Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed strong disapproval towards CBS News’s Tony Dokoupil on Thursday after he described a rumor propagated by leading Republicans as ‘not strictly true’ instead of entirely false.
Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Vice President JD Vance have recently alleged that Democrats proposed a resolution to a government shutdown that involved provision of healthcare to illegal immigrants.
The claim is actually false, but was framed framed as a sticking point in the failed talks that led to a government shutdown late Wednesday.
During CBS Mornings on Thursday, Dokoupil, 44, presented the issue to Warren, stating: ‘Republicans say what you’re really fighting for is taxpayer dollars for, as they put it, illegal aliens.’
‘I know that’s not strictly true, but there is a provision-.’
The Massachusetts Democrat interrupted: ‘Oh, excuse me, not strictly true?’
Dokoupil – who’s been with CBS News since 2016 – appeared to double-down before being interrupted again.
‘It’s not directly true, but-‘
Warren said: ‘It is a flat-out lie! It is a flat-out lie!’
‘Oh, excuse me, not strictly true?’ Massachusetts’s Elizabeth Warren questioned a CBS Mornings host on Tuesday after he claimed a rumor advanced by prominent Republicans was merely ‘not strictly true.’
Tony Dokoupil, seen here on the show on Thursday, added ‘It’s not directly true, but-‘, before being dressed down by the Senator
An intense discussion on the truthfulness of these claims followed. Democrats had insisted that an extension of Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act be part of the funding bill.
‘-the way that they frame it-‘ Dokoupil said.
‘There is nothing in Medicaid, nothing in Medicare, that permits one undocumented immigrant to get one dollar of assistance! None!’ Warren retorted, speaking over Dokoupil.
‘Senator,’ the host shot back.
‘Zero! ‘ Warren declared.
‘– if you let me finish the question –,’ Dokoupil said.
Warren, 76, offered an apology.
Dokoupil procced to claim that in the Democratic counteroffer to the funding bill, senators asked for a restoration of Medicaid benefits for certain noncitizens who saw their coverage taken away by the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’.
‘No!’ Warren said, before clarifying.
The administration falsely claimed Democrats were seeking to give healthcare to undocumented immigrants on Tuesday – a lie later repeated by Speaker Mike Johnson (pictured) and the vice president
She explained how the Big Beautiful Bill significantly restricted noncitizen eligibility for Medicaid coverage, which is now only accessible to lawful permanent residents.
Before, Cubans and Haitians who entered the US legally and noncitizens from several Pacific islands were allowed, as well as refugees, asylees and the other previously eligible immigrants who were granted parole in the us.
Those groups included lawful permanent residents like green card holders, Cubans and Haitians who entered the US legally, those granted a humanitarian benefit known as ‘parole’ to enter the country, and immigrants who won asylum.
‘No. What’s happened is that, what we’re saying is that, whenever hospitals give care, what is going to be the level of reimbursement?
‘And the Republicans said it’s going to be a low level. The Democrats said we just want go back to the level it was before because you’re going to bankrupt hospitals.
‘You’re going to put rural hospitals out of business,’ Warren said.
The senator added how under both party’s desired plans, ‘nothing changes the number of undocumented immigrants who still get care if they show up bleeding and unconscious at an emergency room.
‘There is absolutely zero difference.
The US government began the shutdown process early Wednesday morning. Trump and others continue to pin the blame on Democrats
‘The difference is whether or not hospitals who, under laws that date back to Ronald Reagan, may provide emergency care to anyone who’s unconscious, will actually get reimbursed at a very low level that will put the hospital ultimately out of business, potentially, or at a higher level.
‘The Republicans – there is no change, no change in the number of undocumented migrants who get any help under what the Democrats want.’
Roughly 1.4 million immigrants could lose health insurance coverage under the bill’s provisions, according to a KFF analysis of Congressional Budget Office data.
Dokoupil – a CBS Mornings host for six years – responded by ending the interview.
Finger-pointing as to who’s to blame for the shutdown, meanwhile, continues.
Democrats have blamed the shutdown on Trump and the GOP, saying they are refusing to protect millions of Americans’ healthcare by repealing tax credits that make health insurance premiums cheaper for citizens and are now set to expire.
The US government began the shutdown process Wednesday morning, after failing to draft a bill that satisfied both sides.
