Vance touts work of his anti-fraud task force in visit to Maine ahead of primary election

BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Vice President JD Vance highlighted the Trump administration's efforts to combat fraud in a visit to Maine on Thursday ahead of the state's primary elections for several high-profile races.

The vice president, who was tapped by Trump to chair an anti-fraud task force, said misuse of government social programs is not a victimless crime, but instead a harm to every American taxpayer.

"You are the first victim of fraud," Vance told the crowd, as signs hung nearby that read "PROTECTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS" and "FIGHTING FRAUDSTERS."

The vice president, who is seen as a potential GOP candidate for president in 2028, has been promoting the work of the task force as he has campaigned for Republican candidates in recent months.

But Thursday's visit was the first that has been expressly billed as a stop to talk about the fraud-fighting efforts rather than the economic-focused message he's delivered in other visits.

Vance's pitch on President Donald Trump's economic policies has become tougher in the wake of the Iran war, which has driven up costs of gas and other goods, including food.

The visit to Maine comes after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said earlier in the year that he was calling for corrective action on alleged fraud in government health programs in Maine, a request characterized by the state's Democratic governor, Janet Mills, as a "political attack." It also comes as Maine residents begin voting ahead of the state's primary elections on June 9, when they will be selecting candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.

Mills, who is prevented by term limit laws from running for a third term, recently dropped out of the Democratic primary race to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, effectively ceding the nomination to progressive activist and oyster farmer Graham Platner. The seat is considered one of the most competitive in the nation and critical to Democratic hopes of reclaiming control of the chamber.

Republicans are bullish about their chances of taking back the 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses Bangor, after Democratic Rep. Jared Golden announced he wouldn't be seeking reelection to the seat. Former Gov. Paul LePage, a Trump ally looking to make a political comeback, is the sole Republican vying for the nomination.

Vance portrayed LePage as a partner-in-arms with his anti-fraud effort, and told the crowd Thursday that: "Fraud has festered in Maine because this guy is no longer the governor of Maine."

He also praised Collins for her independence and lack of partisanship.

"Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish she was more partisan," Vance said. "If she was as partisan as I wish she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine."

LePage appeared at Thursday's event, while Collins was scheduled to be in Washington.

Before Vance arrived, LePage told the crowd that if elected to represent Maine's 2nd Congressional District, he would work with the Trump administration to crack down on fraud in social safety programs, which he characterized as rampant in his state.

"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," he told a crowd of a few hundred at Bangor International Airport.

In the governor's race, seven Republicans and five Democrats are vying to replace Mills, who has sparred with the Trump administration over the issue of transgender athletes in high school sports.

Some Maine Democrats have used Vance's appearance as an opportunity to boost their own campaign messages. Progressive groups were planning a demonstration in Bangor at the time of the appearance, and Maine Secretary of State and governor candidate Shenna Bellows said she planned to speak at it.

Nirav Shah, the former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director who is now running for governor, said in an email to supporters and media that Vance is visiting Maine when costs of necessities such as heating oil and gas are surging in the state.

"That is the record JD Vance is bringing to Maine on Thursday. That is the record the Maine Republicans hosting him are 'honored' to celebrate," Shah said.

Maine is a largely Democratic state, but Trump has proven popular in rural areas, and he has won the 2nd District in three consecutive elections. Mills had made her opposition to Trump a focus of her Senate run against Collins until she suspended her campaign in late April, clearing a path for Platner to take the nomination.

Vance paid a visit to northern New England in March 2025, when he went to Vermont on a family vacation. The appearance attracted protests near a ski resort.