Fact Check: Joni Ernst's "We All Are Going to Die" Comment
What We Know
In late May 2023, during a town hall meeting in Butler County, Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst responded to a constituent's concern regarding the potential impact of a Trump-backed budget bill on Medicaid. The constituent expressed fear that the bill could lead to the deaths of individuals who would lose healthcare coverage. Ernst replied, "Well, we all are going to die," which drew jeers from the audience (New York Times, ABC News). This remark was made in the context of a broader discussion about proposed cuts to Medicaid and the implications of those cuts for vulnerable populations.
The budget bill Ernst was discussing was projected by the Congressional Budget Office to potentially leave around 10 million Americans uninsured (New York Times). Following her comment, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee criticized her statement as "stunningly callous," framing it within the larger narrative of Republican efforts to cut Medicaid to fund tax cuts for the wealthy (New York Times).
Analysis
The comment made by Senator Ernst is indeed documented and has been reported consistently across multiple reputable sources. The New York Times, ABC News, and Politico all confirm the context and content of her statement, providing a reliable basis for the claim that she said, "Well, we all are going to die" in response to concerns about Medicaid cuts (New York Times, ABC News, Politico).
The reliability of these sources is high, as they are established news organizations with a history of fact-checking and journalistic integrity. The criticism from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also indicates that Ernst's comment has been viewed as controversial and has sparked significant political discourse, further validating the claim's significance in the political landscape.
Critically, while Ernst's spokesperson later attempted to contextualize her remark by stating that "there’s only two certainties in life: death and taxes," this does not negate the immediate reaction from the audience or the broader implications of her statement regarding the Medicaid cuts (New York Times).
Conclusion
The claim that Senator Joni Ernst made the remark "Well, we all are going to die" during a town hall meeting in response to concerns about Medicaid cuts is True. The evidence from multiple reliable sources confirms the accuracy of the statement and its context, demonstrating that it was a significant moment in the discussion about healthcare policy and its impact on vulnerable populations.
