In a packed White House press room, US Vice President JD Vance had his Yale debating skills to test as he responded to the questions on Minnesota to Venezuela. VP Vance on Thursday announced that the Trump administration plans to create a new Assistant Attorney General position with nationwide authority to tackle fraud, beginning with a focused push in Minnesota before expanding across the country.
Key Takeaways from the Press Briefing
- Addressing the press, Vance said the new role would strengthen federal oversight and enforcement against large-scale fraud, which he described as a growing national concern. Minnesota, he said, would be the starting point for the initiative due to the scale of alleged fraudulent activity uncovered in recent investigations.
- The announcement came amid heightened tensions following a deadly shooting incident in Minnesota involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, which resulted in the death of a woman.
- Commenting on the shooting, Vance expressed regret over the loss of life but strongly defended law enforcement actions. He said the government has a responsibility to protect officers enforcing federal laws, regardless of political affiliation.
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- “Nobody wants an American citizen to be killed. This is absolutely a tragedy,” Vance said.
- The Vice President also urged political activists to pursue change through democratic means rather than confrontation. He said the best way to reduce tensions was through the ballot box, warning that the administration would not tolerate attacks on federal officers or what he described as attempts to intimidate the government through violence.
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Vice President Vance also responded to public speculation about his involvement in the Trump administration’s highly controversial operation in Venezuela, asserting that claims he was sidelined from planning are unfounded.
- In remarks to reporters, Vance rejected narratives circulating online and among some political commentators suggesting he was not consulted on the mission that led to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and significant escalation of U.S. involvement in the country.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Vance’s remarks, stating that President Donald Trump and his administration “stand fully behind” ICE officers nationwide. She characterized the Minnesota incident as part of a broader pattern of organized hostility toward federal law enforcement.
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- Leavitt added that the Department of Homeland Security will continue its operations in Minnesota, both to remove criminal illegal immigrants and to carry out door-to-door investigations related to alleged widespread fraud in the state.
