Trump sics his veep on Illinois
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Reuters…
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday launching a national task force led by Vice President JD Vance aimed at proving Trump’s claims that federal funds intended for social-welfare programs are being stolen in some states. […]
Vance, appearing with Trump in the Oval Office, said the order would force the federal government to “stop the fraud of the American taxpayer and make sure that the benefits that ought by right go to American citizens, go to American citizens, and not to fraudsters.” […]
A copy of the executive order released by the White House said members of the task force are to come up with a plan in 90 days to implement anti-fraud measures.
A White House fact sheet describing the order mentioned California, Illinois, New York, Maine and Colorado as U.S. states with “insufficient” fraud oversight.
The EO is here.
* TNND…
“The failure to ensure sufficient Federal oversight to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse has allowed irresponsible State politicians to increase Federal spending in their own States, which has contributed to inflation for health care services, housing, utilities, and groceries,” the order reads in part.
A fact sheet regarding the order states, “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.”
* Stephen Miller (no relation) is also on the task force…
We’re going to see the first ever effort in American history to reclaim the ultimately trillions of dollars that are stolen from taxpayers. I believe, I know, President Trump believes that when this theft is exposed, we will see that if all of it were stopped, it would be enough to balance the budget. The extraction of wealth from American taxpayers to people who don’t belong here is the primary cause of the national debt, and this is the first ever effort to shut that down.
Um…
Federal law, however, prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funds for undocumented immigrants except in limited circumstances, and economists cite a range of structural factors — including military spending, tax cuts and demographic pressures on entitlement programs — as drivers of the national debt.
- low level - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 8:43 am:
Apparently, he is unaware the state and every municipality are audited constantly. JD ought to stick with something he is an expert on - sofas.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 8:45 am:
=We’re going to see the first ever effort in American history to reclaim the ultimately trillions of dollars that are stolen from taxpayers.=
I didn’t know eric and don jr were able to steal so much so fast.
- Tired teacher - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 8:49 am:
Total waste by the Feds ; ironic and sad.
- Larry Bowa Jr - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 8:50 am:
Everyone here is educated enough to remember what Lincoln said about houses divided.
We’re there again and you don’t have to be able to predict the future to know this state of affairs cannot continue.
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 8:54 am:
Once again this administration never let’s facts get in the way of its argument. Someone needs to check what’s in Miller’s kool-aid.
- CA-HOON! - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 9:14 am:
This is coming from the man who was found guilty of defrauding charities (among many, many other crimes) and whose “Presidential Library Fund” which corporations had “donated” to as a “charity” suddenly dissolved with *zero* public accounting of where all the money went.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mystery-missing-millions-trump-library-fund-1785614
Once again, the call is coming from inside the house.
- Harrison - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 9:19 am:
Rooting out defrauding taxpayers is bad?
- Boone Logan Square - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 9:22 am:
The enemy within is within the White House.
- sulla - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 9:25 am:
“The extraction of wealth from American taxpayers to people who don’t belong here is the primary cause of the national debt.”
…says the Administration that has blown $17 billion dollars of taxpayer money in the last 2 weeks on a war of choice in the Middle East.
- DuPage Dad - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 9:50 am:
“The failure… has allowed irresponsible State politicians to increase Federal spending in their own States”
False: Illinois is a donor state, giving more in funding to the federal government than it gets back, unlike virtually every state that voted for the current administration.
“fraud, waste, and abuse”
Does this phrase have any meaning to anyone anymore after DOGE failed spectacularly in cutting waste, fraud, and abuse at the federal level? The blatant corruption and self-enrichment from the current administration has made waste, fraud, and abuse worse.
“The extraction of wealth from American taxpayers to people who don’t belong here is the primary cause of the national debt.”
False again: Even the libertarian Cato Institute recently showed that immigrants, both legal and undocumented, contribute more in tax revenue than they take out. They are net-positives for the national debt. Must be thinking of voters in states they won again.
- Dupage - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 9:52 am:
@8:43 ===the state and every municipality are audited constantly===
Rita Crundwell, Dixon IL.
- Downstate Dem - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:03 am:
In other news Gov. JB Pritzker ordered extra patrols of Illinois furniture stores.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:06 am:
=Rita Crundwell, Dixon IL.=
You mean convicted felon Rita Crundwell?
- JB13 - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:08 am:
Fraud and corruption in Illinois? That stuff’s illegal and we only follow the law in Illinois, SIR. I SAID GOOD DAY.
- Jerry - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:21 am:
Far more concerned about out of control inflation and higher taxes (i.e., tariffs ARE taxes) plus I’m sending Welfare to Red States.
- Think Again - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:24 am:
=Apparently, he is unaware the state and every municipality are audited constantly=
Tell that to the residents of Dolton and Thornton Township.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:28 am:
It’s just another tactic to further the false narrative that the poor and the marginalized are to blame for all our problems. Whether it’s this, ICE enforcement, criminalizing homelessness, or making it harder to access public benefits, the goal is to have the voting public believe the people with the fewest resources and the least power are the reason things aren’t working for the middle class.
Trump’s people don’t need anything they say to actually be true. They just need enough people to believe it to be true.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:33 am:
=== Dolton and Thornton Township===
Try to stay on topic. That goes for all of you.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 10:38 am:
Great, we finally get rid of botox and bovine and now we have to deal with the two people who manage to be even more annoying.
- Dupage - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:04 am:
@10:06 ==You mean convicted felon Rita Crundwell? ==
Yes, she got away with it for many years. She finally got caught, how many others on a smaller scale don’t ever get caught? Auditors? Look up Arthur Anderson.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 11:08 am:
===how many others on a smaller scale ===
Again, get back on topic. Deletions will follow. Final warning. This ain’t about local government.
- Cool Papa Bell - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 12:00 pm:
=we will see that if all of it were stopped, it would be enough to balance the budget.=
So the best I can find is the federal budget is $1.8 trillion over budget out of a total of $7 trillion.
So the guy behind the guy who’s in charge of the federal budget says after being in charge of the White House and with republican control of Congress and after whatever DOGE was. We are still losing $1.7 trillion to theft of tax dollars each year. Heck of a job Brownie.
- Old IL Dude - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 1:20 pm:
Maybe he could get Trump’s buddy Blago to help root out the corruption?
- P. - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 2:09 pm:
The war must be going swell.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Mar 17, 26 @ 4:05 pm:
==Rooting out defrauding taxpayers is bad?==
You’re a piece of work. This has nothing to do with fraud and everything to do with attacking blue states. Trump doesn’t have any proof of fraud. He’s saying there is fraud and then going to try and find it. The whole thing is just a joke and anyone that can’t see that is willfully blind.