Promises Made, Promises Kept: Fraud Takedown

Our administration is focused on restoring trust in America and restoring trust in the American dream. And we're focused on actually delivering results for all of you. We have been able to identify $230 billion of fraud just since the fraud task force was set up.

Glittering Generalities Vague, emotionally positive phrases like 'restoring trust in America' and 'restoring trust in the American dream' sound noble but carry no specific policy meaning — for example: 'restoring trust in the American dream'

Repetition The phrase 'restoring trust' is repeated twice within a single sentence for rhetorical emphasis — for example: 'restoring trust in America and restoring trust in the American dream'

Flag-Waving Patriotic, religious, or in-group identity invoked to validate a position.

Slogans Catchy phrase used to compress a complex position into an emotionally loaded shorthand.

Card Stacking An extraordinary, unverified claim of $230 billion in identified fraud is presented as a straightforward fact without qualification or independent verification, implying it carries the same credibility as verified data — for example: '$230 billion of fraud just since the fraud task force was set up'

Because of the vice president's leadership, you are seeing the most muscular, robust, aggressive dedicated determined and speedy effort to shut down criminal fraud that has not only ever occurred in the history of this country, but in any developed nation. We must restore deterrence by finding, prosecuting, and punishing fraudsters. We really have the most accelerated aggressive anti-fraud operation that we've ever seen from the federal government.

Exaggeration/Hyperbole The claim that this effort is the greatest not only in US history but in any developed nation is an extreme overstatement unsupported by evidence — for example: most muscular, robust, aggressive dedicated determined and speedy effort to shut down criminal fraud that has not only ever occurred in the history of this country, but in any developed nation and most accelerated aggressive anti-fraud operation that we've ever seen from the federal government.

Loaded Language A dense cluster of emotionally charged superlative adjectives is used to trigger admiration rather than convey measurable facts — for example: muscular, robust, aggressive dedicated determined and speedy and finding, prosecuting, and punishing fraudsters.

Transfer The vice president's personal leadership is credited as the sole cause of a historically unprecedented achievement, borrowing the authority of the office to validate the claim — for example: 'Because of the vice president's leadership'

False Urgency The phrase 'We must restore deterrence' implies an imperative, urgent need to act without providing evidence that deterrence has been lost — for example: 'We must restore deterrence'

Repetition The word 'aggressive' is repeated across sentences 1 and 3 as a deliberate rhetorical device to reinforce the image of forceful action — for example: "aggressive dedicated determined and speedy effort", "most accelerated aggressive anti-fraud operation".

We have managed to take the fight to the fraudsters. We've managed to save hundreds of billions of dollars of your tax dollars. And God willing, we're to save hundreds of billions of more in the next two and a half years.

Name Calling The term 'fraudsters' is a derogatory label applied to an unspecified group, discrediting them without substantive argument — for example: fraudsters

Exaggeration/Hyperbole The claim of saving 'hundreds of billions of dollars' is an extraordinary unverified figure presented as established fact without supporting evidence — for example: hundreds of billions of dollars and hundreds of billions of more.

Transfer Invoking 'God willing' borrows religious authority to lend legitimacy and moral weight to a political/financial claim — for example: God willing