Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clashed with CNN’s Dana Bash over Medicaid changes in President Trump’s new bill. He shut down claims of funding cuts by pointing to a 20% funding increase over ten years. Bessent said the bill refocuses help on truly vulnerable Americans like pregnant women and the disabled.
Bash tried arguing that work requirements broke Trump’s promise not to touch Medicaid. Bessent fired back that benefits aren’t changing—only the rules for getting them. He called it common sense that able-bodied adults should work or volunteer for taxpayer help.
Democrats claim these rules hurt poor people, but Bessent said that’s insulting. He believes low-income Americans want jobs, not handouts. The Secretary said Democrats treat the poor like children who can’t handle responsibility.
Bessent explained how the Trump economy creates manufacturing jobs so people can leave Medicaid. His border policies push up wages, making work better than government dependence. This puts opportunity in reach for everyone willing to earn it.
The Arkansas example opponents use is misleading. Yes, some lost coverage there, but Bessent says that’s because jobs were available. In Trump’s America, new factories mean real work with healthcare—better than welfare.
Rural hospitals fear Medicaid changes, but Bessent sees a brighter future. When people move from welfare to jobs, they buy private insurance. That helps hospitals more than packed Medicaid rolls ever could.
Bash kept insisting Trump broke his word, but Bessent wouldn’t budge. He said only DC elites call a 20% funding hike a “cut.” Real Americans understand work requirements restore dignity and fairness.
This showdown proved conservative policies put people first. Bessent’s facts and passion left Bash speechless—showing how out of touch liberals are with hardworking citizens.
