PolitiFact is reporting that Vice President JD Vance visited Maine on May 14, 2026, weeks before the state’s primary election, where he accused Democrats of capitulating to fraudsters. Vance, tasked by President Donald Trump to uncover fraud in federal programs, called Maine the "bronze medalist" in fraud after California and Minnesota. He predicted federal officials would find "hundreds of millions of dollars every single month" in Maine, claiming the state "is not a state that takes it seriously" and that states not pursuing fraud "care more about illegal aliens than the people they represent."
PolitiFact said Vance's statements exaggerated the fault of Democratic officials and omitted that Maine, by some metrics, experiences less fraud than other states. U.S. Sentencing Commission data for fiscal year 2025 showed New Jersey and the Southern District of Florida tied for the most health care fraud sentencings, with 91% of those sentenced being U.S. citizens. Maine has one of the smallest unauthorized immigrant populations in the U.S. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills rejected Vance's portrayal, citing her record on cracking down on fraud. Vance campaigned with former Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
Separately, PolitiFact is reporting on U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor's, D-Fla., claim that Florida is the only state removing children from affordable health coverage. Castor stated on April 29 that Gov. Ron DeSantis is "breaking the law" by preventing over 40,000 children from getting KidCare coverage, Florida's version of the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program. PolitiFact found that Florida is indeed the only state removing children from its program due to missed payments, having removed approximately 43,000 children from December 2024 to November 2025. Florida officials challenged a federal rule requiring continuous 12-month enrollment for children, even with missed payments, and have filed lawsuits against both the Biden and Trump administrations. Two lawsuits have been unsuccessful, with one pending. Joan Alker, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, confirmed that no other states are taking such action. PolitiFact rated Castor's statement as True.