Donald Trump announced a fresh crackdown on “fraud” in Democratic states and tapped JD Vance to lead the charge. Authorities arrested eight people for allegedly perpetrating over $50m in healthcare fraud, largely in southern California, federal officials announced on Thursday. In recent months, the Trump administration argued that southern California was rife with healthcare fraud and pledged to crack down, while frequently using the matter politically to criticize the state’s Democratic leadership. Nearly all cases cited by the justice department in the wave of arrests as part of “Operation Never Say Die” were tied to southern California. “The Trump Administration – home to the biggest fraudsters on Earth – is trying to blame California for issues with THEIR federal programs,” Newsom said.

Source: The Guardian April 03, 2026 22:00 UTC