Sweeping changes to the federal budget being pushed through by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency flared tempers Wednesday night as two CNN guests clashed over potential cuts to fundamental government programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
The moment happened on CNN’s “NewsNight” when GOP operative Shermichael Singleton accused Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky of using “scare tactics.”
“Who's cutting Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security? Singleton asked – a question Roginsky was quick to respond to.
“Um, excuse me? Who? Who,” she said. “How could you have voted for the blueprint?” she shot back in reference to the House budget resolution Republicans passed last week that could result in large cuts to Medicaid.
But Singleton had his own comeback: “You’re using this talking point as a scare tactic.”
“Elon Musk, the president, the House majority leader, the Senate leader – we have not cut anyone’s Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare,” he said.
“Excuse me?” Roginsky responded. “How are you cutting $880 billion from the Energy and Commerce committee…unless you cut Medicaid?”
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But Singleton refused to answer the Democratic strategist’s question directly, instead asking her if she thinks those programs “are solvent.” From there, the two CNN guests broke out into a back-and-forth face-off, which the show’s other guests – including “The View” co-host Ana Navarro – were happy to jump in on.
“Excuse me?” Roginsky said a third time to Singleton. “Answer my question,” she demanded.
Singleton framed the budget framework that threatens Medicaid funding as “an idea,” that “hasn’t been actualized.”
“It’s a scare tactic Julie, it’s a scare tactic,” he added. They continued bickering without reaching a consensus until Navarro jumped in.
"I think that most Americans would be in favor...of cutting 5%, 10% – doing it in a methodical way, a studied way, so that we are not firing people,” Navarro said.
Of that, Singleton was on board.
“I would agree with you there that we could at least meet in the middle and figure out who to cut, where to cut, and when,” he said.
“I love that we just came together,” CNN polling analyst Harry Enten said.
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