Vance cuts off Medicaid funding to California families out of spite
Vance cuts off Medicaid funding to California families out of spite
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that $1.3 billion in vital Medicaid funding would be deferred for six months for unspecified “fraud,” a significant financial punishment to the residents of a state that have voted overwhelmingly against President Donald Trump in every election he has run in.
Vice President JD Vance made the announcement at a White House event, insinuating that money sent to the state has been used for people committing fraud who are “getting rich.” The decision came after Trump appointed Vance to lead an “anti-fraud” task force, which has been the administration’s cover for attacks on states led by Democrats.
California officials immediately called out the partisan attack.
“We hate fraud. But that’s NOT what this is,” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a post. “Vance and [Dr. Mehmet] Oz are attacking programs that keep seniors and people with disabilities OUT of nursing homes. Pretty sick.”
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla was even more blunt, writing, “The Trump Administration is attacking California over claims that they can’t back up. Let’s be real, this isn’t about fraud—it’s about punishing a state that didn’t vote for him. Political retribution plain and simple.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that “California appears to be targeted solely for political reasons.” Bonta said his team would be reviewing the action and that “we have not hesitated to challenge unlawful actions by the Trump Administration, and we will continue to act whenever Californians’ rights or access to critical services are threatened.”
Related |GOP ignores reality to boost MAGA YouTuber’s racist attacks
The accusation of fraud in California’s Medicaid program is a distinct echo of the debunked claims Trump made about the use of federal money in Minnesota. Trump, basing his claims on edited video from a racist YouTube content creator, used those claims as an excuse for his armed federal invasion of the state while making a series of racist comments about Somali immigrants.
Trump’s attack caused widespread chaos and led to the deaths of innocent bystanders. Criminal charges have been filed against federal officials involved in the deployment and local prosecutors say more are to come.
California voters overwhelmingly voted for former Vice President
Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, rejecting Trump by a margin of over
3.2 million votes. Trump also lost California in 2020 and 2016, and a
Republican presidential candidate has not won the state since George
H.W. Bush in 1988.
The state has long been in Trump’s crosshairs and repeated criticism and mockery of Trump by Gov. Newsom has led to Trump lashing out again and again.
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