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Vice President JD Vance brought his Trump administration’s anti-fraud message into Maine politics on May 14, using the occasion to campaign for former Gov. Paul LePage in the state’s competitive 2nd Congressional District primary. The stop took place a day after Vance said the administration’s effort to combat fraud in government programs would not be political or partisan, and it came as early voting is underway ahead of Maine’s June 9 primaries.
Vance, who President Donald Trump has dubbed the “fraud czar,” appeared at Bangor International Airport to stump for LePage, a Trump ally seeking to flip the U.S. House seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden. Speaking to a crowd of a few hundred people, Vance framed the fight against fraud as a taxpayer issue and paired it with pointed criticism of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
“I’ve told you before, fraudsters win when good people don’t fight,” Vance said, according to the account of the rally. He told attendees, “Let’s kick Janet Mills to the curb and let’s send Paul LePage to Washington to help us fight the fraudsters and protect all of you,” as signs near the event read “PROTECTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS” and “FIGHTING FRAUDSTERS.”
The rally also previewed how Republicans may try to turn the anti-fraud effort into a broader political theme for Vance himself. “You are the first victim of fraud,” Vance told the group, and later said, “My friends, this has gone on for far too long. You have been fleeced by your own government for far too long, and we are stopping it every single day.”
Vance contrasted the anti-fraud pitch with other parts of the administration’s message that have been complicated by rising costs tied to the Iran war. The AP report said the May 14 visit was the first expressly billed as a stop to discuss fraud-fighting rather than focusing on economic issues, which Vance has emphasized in other campaign stops around the country.
Mills responded that Vance’s message was designed to distract from other concerns. In a statement, she said Maine people “deserved to hear about how the Trump Administration is making their lives better by lowering costs, improving health care, building housing, and fixing child care — but we got none of that because the President and Vice President don’t actually care about these issues or the hardships they are causing our state and people.”
The AP report said the Maine stop also reflected a backdrop of scrutiny over alleged health-program fraud. It cited a prior call by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz for corrective action on alleged fraud in government health programs in Maine, which Mills characterized as a “political attack.”
For the federal contest, Vance centered his remarks on Mills and LePage but did not focus on other Democratic figures. Mills recently dropped out of the Democratic primary race to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, ceding the nomination to progressive activist and oyster farmer Graham Platner, a seat that Democrats view as important for regaining control of the chamber in November.
LePage, speaking before Vance arrived, said that if elected he would work with the Trump administration to crack down on fraud in social safety programs, describing it as rampant in his state. He told the crowd, “The American people are done being taken for a ride. It’s time for the Maine people and the Maine taxpayer to be put front and center.”
Beyond the Democrats’ critique, Maine policy advocates also pushed back against the administration’s framing. The Maine Center for Economic Policy said in a statement that Trump’s characterizations of fraud and social programs in Maine were inaccurate, while saying fraud “should always be investigated and stopped.” It added that “Mainers deserve facts, not political fearmongering designed to undermine health care for hundreds of thousands of people.”
Republicans said they have reason to be optimistic about the 2nd District contest, which includes Bangor and backed Trump in the last three presidential elections despite the state supporting Democratic presidential candidates overall. Vance also praised Collins for her independence, saying, “Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish she was more partisan,” and then adding, “If she was as partisan as I wish she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.” Collins was in Washington on Thursday and did not join the trip.
A few dozen demonstrators stood across the street from the airport holding signs denouncing Vance and the Trump administration, including a meme-style caricature of his head. Meanwhile, amid the governor’s race, Nirav Shah, a former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and a candidate for governor, told supporters and media in an email that Vance was visiting Maine as costs of necessities such as heating oil and gas rise. Shah said, “That is the record JD Vance is bringing to Maine on Thursday,” and characterized the Maine Republicans hosting Vance as “honored” to celebrate that record.