Vice President JD Vance swore in Colin McDonald on Wednesday morning as the assistant attorney general in charge of the Department of Justice's newly created National Fraud Enforcement Division. The ceremony marked a key step in the Trump administration's push to combat fraud in government programs, with McDonald tasked to prosecute cases nationwide.

McDonald, a veteran federal prosecutor from San Diego, previously served over a decade as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of California, where he helped secure convictions in high-profile corruption cases, including that of former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha. More recently, he worked as associate deputy attorney general under Deputy AG Todd Blanche, supervising the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group. The Senate confirmed him on March 24 in a 52-47 vote, with Republicans praising his expertise and Democrats expressing concerns over potential politicization.

The new division focuses on fraud in federal programs such as Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and initiatives from the USDA and HHS. It stems from Vice President Vance's January announcement of the position amid allegations of massive welfare fraud, particularly a $300 million scheme in Minnesota exploiting a child food program, along with issues in housing and autism services. Vance, who chairs the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud co-chaired by FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, emphasized coordination across agencies to protect taxpayers.

"For far too long, illegal alien fraudsters and criminals have been allowed to scam Americans out of their hard-earned tax dollars. That stops now. Colin McDonald will be a key asset to the DOJ and the President’s War on Fraud," Vance said. A Vance spokesperson described the effort as a "whole of government approach to rooting out fraud and finding the criminals and fraudsters who have taken advantage of American taxpayers for far too long."

President Trump nominated McDonald in late January, calling him a "very smart, tough and highly respected America First federal prosecutor." Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled him a "rockstar." Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, supported the confirmation, stating, "Republicans and Democrats can and should agree: fighting fraud, particularly fraud on the American taxpayer, is important work."

Democrats, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, worried the office might target political opponents and lack DOJ independence, noting existing fraud units and Vance's comments on White House oversight. McDonald assured senators he would "uncover and follow the facts and apply them to the law."

The task force, with senior adviser Stephen Miller, will target fraud in states like Minnesota, California, and Ohio. Trump highlighted Minnesota as a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity" in his State of the Union address and paused some Medicaid funding pending investigation. McDonald's division will prosecute such cases, bolstering the administration's commitment to safeguarding social safety nets from abuse.