Elon Musk Alleges CNN ‘Busted’ Jeffries Over Health care Debate At Center Of Shutdown Negotiations
Written by admin on October 3, 2025
Topline
Republicans hammered Democrats Thursday over the false claim they want to extend free healthcare to undocumented migrants, as the stalemate over the government shutdown dragged into a second day.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference as the government shutdown continues in Washington, DC on October 1, 2025. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu via Getty Images
Key Facts
Republicans focused their attacks Thursday on a detail in Democrats’ demands that would reverse a repeal of funding in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” for hospitals in some states to pay for emergency healthcare for people without insurance, including undocumented migrants who would qualify for Medicaid if not for their immigration status.
Democrats have refused to vote for the Republican spending plan unless it includes a reversal of Medicaid cuts from President Donald Trump’s signature policy bill earlier this year, along with an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Trump and his allies have also highlighted Democrats’ proposed reversal of stricter eligibility requirements included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that would block some non-citizens in the U.S. legally, such as some asylum seekers and people with temporary protected status, from accessing Medicaid.
“Democrats shut down the federal government to try to give taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X Thursday.
Elon Musk accused House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., of getting “busted” in an interview with CNN on Wednesday in which host Jake Tapper questioned why Democrats would include provisions in their demands that apply to undocumented migrants “knowing that [Republicans are] gonna seize right upon that.”
The official GOP X account posted, “Democrats are fighting for healthcare for illegal aliens, NOT the American people,” while Vice President JD Vance tweeted “Democrats spent years giving taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal aliens, and as promised, President Trump put a stop to it.”
Undocumented migrants are ineligible for Medicaid or to purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act, according to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act passed in 1996—only non-citizens who are in the U.S. legally, such as those who have temporary protected status and asylum seekers, are eligible.
Chief Critic
Jeffries, calling Republicans’ claims they want to give free healthcare to undocumented migrants a “lie,” told CNN, “What we’re doing is fighting to protect the health care of the American people against the largest cut to Medicaid ever,” noting an estimated 14 million more people in the U.S. would be uninsured by 2034 as a result of Trump’s signature policy bill, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation nonprofit.
Contra
Democrats’ demands that would impact undocumented migrants represent a small fraction of federal health care spending: Medicaid reimbursements hospitals used to pay for emergency health care for undocumented people represented less than 1% of overall Medicaid spending between fiscal years 2017 and 2023, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
Key Background
The government shut down Wednesday at midnight when fiscal year 2025 ended and the budget expired and lawmakers failed to come to an agreement on a new government funding plan. Republicans wanted to pass an extension of the existing budget, known as a “continuing resolution,” to remain in effect through Nov. 21, but they need at least seven Democrats to vote alongside all Republicans in order to meet the 60-vote threshold to break the filibuster in the Senate. All but three Democrats voted against the resolution, with leadership insisting the party’s support is contingent on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits and rolling back the Medicaid eligibility restrictions. Republicans have blamed Democrats for the shutdown and the White House has threatened to cut funding for programs and policies they support as apparent punishment for refusing to approve the GOP plan.
Further Reading
Government Shutdown Begins: White House Guts Funding For Democratic-Favored Projects (Forbes)
Democrats Could Benefit From A Government Shutdown—Here’s Why (Forbes)
