Trump Embraces House GOP Plan To Slash Medicaid Just Hours After Saying He Wouldn’t Allow Cuts To Program

by Angie SchlagerFebruary 23, 2025, 1:02 amNews >

At a time when Medicaid has become a crucial safety net for millions of Americans, President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through Washington by endorsing a House Republican budget that proposes deep cuts to the program—just hours after publicly vowing that it “isn’t going to be touched.”

Trump’s unexpected endorsement left White House aides scrambling to decipher his stance – administration officials were unsure which Medicaid reductions the president would ultimately support. The House budget proposal aims to slash $880 billion from programs under its jurisdiction, with Medicaid making up the bulk of those cuts—a move that has triggered backlash from Republican lawmakers whose constituents heavily rely on the program.

Trump’s seemingly contradictory statements—first in a Fox News interview on Tuesday evening, followed by a post on Truth Social on Wednesday—have sown confusion among Republicans in Congress. Many lawmakers, already facing a politically precarious decision, are looking to the president for guidance on whether to back the budget’s proposed Medicaid cuts.

On Tuesday night, Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that Medicaid would be preserved under a new GOP spending plan. “None of that stuff is going to be touched,” the president said. The next day, Trump endorsed a House bill threatening the healthcare of millions of Americans to subsidize the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts the president has sought.

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“You’ve got to look at if it is worth the political struggle to do it,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told Politico. “Entitlements are difficult to deal with.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) voiced concerns over “the House’s proposal for very deep cuts to Medicaid.”

The White House signaled on Wednesday that Trump may also consider making changes to Medicare—a program he has repeatedly promised to protect. White House spokesperson Kush Desai initially stated that the administration is committed to protecting both Medicare and Medicaid while targeting waste, fraud, and abuse within the programs. However, in a subsequent revision, Desai’s statement omitted any mention of Medicare, focusing solely on Medicaid.

As more Republican-led states have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the program has increasingly served as a lifeline for lower-income Americans. Medicaid covers nearly 70 million people nationwide, including children, people with disabilities, and seniors requiring long-term care.

With Medicaid funding on the chopping block, states could be forced to compensate for federal reductions, potentially leaving millions without coverage. Hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers—many of which depend on Medicaid funding—could also face financial strain, leading to service reductions and job losses in the healthcare sector.

Despite Trump’s endorsement, the Senate is moving forward with its own budget, which focuses on immigration, military spending and energy rather than tax cuts. However, Trump has expressed his preference for a single bill encompassing all his policy priorities, aligning more closely with the House proposal. House lawmakers are set to vote on the budget next week, relying on Trump’s support to rally momentum for its swift passage.

Democrats see an opportunity to capitalize on the controversy, vowing to fight back against any attempt to gut Medicaid. One proposed amendment would block tax cuts for Americans earning more than $1 million if Medicaid funding is reduced.

Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) warned that the GOP’s current approach echoes its failed 2017 attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, saying, “This is the playbook. It’s coming.”