Texas politician Bo French has warned that fraud in government programs like Medicaid could be far more extensive in his home state than in places already under scrutiny, responding directly to Vice President JD Vance’s announcement of aggressive federal actions to combat waste and abuse in healthcare programs.
French, a candidate challenging incumbent Jim Wright in the Republican primary for Texas Railroad Commission chair, posted on social media that “If you think the fraud in Minnesota and California are enormous (they are) wait until you look at Texas. We have been completely overrun with third world foreigners in recent years and our economy is the 8th largest in the world. Imagine what they are doing here.” The post was in response to Vance’s earlier post, which read, “The United States of America is a generous country and we take care of our own. It’s disgraceful that fraudsters out there are taking advantage of programs like Medicaid. That stops today.”
If you think the fraud in Minnesota and California are enormous (they are) wait until you look at Texas. We have been completely overrun with third world foreigners in recent years and our economy is the 8th largest in the world. Imagine what they are doing here. https://t.co/SaZoCjjSFy
— Bo French (@BoFrenchTX) February 26, 2026
“You know, one of the things I love about our country is that we’re a generous country. We’re a generous people. We take care of our fellow citizens who can’t afford medical care because they’re down on their luck. We take care of people who can’t afford to put food on the table even though they work hard and play by the rules. We recognize that we’re all in this together. And part of the reason why we have Medicaid or part of the reason why we have food stamps, part of the reason why we have these programs is we want to make sure that kids who grew up in families not all that different from the family that I grew up in, that they have access to the basic necessities, food, medical care, afterchool services when their family needs them, but they’re unable to pay. What’s happening in Minneapolis, in California, in a number of states all across our country is that the generosity and the good hearts of our fellow Americans are being taken advantage of. We are taking that social contract that says that our American citizens, we take care of one another, and we’re allowing a few bad actors to get rich off that generosity of spirit instead of providing the services to the kids who need it. This is disgraceful. It has happened for too long. Far too many people have gotten rich by taking what is the best of the American spirit and getting rich off of it instead of providing services to kids who need it. That is stopping today. We’re taking a whole of government approach in the Trump administration to take this fraud seriously.”
Vance made the remarks during a White House press conference on February 25, 2026, alongside Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, detailing steps in what President Trump described the previous night in his State of the Union address as a “War on Fraud.” Trump appointed Vance to lead the government-wide effort to identify misuse of taxpayer money, redirect resources to American citizens, and potentially contribute to a balanced federal budget.
President Trump announces VP Vance will be LEADING the administration’s war on fraud:
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) February 25, 2026
“I am officially announcing the war on fraud to be led by our great Vice President JD Vance…We're going to take care of this problem. We are not playing games.” 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/kxKf2NNAtg
Dr. Oz detailed specific fraud schemes in Minnesota, such as criminals paying mothers roughly $1,000 to falsely enroll children as autistic, then billing millions for undelivered services. He noted red flags like billers claiming more than 24 hours of work in a day and billing for deceased beneficiaries. Oz described these schemes as disproportionately involving immigrant communities in some cases, diverting resources from truly needy children and burdening them with lifelong false diagnoses.
Broader actions included a six-month nationwide moratorium on new enrollments for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies suppliers in Medicare, citing massive fraud in that category, such as billing for unshipped items using stolen beneficiary information. Oz referenced examples like twice as many such suppliers in South Florida as McDonald’s locations and a recent scheme generating $1.1 billion in fraudulent orthotic brace orders. The moratorium preserves access for existing providers while allowing time to address vulnerabilities.
Oz estimated $300 billion annually lost to fraud, waste, and abuse in U.S. healthcare overall, based on assessments like those from the Kaja Family Foundation, with federal portions around $100 billion potentially recoverable. He stressed protecting vulnerable populations, taxpayers, and the longevity of programs like Medicare and Medicaid, noting even a 5 percent reduction could significantly extend trust fund solvency.
The initiative also includes crowdsourcing ideas through a request for information, encouraging input from providers, suppliers, patients, advocates, and others via channels like 1-800-HHS-TIPS or cms.gov/fraud. Oz praised the CMS team’s efforts, which have already stopped nearly $6 billion in suspicious payments in 2025. Vance framed the crackdown as preserving the social contract and ensuring programs serve American citizens, not fraudsters, including those who may not belong in the country.
French’s response highlights concerns about immigration’s role in exacerbating fraud in large economies like Texas, building on his prior statements about cultural assimilation and national identity. As a former Tarrant County Republican Party chairman who resigned in November 2025 to run for statewide office, French’s campaign emphasizes defending Texas values and confronting perceived threats from unchecked migration amid ongoing debates over border security and economic impacts. The exchange underscores how federal anti-fraud efforts are intersecting with state-level immigration and policy discussions in the early months of the Trump administration.
