Ernst draws groans at Iowa town hall after retort on Medicaid cuts, saying ‘we all are going to die’
May 30, 2025
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is facing backlash after saying “we all are going to die” while talking about potential changes to Medicaid eligibility at a town hall in north-central Iowa. Despite shouts and groans from the crowd at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, Ernst stayed on message as she defended the tax and immigration package making its way through Congress. But as she emphasized the reasons for the $700 billion in reduced Medicaid spending, someone in the crowd yelled that people are going to die without coverage. Ernst said: “People are not … well, we all are going to die,” prompting groans from the audience.
