“Together with the Republicans in Congress, we’ve removed nearly 300,000 illegal aliens from the Social Security rolls,” Trump said. “And, we’ve removed more than 100,000 migrants from Medicare eligibility. One hundred thousand, and the number is going up.”
“What we’re really doing is saving Social Security, because it was so rife with fraud, and the Democrats didn’t care,” the president added, per the Washington Examiner. “They couldn’t care less. All they care about is Trump. Trump derangement syndrome.”
Trump’s appearance at The Villages marked his first major public event since the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last weekend.
Joining Trump at the event were Scott Bessent, Mehmet Oz, media personality Dr. Phil, and Byron Donalds, whose campaign for Florida governor has been endorsed by the president.
Trump sharply renewed his criticism of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and her native country of Somalia during the Florida event, linking his remarks to a broader push by his administration to combat fraud in all federal programs.
Trump outlined what he described as a major crackdown on fraud tied to Medicare and Medicaid. He said the effort is being led by Vice President JD Vance and is targeting what he characterized as widespread abuse across multiple states.
“To further stop Medicare and Medicaid from being looted by criminals and thugs, we’ve launched a war on fraud,” Trump said. “You’ve been watching it in the papers; we’re all over Minnesota, California, all over the place.”
Trump claimed authorities are making arrests at a rapid pace as part of the effort. “They’re taking down hundreds, and hundreds, and even thousands of people a week, in a day,” he said. “It’s led by our great Vice President JD Vance. He’s doing a great job.”
The president then shifted his focus to allegations of fraud involving members of the Somali immigrant community. He referenced past reports of fraud cases in states including Minnesota and California, while expanding his criticism to Somalia itself.
Trump described Somalia as lacking stable governance and security, making sweeping claims about conditions in the country. He also tied those remarks directly to Omar, who was born in Somalia and later immigrated to the United States.
“They come here, and Ilhan Omar,” Trump said. “Do you ever hear of her? She heads it. Then she comes here, from Somalia, and she tells us how to run the United States of America.”
Trump also took aim at what he described as Omar’s interpretation of constitutional rights. “She tells us that the Constitution gives her certain rights, and she demands these rights,” he said.
The comments echo similar criticism Trump has made in the past regarding the left-wing Omar. His remarks also come as immigration and public spending remain central issues in his administration’s policy agenda.
During his State of the Union address in February, Trump announced what he called a “war on fraud” targeting abuse within federal benefit programs. He cited Minnesota as a major example, pointing to alleged large-scale fraud cases tied to pandemic-era aid programs and other government funding streams.
“When it comes to the corruption that is plundering America, there’s been no more stunning example than Minnesota,” Trump said at the time.
He went further, claiming that members of the Somali community were responsible for significant financial losses to taxpayers.
“Members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer,” Trump said.
