GOP Senator Doubles Down on 'We're All Going to Die'

UPDATE Jun 2, 2025 1:30 AM CDT

Joni Ernst isn't backing down from her controversial remarks at an Iowa town hall Friday. After a constituent noted their concerns about Medicaid cuts potentially causing deaths, Ernst responded, "Well, we are all going to die." The following day, after the comment went viral, Ernst posted a video of herself, apparently in a cemetery, the Washington Post reports. "I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this earth. So I apologize, and I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well," she said. "For those that would like to see eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my Lord and savior Jesus Christ."

May 31, 2025 9:30 AM CDT

Senator Joni Ernst is facing criticism after comments she made at a Butler County, Iowa, town hall on Friday quickly spread online. When a constituent raised concerns that Republican-backed Medicaid cuts in a domestic policy bill currently making its way through Congress could result in deaths, Ernst replied, "Well, we all are going to die," prompting outraged reaction from the crowd, per the New York Times. The AP notes that Ernst continued, "What you don't want to do is listen to me when I say that we are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable ... Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid we will protect." Democrats seized on the moment, circulating video of Ernst's response and calling it "stunningly callous."

The domestic policy legislation in question includes $4 trillion in tax cuts, primarily benefiting the wealthy, and introduces stricter Medicaid work requirements. The Congressional Budget Office estimates these changes could leave about 10 million Americans uninsured. Ernst attempted to steer the conversation toward legislation provisions targeting Medicaid eligibility, emphasizing measures to block undocumented immigrants from receiving benefits. But attendees, including Democratic Senate challenger Nathan Sage, focused on her broader comments. Sage, an Iraq veteran and leader of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, said Ernst's response revealed indifference to her constituents' concerns.

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For Republicans, the bill is framed as an effort to root out Medicaid "waste and abuse," while Democrats argue it would sharply reduce coverage and reroute funding toward tax breaks for the rich. Ernst's campaign countered that Democrats are fearmongering, pointing to her efforts to lower taxes and safeguard Medicaid from fraud. CNN notes that Ernst is the latest GOPer to learn "the hard way" that "it's very difficult to defend a massive overhaul of the American economy," as "however good any given plan is, it often produces losers and— even in the best of cases—some short-term pain." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)