Immigration Rhetoric as PR for Policy Theft

The Trump administration has declared war on immigrants and poor people and is using immigration as a smokescreen to cover for Medicaid cuts in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. Henchmen like Stephen Miller and Scott Bessent are promoting the false narrative that “illegal” immigrants are receiving Medicaid coverage and responsible for much of the fraud and abuse in the system. It’s a specious argument to distract from the fact that they’re cutting healthcare for millions of vulnerable Americans.

Access the episode resources.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:36

Chapter One: Cruelty. 00:01:55

Chapter Two: Smokescreen. 00:05:29

Chapter Three: Emergency. 00:10:35

Chapter Four: Theft. 00:14:47

Post Show Musings: 00:16:48

Outro: 00:20:21

Resources

New York Times: A List of Nearly Everything in the G.O.P. Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save

Rising: Stephen Miller “Torches ICE” 

New York Times: The Senate Wants Billions More in Medicaid Cuts, Pinching States and Infuriating Hospitals

KFF: 5 Key Facts About Immigrants and Medicaid

FactCheck.org: A False Claim About Illegal Immigration and Medicaid - FactCheck.org

Healthinsurance.org: Can undocumented immigrants get Medicaid?

KFF: Potential Impacts of 2025 Budget Reconciliation on Health Coverage

Video: Trump's WAR on Immigrants and Poor People

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