Vice President JD Vance didn’t mince words this week, saying Minnesota’s massive welfare fraud scandal isn’t just a local embarrassment—it’s a warning sign of a much larger national scheme. And yes, he made it clear the Trump administration is done looking the other way.
“Anybody who is involved is going to get prosecuted,” Vance vowed Wednesday on Jesse Watters Primetime. Simple. Direct. Exactly what Americans expect when billions of taxpayer dollars go missing.
According to Vance, the administration believes the Minnesota case reflects a nationwide fraud ring involving illegal aliens and others exploiting the American welfare system. Not exactly a shock to anyone who’s been paying attention—but now it’s being said out loud from the White House.
The comments come as the Trump administration pauses more than $10 billion in funding to five Democrat-run states, including California, over concerns that welfare money was fraudulently distributed to noncitizens. Accountability, it turns out, is back in fashion.
Vance was asked directly whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz—who announced Monday he will not seek re-election—should resign over the scandal, which is estimated to total at least $9 billion. His answer was blunt.
“I think Tim Walz should resign,” Vance said. “I almost feel bad for the guy, except for the fact that he should’ve seen this.”
Ouch. But Vance didn’t stop there. He called the situation a “massive failure of government,” stressing that the problem goes far beyond a few improper payments.
“It’s not just that people are getting welfare who shouldn’t get welfare,” Vance explained. “It’s bigger than that. It’s that people take this money and create whole businesses around siphoning money from the American taxpayer.” Apparently, fraud has become a cottage industry—thanks to government negligence.
The vice president also predicted similar cases would soon be uncovered across the country, adding that California has been “glaring and obvious” about providing welfare benefits to illegal aliens. He confirmed the administration is sending investigators to “a lot of places,” which likely has some governors suddenly checking their spreadsheets a little more closely.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back, saying the state administers childcare and essential programs for working families and aggressively investigates fraud. The statement argued the funds are “critical lifelines” and accused the administration of using unsupported allegations. That defense might sound better if billions hadn’t already vanished elsewhere.
In the end, Vance’s message was unmistakable: the era of unchecked welfare abuse is coming to an end. With investigators deployed and prosecutions promised, the Trump administration is signaling that taxpayer dollars matter—and that restoring integrity to the system is not just possible, but already underway.
