‘You Trigger My Gag Reflex’: GOP Senator And Witness Throw Down Over Trump’s Mass Deportations

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) sparred with CATO Institute Director of Immigration Studies David Bier during a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Tuesday about sanctuary cities in the U.S.

Kennedy began the tense exchange with Bier by bringing up some of his past statements, “Don’t you think your hyperbolic statements undermine your credibility?”

Bier replied, “What hyperbolic statement did I make?”

Kennedy added, “On February the 11th, 2026, you posted on Bluesky. My words — or your words, not mine. ‘The Democrats’ video telling service members to ignore illegal orders didn’t go far enough. They should have also urged them to refuse unethical orders, whether illegal or not. There are many things deemed legal that are still obviously unethical, and everyone should hold themselves to this higher law.’ End quote. Did I read that correctly?”

Bier replied, “I believe you did. Do you disagree with it? You think people should do unethical things in their capacity as–”

Kennedy jumped back in, “On December the 31st of 2025, you posted — in front of God and country, you said — quote, ‘They’ — referring to Republicans — ‘think they can troll their way into us accepting ethnic cleansing.’ End quote. Your words, not mine. Did I read that correctly?”

Bier hit back, “That was in regard to a Department of Homeland Security post advocating 100 million deportations. That is what DHS tweeted from their own account. A hundred million deportations would be ethnic cleansing. You would be removing one-third of the country. So yes, there are people within the Department of Homeland Security–”

Kennedy cut in, “And you don’t think this is hyperbolic? Give me 30 more seconds.”

Bier replied, “I think advocating 100 million deportations is ethnic cleansing.”

“On February 5th, you quoted — you said the following on Bluesky,” Kennedy continued as Bier jabbed, “Your time is up.”

“These are all good, but there’s no enforcement mechanism. I’m sorry, let me try a better one,” Kennedy replied, adding:

On March 2nd, you said, quote, “If you rule against Trump’s population purge agenda” — no hyperbole there — “the nativists will name you, threaten you, and come after you. These judges are much braver than the ICE agents who hide behind masks while violating the Constitution.”

Bier doubled down, “They are much braver. They put their names on their rulings, and they stand behind their constitutional rulings.” He concluded:

When I talk about “population purge,” I’m talking about the fact that they’re trying to deport US-born citizens — people born here. They are trying to deport them as well. So it’s not a mass deportation agenda; it is also an agenda intended to reduce the population of the United States, including US-born people. So these are not hyperbolic statements. I appreciate you reading my account. I appreciate it. Here’s the good news—

Kennedy concluded as he was urged to wrap it up, “Wait a minute, Mr. Chairman. What planet did you just parachute in from?” The committee chair tried to stop Kennedy there as he added, “You trigger my gag reflex.”

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.

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