Trump calls for mandatory prison sentences for federal benefit fraudsters
Trump proposes legislation to impose mandatory prison sentences on individuals who defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, while seeking to hold politicians personally liable for failing to stop the theft of taxpayer funds.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump called on Congress to pass legislation imposing mandatory prison sentences on individuals who defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The proposal seeks to eliminate probation for fraudsters and hold politicians personally liable if they fail to stop the theft of taxpayer funds.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Truth Social post containing 2 videos.
Video transcript Today I’m calling on Congress to pass legislation to address fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs. First, Congress must oppose mandatory minimum sentences on fraudsters who steal from critical benefit programs designed to take care of the sick, feed the hungry, care for our children, and protect our senior citizens’ retirements. Under our proposal, probation is no longer an option for fraudsters. If you steal from the American people, you will go to prison and for a long period of time. And the more you steal, the longer you’ll stay in that prison. Not only that, but if you’re a convicted fraudster who gets caught stealing from the American people a second time, your sentence will be doubled. Second, Congress must make sure that crooked and corrupt politicians who willfully turn a blind eye to fraud finally face real consequences. Under our proposal, if a state or local politician knows about fraud and has the ability to stop it, but does nothing about it, they can be personally liable for the full loss of the American taxpayers’ money that they should have stopped and they should have saved. This legislative proposal will make fraudsters think long and hard before they keep stealing from the American people and will make crooked and corrupt politicians think also long and hard before they ignore fraud that they can stop and that they should stop. So from now on, fraudsters, we’re watching you.” on October 3, 2026 at 9:12 AM ET.
This is Trump’s 17th message released today, and the last post was 1 minute ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 17 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 98 of his 301 posts over the last 30 days classified as Image Only Posts.
The video outlines a two-pronged approach to combat theft from federal entitlement programs. The first component targets individuals who steal from the government. It threatens them with lengthy prison terms and doubled sentences for repeat offenses. The second component focuses on state and local officials who ignore fraudulent activities. Under the proposed framework, these politicians would face financial liability for the lost taxpayer money.
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President Trump is the author of Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life, and Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."