass for fraud.

DELIVERING FOR TAXPAYERS: President Trump is using every tool to fight fraud, close loopholes, and ensure benefits only go to 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 ensure taxpayer resources are not used to incentivize or support illegal immigration.
• In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order eliminating information silos in the Federal Government to stop waste, fraud, and abuse.
• In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to improve the Department of the Treasury's ability to screen for improper payments and fraud, track transactions, and manage the Government's disbursements.
• In April 2025, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum aimed at stopping illegal aliens and other ineligible people from obtaining Social Security Act benefits.
• In January 2026, Vice President JD Vance announced a new division at the Department of Justice dedicated to national fraud enforcement.
• The Administration has taken extensive action to dismantle Minnesota's fraud epidemic, including temporarily pausing certain Medicaid funding to the State to prevent payment of questionable claims while further investigation occurs.