US President Donald Trump has asked Congress to impose mandatory prison sentences on people convicted of defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. He made the demand on Saturday in a video posted on Truth Social.

“Today, I’m calling on Congress to pass legislation to address fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs,” Trump said in the video.

Under the proposal, convicted offenders would no longer be eligible for probation, and prison time would rise with the amount stolen.

“If you steal from the American people, you will go to prison and for a long period of time. And the more you steal, the longer you’ll stay in that prison,” he said.

Trump also proposed harsher punishment for repeat offenders. Anyone convicted of fraud against the programmes a second time would receive twice the original sentence, he said.

Trump also said state and local politicians who know about fraud and do nothing to stop it should be personally liable for the losses.

No bill text has been released, and Trump did not give specific sentencing ranges. The proposal is not law until Congress acts. It is part of a broader administration campaign against fraud in federal benefit programmes.