Latest: Trump blasts Democrats — the latest on Vance's Medicaid pause in Minnesota
In the latest developments, President Donald Trump criticized Democrats attending the State of the Union as he addressed Congress tonight, and Vice President JD Vance has launched an effort the administration calls a “war on fraud. ” That campaign includes a temporary hold on federal Medicaid payments to Minnesota announced this week.
State of the Union criticism
President Donald Trump addressed Congress tonight in the State of the Union and criticized Democrats attending the speech. In his address Trump pledged: “He’ll get it done, ” and added, “And if we’re able to find enough of that fraud, we will actually have a balanced budget overnight. ”
Latest developments in Minnesota
In Washington, Vice President JD Vance received a new assignment Tuesday night to fight what the administration calls a “war on fraud” declared in the State of the Union. Joined by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, Vance announced on Wednesday a pause on federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota as the opening salvo in that effort.
Details of the Medicaid pause
Vance said at an afternoon news conference: “We have decided to temporarily halt certain amounts of Medicaid funding that are going to the state of Minnesota in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligation seriously to be good stewards of the American people’s tax money. ” Oz said the plan would keep Minnesota from receiving a $259 million Medicaid reimbursement this month, a figure he said is based on an audit over the last three months of 2025.
Demand for corrective action
Oz said: “We will give them the money, but we’re going to hold it and only release it after they propose an act on a comprehensive corrective action plan to solve the problem. ” He warned: “If Minnesota fails to clean up the systems, the state will rack up a billion dollars of deferred payments this year. ” Oz added that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has 60 days to respond. Spokespeople for Walz — who was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024 and is a frequent target of White House criticism — did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Walz's response and administration reassurance
After the announcements, Walz responded Wednesday with a forceful statement, saying in part: "This has nothing to do with fraud. The agents Trump allegedly sent to investigate fraud are shooting protesters and arresting children. His DOJ is gutting the U. S. Attorney’s Office and crippling their ability to prosecute fraud. And every week Trump pardons another fraudster. " He added: "These cuts will be devastating for veterans, families with young kids, folks with disabilities, and working people across our state. "
Oz also urged calm for providers and beneficiaries: “If providers and beneficiaries are worried about getting their money and services, please call your governor. These are services the governor has already paid for. We are just not reimbursing the state. To make it clear, there is a rainy-day fund in Minnesota, so we are very confident that people will not be hurt in Minnesota. ”
Legal authority and political context
Responding to a question, Vance said he was “quite confident” the administration had the legal authority to withhold funds appropriated by Congress. He said: “We’re the ones who spend this money. Congress appropriates it. We’re the ones who actually make sure this goes to the people it ought to go to. And inherent in that is making sure that it only goes to the people that Congress says that it should go to. We shouldn’t be sending money to fraudsters. ” He added: “I’d reiterate, we don’t want to do this. We don’t want to be in a situation where the state of Minnesota is being so careless with federal tax dollars that we have to turn the screws on them a little bit so that they take this f
Other political, economic and sports notes
Amid Presidents' Day celebrations, survey respondents said Trump is doing a worse job than Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Richmond Fed president Tom Barkin said Wednesday that the back-and-forth on President Trump's tariffs is adding to uncertainty for businesses and the economy.
In sports commentary and reports, Quinn Hughes said the men's team was "really happy" the women's team also won gold in the 2026 Winter Games, while the women's hockey team declined the invite due to a previous engagement. The Boston Bruins' standout goalie emphasized that he and his teammates have "so much respect" for the gold medal-winning U. S. women's team.
On baseball coverage, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman were joined by Yuri Karasawa to preview all the international teams for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. In an episode of the Football 301 podcast, Nate Tice and Matt Harmon, who are in Indianapolis this week at the combine, took a look at those star Buckeyes. Rueben Bain Jr. could go as high as second overall in the NFL Draft. Arvell Reese was a versatile and productive player for Ohio State.
The administration’s actions in Minnesota and the president’s remarks at the State of the Union set the agenda for debates over fraud, federal funding and political accountability in the days ahead.
