Vice President JD Vance will be in Bangor today where he is expected to talk about fraud and to stump for former Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
President Donald Trump appointed Vance to lead a task force focused on fraud in welfare programs. White House officials have repeatedly mentioned Maine alongside Minnesota, California and several other Democratic-led states as places where welfare fraud is rampant. Officials with administration of Gov. Janet Mills administration have strongly disputed such assertions.
During a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Vance announced that the federal government was withholding $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California over fraud concerns and plans to audit state-level fraud units. But Vance did not provide any details about what, exactly, he would discuss during his lunchtime appearance in Bangor.
"We're going to campaign a little bit with Paul LePage and talk about the fraud efforts that we have going on and talk about a few other things as well," Vance said.
LePage served two terms as governor and is running for the open seat in Maine's 2nd Congressional District. He does not face an opponent during the June 9th Republican primary. Four Democrats — Joe Baldacci, Matt Dunlap, Paige Loud and Jordan Wood — are running for the nomination to replace retiring Democratic Congressman Jared Golden.
LePage and Republican candidates for governor and the Legislature have made concerns about fraud in MaineCare — the state's Medicaid program — a top talking point in their 2026 campaigns.
"Tomorrow, I look forward to joining him in Bangor," LePage said in a post on X. "As Governor I fought welfare fraud. I know what it is like to struggle, to be in poverty. Welfare should be a hand up to the truly needy, not just a hand out. Every dollar of fraud is a dollar stolen from taxpayers and not used to help those who truly need assistance."
Democratic leaders and candidates, meanwhile, have denounced the vice president's visit to Maine. Multiple protests are planned around Bangor on Thursday.
“Mainers are feeling the consequences of the Trump-Vance administration every day," Charlie Dingman, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, said in a statement. "Costs are rising and working families are being left behind while Maine Republicans cheer on the Trump administration’s disastrous policies. By welcoming and celebrating JD Vance’s visit, Republican candidates up and down the ballot are tying themselves to the MAGA agenda that’s driving up costs and hurting Maine families. Maine voters won’t forget it in November.”
This story will be updated.
