Latest: Trump Blasts Democrats as ‘Destroying Our Country’ as Vance Suspends Minnesota Medicaid Payments
In the latest surge of fallout from the State of the Union, President Donald Trump criticized Democrats attending the address and tonight is slated to address Congress in the State of the Union. The session has already produced a major administrative move: Vice President JD Vance has been assigned to lead a new effort to fight what the administration calls a “war on fraud. ”
Latest developments on the Medicaid pause and the State of the Union
Vice President JD Vance was given the new assignment Tuesday night to fight the “war on fraud” that President Trump declared in the State of the Union address. The designation is described as the latest addition to a portfolio that also included efforts to save TikTok from extinction in the U. S. and to sell Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill, ” and it comes with high expectations from the president that finding fraud could help balance the federal budget quickly.
What Vance and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced
Vance, joined by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, announced a temporary pause on certain federal Medicaid reimbursements to the state of Minnesota. The move is tied to an ongoing fraud probe involving day care centers and allegations of misuse of funds; the probe has become a rallying cause for Republicans.
The administration said the action would prevent Minnesota from receiving a $259 million Medicaid reimbursement this month. That figure is based on an audit covering the last three months of 2025. Officials stated the money will be held and only released after the state proposes a comprehensive corrective action plan. If Minnesota fails to clean up its systems, it was warned the state could rack up a billion dollars of deferred payments this year. The governor has 60 days to respond.
Minnesota governor's response and political context
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz — who was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024 and is a frequent target of White House criticism — did not have spokespeople respond immediately to outreach. After the announcement, Walz replied on a social platform, saying the action "has nothing to do with fraud" and alleging that agents sent to investigate are shooting protesters and arresting children, that the Justice Department is gutting the U. S. Attorney’s Office and crippling its ability to prosecute fraud, and that the president repeatedly pardons alleged fraudsters. He also warned that these cuts would be devastating for veterans, families with young children, people with disabilities, and working people across the state.
Administration defense and legal posture
Administrator Oz urged providers and beneficiaries worried about their payments and services to contact their governor, emphasizing that these are services the governor has already paid for and that the federal action is a withholding of reimbursement, not a denial of already-funded services. He noted there is a rainy-day fund in Minnesota and expressed confidence that people would not be hurt.
Vance said he was "quite confident" the administration has the legal authority to withhold funds appropriated by Congress, arguing that the executive branch is responsible for making sure funds go to the people they ought to go to and that the government should not be sending money to fraudsters. A final sentence of a Vance remark was cut off in the available record and is unclear in the provided context.
Other threads from the same coverage: politics, economy and sports
Separately in the same round of coverage, a Presidents' Day survey found respondents said President Trump is doing a worse job than Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Economic notes included that oil prices are down, gas prices are down, and that the U. S. oil industry is under pressure.
The sports items in the same coverage spotlighted hockey and baseball: Quinn Hughes said the men's team was "really happy" that the women's team also won gold in the 2026 Winter Games, while the women's hockey team declined an invite because of a previous engagement. A Boston Bruins standout goalie emphasized that he and his teammates have "so much respect" for the gold medal-winning U. S. women's team. In baseball coverage, hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman were joined by Yuri Karasawa to preview international teams for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. On football coverage, Nate Tice and Matt Harmon, present in Indianapolis at the combine, examined star Buckeyes. Prospects notes included Rueben Bain Jr. could go as high as second overall in the NFL Draft, and that Arvell Reese was a versatile and productive player for Ohio State.
These developments—political, economic and athletic—are unfolding from the State of the Union and related coverage; details may continue to evolve.
