People are still grappling with shocking remarks made by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), whose response to constituents concerned about proposed cuts to Medicaid has been panned as “callous” and “evil.” Ernst has since defended her comments, insisting that she’s “very compassionate” — but many online aren’t convinced.
During a town hall event in Parkersburg, Iowa, on Friday, Ernst was grilled by furious constituents who expressed concerns about a House-passed GOP bill that includes massive cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. The bill is now under consideration in the Senate.
While answering a question about the potential changes to the eligibility and work requirements for Medicaid and food assistance under the legislation dubbed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” one person from the audience yelled out, “People will die.”
Ernst responded: “People are not ― well, we all are going to die. So, for heaven’s sakes, folks.”
She received wide backlash for her response, but the criticism didn’t seem to bother her much. She later doubled down and posted a non-apology video, seemingly filmed in a cemetery, in which she mocked the backlash by saying she thought everyone in the auditorium already understood that “we are all going to perish from this earth.”
