‘Flat-Out Lie!’ Warren Cuts Off CBS Anchor Pushing Her on Trump Shutdown ‘Talking Point’
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) cut off CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil when he suggested a Trump talking point wasn’t “strictly true,” interrupting to call it a “flat-out lie!”
President Donald Trump and the Republicans have blamed Democrats for the government shutdown by pushing the talking point that, as Trump put it in an AI-generated fake video, Democrats want to “give all these illegal aliens free health care.”
Although that claim has been ruled false by numerous fact-checkers, Vice President JD Vance joined the White House briefing on Wednesday to press the same talking point and try to backfill an explanation.
On Thursday morning’s edition of CBS News’s CBS Mornings, Senator Warren pushed back when Dokoupil tried to push her on what he called a “talking point” that isn’t “directly true”:
TONY DOKOUPIL: So, Senator, you know, Republicans say what you’re really fighting for is taxpayer dollars for, as they put it, illegal aliens. I know that’s not strictly true, but there is a provision –
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: Oh, excuse me, not strictly true?
TONY DOKOUPIL: It’s not directly true, but –
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: It is a flat-out lie! It is a flat-out lie!
TONY DOKOUPIL: – the way that they frame it –
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: There is nothing in Medicaid, nothing in Medicare, that permits one undocumented immigrant to get one dollar of assistance! None!
TONY DOKOUPIL: – Senator –
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: Zero!
TONY DOKOUPIL: – if you let me finish the question –
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: Of course. I’m sorry.
TONY DOKOUPIL: –In the Democratic counteroffer, offer the proposal for funding, there is a restoration of Medicaid benefits for certain noncitizens that had been taken away in the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” as Republicans put it.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: No!
TONY DOKOUPIL: Republicans don’t think those people should be getting health care on the taxpayer dime. I’m not asking on the merits. Politically, putting that in there exposes you to this talking point, this “lie” as you put it. Why put it in there? Why is it worth it?
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: No. What’s happened is that what we’re saying is that whenever hospitals give care, what is going to be the level of reimbursement?
And the Republicans said it’s going to be a low level. The Democrats said we just want go back to the level it was before because you’re going to bankrupt hospitals. You’re going to put rural hospitals out of business.
The Republicans and the Democrats’ plan, nothing changes the number of undocumented immigrants who still get care if they show up bleeding and unconscious at an emergency room. There is absolutely zero difference.
The difference is whether or not hospitals who, under laws that date back to Ronald Reagan, may provide emergency care to anyone who’s unconscious, will actually get reimbursed at a very low level that will put the hospital ultimately out of business, potentially, or at a higher level.
The Republicans – there is no change, no change in the number of undocumented migrants who get any help under what the Democrats want.
Look, what we’re looking for is help for people who are going to get pushed out of nursing homes, help for people who are at home and relying on home health aides.
That’s what this fight is about.
TONY DOKOUPIL: Senator, i appreciate your expansion on that issue, and i appreciate the conversation. I hope a compromise is reached soon. Senator Elizabeth Warren, thank you.
Watch above via CBS News’s CBS Mornings.
