President Donald Trump warned House Republicans about spending negotiations, using profanity to emphasize his warning against Medicaid cuts.
Trump spoke at the weekly House Republican meeting on Tuesday to urge hard-line holdouts to back his “big, beautiful bill,” currently the subject of a tug-of-war between conservative fiscal hawks and anxious centrists in vulnerable districts. The president’s patience was wearing thin at the meeting, with a House GOP source and White House official telling the Washington Examiner that he demanded the caucus stop bickering over details and push the bill through.
His biggest concern was changes to Medicaid, which he issued a stark warning to avoid.
“Don’t f*** around with Medicaid,” he told House Republicans.
Trump told the caucus the only changes to Medicaid could be eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, kicking illegal immigrants off, and implementing commonsense work requirements. He urged them not to let state and local tax deduction impede the bill, arguing that they could fight for it later on.
The president clarified he was losing patience with holdouts and stressed that he wanted every Republican to vote “yes” on the bill.
His last demand already appears to be falling short. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-MA) told the Washington Examiner that he was still a “no” and believes enough other Republicans are noes to prevent the bill from passing.
“We’re still a long ways away, but we can get there — maybe not by tomorrow,” Harris said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt elaborated on Trump’s position regarding Medicaid at a Monday press conference, saying he wants to protect Medicaid for the “most vulnerable” while ensuring all able-bodied citizens still work.
“The president wants to preserve and protect Medicaid for Americans who this program was intended for, the most vulnerable in our society — pregnant women, low-income families, seniors, those who truly need these benefits — and it should be going to people who physically cannot work,” she said.
Trump would like “to see able-bodied Americans at least working 20 hours per week, whether that’s part time or full time.”
“Whether that’s even looking for work or volunteering for 20 hours a week, if they are receiving Medicaid,” Leavitt added. “These are commonsense reforms to ensure those that this program was intended for receive those benefits.”
The delayed implementation of certain provisions of the megabill, specifically regarding Medicaid, has angered some Republican fiscal hawks.
The new bill seeks to implement the fiscal plan’s perks now while pushing back the downsides, delaying work requirements and verification rules to 2029, when Trump will have concluded his second term. The provisions have put the bill at risk, with some in the Republicans’ thin majority signaling they won’t vote it through.
TRUMP SAYS AFTER 2020 LOSS, HE THOUGHT ‘I’LL RUN AGAIN AND SHOVE IT UP THEIR A**’
Trump has been more liberal with profanities to get his point across recently — he also swore at a dinner at the White House with the Kennedy Center Board on Monday. He began riffing during his speech and recalled that during his first term, he bemoaned the fact that the Olympics and World Cup would be hosted in the United States in 2028 and 2026, respectively, which he thought he wouldn’t be able to preside over due to being termed out in 2024 — before losing his first reelection bid.
“And then they rigged the election, and then I said, ‘You know what I’ll do? I’ll run again, and I’ll shove it up their a**,’” he said, triggering laughter and applause from the audience.