Vice President J.D. Vance accused Democratic-led states of failing to cooperate with federal anti-fraud efforts during a recent interview, singling out California Governor Gavin Newsom for alleged weaknesses in oversight of SNAP and Medicaid benefits.
Speaking in an interview shared online by conservative commentator Eric Daugherty, Vance criticized states that receive large amounts of federal funding while allegedly failing to prevent fraud involving food assistance programs. He claimed the federal government lacks sufficient visibility into individual benefit recipients because funds are “block-granted to the states.”
“Shame that when your government gives out let’s say seven billion dollars to California for food stamp benefits, it doesn’t know a single recipient,” Vance said during the interview, referring to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP.
Vance argued that states should play a larger role in identifying fraudulent claims, including cases involving deceased individuals allegedly receiving benefits. He said federal authorities have “not gotten any help” from Newsom or several other Democratic-led states in ongoing anti-fraud investigations.
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“We’d love to have that cooperation, but so far, not yet,” Vance added.
The remarks come days after the Trump administration intensified its broader anti-fraud campaign targeting Medicaid and welfare programs nationwide. Vance, who chairs President Donald Trump’s anti-fraud task force, recently warned states they could risk losing federal Medicaid-related funding if they fail to investigate fraud cases aggressively.
The administration has already announced a $1.3 billion deferral in Medicaid reimbursements to California over alleged concerns involving fraudulent hospice billing and oversight failures. Federal officials, including Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, said investigators identified suspicious patterns among healthcare providers in Los Angeles.
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Vance’s comments also referenced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz when asked whether Democratic governors had contacted the administration regarding the investigations. Minnesota has faced growing scrutiny recently due to multiple fraud scandals tied to federally funded social service programs, including the “Feeding Our Future” case involving hundreds of millions of dollars in alleged fraud.
Neither Newsom nor Walz immediately responded publicly to the latest remarks circulating online.