Kaitlan Collins Mocks Rick Scott Constantly Citing Jake Tapper To Explain Self: ‘I Dont Think That’s the Defense You Think It Is’

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins grilled Florida Sen. Rick Scott about the plan that prompted Republicans to scream “LIAR!” when President Joe Biden referenced it during the State of the Union address and mocked his repeated invocation of CNN anchor Jake Tapper in his own defense.

Biden delivered his first State of the Union address under the new GOP House majority Tuesday night, and pretty much everyone agrees the moment of the night was when the president found himself flat-out arguing with Republicans screaming “LIAR!” in the middle of the speech.

At issue was this 100 percent true and heavily-qualified claim: “Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. I’m not saying it’s a majority.”

On Thursday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, Collins interviewed Scott, who authored one of the proposals Biden referenced, grilling him intensely over the plan that has dominated post-SOTU coverage. The anchor did an effective job of picking apart Scott’s latest defense, which is that he was calling to end every federal law every five years and require their reauthorization.

But in one bizarre chunk, Scott got really fixated on something Tapper said in order to argue that when Democrats legislated savings for Medicare on prescription drugs, they enacted a “cut.”

Collins spent several minutes knocking it down before she finally pulled a Princess Bride and told him maybe citing Jake Tapper doesn’t mean what he thinks it means:

SEN. RICK SCOTT: I’ve been clear I’m not going to do it. In contrast, let’s remember just what, a few months ago all Democrats voted and Joe Biden signed a bill to cut $280 billion out of Medicare to an $80 billion cut out of Medicare.

KAITLAN COLLINS: That’s not true, Senator. We talked about this the other day when you were on the program, that that was passed, an inflation reduction act. Reducing drug spending is not cutting benefits to Medicare.

SEN. RICK SCOTT: Okay, Kaitlan, let me just read you something Jake Tapper said. This is back when Republicans are opposing reducing the cost of Medicaid, he said. Jake Tapper said, “I know the Trump administration is excited that Medicaid will go back to the states where they have more control and can experiment and be more efficient. But without question, $880 billion is a cut.” So it’s a, is it a cut when you, when Republicans do it, but not a cut when Democrats propose savings?

KAITLAN COLLINS: What you’re referencing? Senator, I looked into this because we talked about it the other day, and even the senior VP for AARP’s government affairs said this has been fact checked repeatedly and shown to be a lie. In fact, this bill saves Medicare nearly $300 billion by lowering the price of drugs. Our drug company, only drug companies would say that saving people money is a bad thing.

SEN. RICK SCOTT: But what about what Jake Tapper said? I mean, what Jake Tapper said was.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Was Jake Tapper referring to the Inflation Reduction Act? I don’t think he was.

SEN. RICK SCOTT: He was referring to a reduction in costs in Medicaid. So that’s a cut.

KAITLAN COLLINS: What does that have to do with what what what Democrats passed last fall? This is about lowering allowing them to negotiate the prices of drugs. And basically, if you’ve budgeted and you’ve got $15,000 and you go and buy a car, and it it now costs $12,000. That doesn’t mean you only have $12,000. It means you just did not spend all $15,000. Right?

SEN. RICK SCOTT: Kaitlan, two things. First off, what they did that is false is going to reduce life saving drugs. What the Republicans proposed was not a reduction in Medicaid benefits. It was a cut. And Jake Tapper said that is a cut. So CNN says it’s not a cut if Democrats do it. It is a kind of Republicans do it. That’s, I mean, what else can you say? I mean, that’s exactly, you’ve got, you know, I see what you’re saying. How you know, have you talked to Jake Tapper? What, why did he say it was a cut if Republicans do it?

KAITLAN COLLINS: Senator, I’m not sure that what Jake Tapper said is relevant to what this particular point is on what you’re claiming about the cost of drugs costing less and therefore being a cut. Everyone else has said that is not true. It’s been fact checked multiple times. And they say that that’s simply not true.

SEN. RICK SCOTT: But okay, so if they, if the same, did the same fact checkers go back and look at what Jake Tapper said? I mean, I mean, I don’t get I don’t get why if one party proposes efficiencies, that’s a cut. But if the other party does, it’s not a cut. I mean, and.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Because reducing spending is not the same as cutting benefits. Correct?

SEN. RICK SCOTT: Well, it actually is what they did last fall is going to reduce life saving drugs.

KAITLAN COLLINS: I understand you’re saying as an impact on drugs. That is different, though, than saying that they cut Medicare when they’re saving money on the cost of what those drugs cost to Americans.

SEN. RICK SCOTT: Okay. But then why did Jake Tapper said that $800 billion cut in Medicaid is a cut?

KAITLAN COLLINS: I’m sorry, Senator. I don’t think that’s the defense that you think it is.

Scott isn’t the only GOP senator with a plan to sunset entitlements. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin suggested sunsetting the plans even more frequently. RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel endorsed Scott’s entire plan, as did Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, and Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.