President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are rolling out a $25 million program on Tuesday designed to reward Americans who come forward with information about suspected fraud within federal programs.
The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, or WHIP, will grant rewards of up to $30,000 for tips submitted through fraud.gov that lead to a fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action, according to the White House.
The Department of Justice will administer the initiative, expanding the administration’s campaign to curtail abuse of federal programs and taxpayer dollars.
Trump and Vance will present the fund during a joint appearance in the Oval Office. Earlier in the year, the president established a federal fraud task force and designated Vance to oversee the effort.
At the same time, Vance found himself momentarily unprepared when a grieving military husband pressed him over the weekend, insisting on accountability for leadership failures that allegedly contributed to his wife’s death in the Iran conflict.
The confrontation occurred Saturday at a CBS News town hall in Michigan, where Joey Amor pressed the vice president about what he termed “fundamental failures” in the Trump administration’s war with Iran.
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Amor pressed the vice president on how the administration intended to hold military leaders accountable for decisions that may have cost American service members their lives.
Vance replied that he had not heard of any such failures.
Amor then explained that his wife had told him things before she died and implied that other soldiers were staying quiet about what happened. Rather than directly addressing the reported breakdowns, Vance claimed the allegations were new to him, suggested officials had already corrected some problems, and promised to look into the matter further, according to accounts.
An Iranian drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait killed Amor’s wife, Master Sgt. Nicole Amor, 39, along with five other U.S. service members on March 1. The attack also wounded more than 20 troops and has since spurred questions about whether military leaders adequately anticipated threats and prepared for an attack.
“Although the Iranian drone was the weapon that claimed my wife’s life, there were many mistakes and a host of fundamental failures that preceded it,” Amor told Vance during the town hall.
“My wife had told me things before she died. There are other soldiers who know things that are being kept quiet about certain aspects of this,” he continued, describing his wife’s death as a “failure of leadership.”
He then asked the vice president to spell out how the administration planned to hold those responsible to account.
“I want to know how this administration intends to hold those leaders responsible for the actions and the deaths of the soldiers we honor and love,” Amor said.
Vance initially offered sympathy for the family, describing Nicole as a “precious human who served her country honorably” and noting that the nation owed them a debt of gratitude. But when addressing the allegations about military decision-making, he did not directly answer Amor’s accountability question.
“If there were failures… This is the first time I’ve heard of this,” Vance said, with video circulating online capturing his remarks. He later added: “When you talk about failures that we may have been implicated in… this is literally the first I’ve heard of it.”
CBS News had previously reported that decisions made before the strike could have exposed American troops to unnecessary risk. The network’s investigation found that military leaders rejected plans to relocate personnel to safer positions in Saudi Arabia despite intelligence warnings that Iran might target the Kuwaiti port.
Vance acknowledged that some of the concerns might involve issues the administration had already acknowledged.
“Now, it may be that some of what you’re describing are matters where our tactics have already improved,” he said. “There were problems with troop placements that we recognized as grave mistakes and that we could fix, and we have made changes.”
Vance pledged to investigate further, adding, “This is not something I’m going to forget.”
The exchange sparked intense online scrutiny, with viewers questioning Vance’s response to questions about the deaths of American service members in the Trump administration’s Iran campaign.
One commenter asked whether ignorance could excuse a senior official’s lack of answers.
“It’s always ‘this is the first time I’ve heard of this’ with Vance. At some point, ignorance stops being an excuse and becomes a leadership failure.”
Others highlighted the emotional weight of the moment and Vance’s handling of a husband seeking accountability.
“Awful response. Truly horrific.”
Another added: “This was so painful to watch.”
One observer harsher still toward the vice president, calling him “Absolute soulless, craven, psychopath.”
Amor’s questions arrive amid intensified scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the deadly strike. CBS News reported that military personnel had contemplated relocating troops from Kuwait to locations in western Saudi Arabia before the hostilities began. Proposed sites included a logistics hub near Yanbu and Prince Sultan Air Base southeast of Riyadh.
Instead, the unit’s commanding general, Brig. Gen. Clint Barnes, directed personnel to Port Shuaiba, despite intelligence indicating a potential risk to the site. Sources told CBS News that Army intelligence officials began briefing Barnes about the port’s vulnerability in January, weeks before the United States launched Operation Epic Fury.
One service member questioned the decision to return to the port, telling CBS News, “Shuaiba was the easy button.”
The investigation also raised questions about medical readiness. Survivors said requests for additional medical personnel and supplies had gone unanswered before the attack. According to their accounts, wounded troops had to improvise treatment using improvised bandages, splints, and tourniquets before reaching local hospitals in civilian vehicles.
Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom told CBS that the lack of medical support may have cost Nicole Amor her life.
“This was a failure,” he said, adding that she might have survived if a doctor, a fixed aid station, or more ambulances had been available.
The Pentagon has pushed back against allegations that the military failed to protect the troops. Spokesperson Sean Parnell previously stated that “every possible measure has been taken to safeguard our troops — at every level,” noting that the facility had been fortified with “6-foot walls.”
The town hall exchange arrived as the administration faced broader questions about the war, which, according to The Hill and the Pentagon’s casualty database, has claimed the lives of at least 21 U.S. service members. The conflict began in late February, with Trump initially forecasting a swift end.
Vance defended the president’s decision to engage in combat, arguing that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon justified the campaign.
“The president of the United States acted because he believes this is vitally important, and I think he is right; most people here would agree, even if they don’t endorse every specific policy detail, that Iran—the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism—cannot be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon,” Vance said.
