BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA — A fiery town hall turned explosive Friday as Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, found herself in the center of a political storm after making a stunning remark defending cuts to Medicaid: “We all are going to die.”
The comment, made in response to an emotional attendee who warned that the proposed GOP budget bill would result in real-life consequences for vulnerable Americans, drew loud boos, gasps, and jeers from the crowd.
The tension reached a boiling point when a local resident passionately confronted Ernst over the House’s budget plan, accusing Republicans of lining the pockets of the ultrawealthy while stripping away vital lifelines like Medicaid and food assistance.
Ernst, unfazed, doubled down:
“They’re not currently eligible by the original definition of Medicaid,” she said coolly. “They will be moved off the rolls.”
The crowd bristled. But it was her next move that stunned the room.
Ernst, citing Republican talking points, claimed that 1.4 million undocumented immigrants were currently receiving Medicaid — a figure drawn from a widely misunderstood Congressional Budget Office report, which actually noted that 1.4 million would lose coverage, not all necessarily due to immigration status.
At that moment, an attendee shouted from the crowd: “People are going to die!”
Ernst’s response was jaw-dropping.
“People are not—well, we all are going to die, so, for heaven’s sakes,” she snapped.
The room erupted. Jeers drowned her out. The comment immediately ignited backlash online and across political circles.
“She Said the Quiet Part Out Loud”
Democrats were quick to seize the moment.
Ken Martin, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, didn’t mince words:
“Senator Ernst just said the quiet part out loud. Republicans don’t care whether their own constituents live or die — as long as billionaires keep getting tax breaks.”
JD Scholten, a Democrat considering a Senate run against Ernst, delivered a scathing rebuke in a viral Instagram video:
“We all don’t have to die so billionaires can have a bigger tax break,” he said. “That’s insane.”
Ernst Digs In
Despite the uproar, Ernst didn’t back down.
“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,” she told the heckling attendee, visibly irritated.
Her office later released a statement defending her performance at the town hall:
“While Democrats fearmonger, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans. There are only two certainties in life: death and taxes — and she’s working to ease the burden of both.”
But critics weren’t buying it.
Crowd Turns Hostile
Throughout the evening, Ernst faced relentless questioning — not just on Medicaid, but on cuts to disability benefits and her support of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, another point of controversy.
When she tried to calm the room by claiming no one would lose essential services, the crowd grew even more agitated.
“Everyone says that Medicaid is being cut. People are going to see their benefits cut. That’s not true,” she insisted, her voice nearly drowned by shouts.
Despite her attempts to spin the cuts as a way to “strengthen” Medicaid, the fury in the room told another story — one of fear, outrage, and disbelief.
“We’re trying to direct dollars to the people who meet the requirements of the program,” Ernst said in closing. “We will do much better.”