Press Secretary Leavitt Critiques CNN’s Government Shutdown Spin
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt called out CNN’s Status Room anchor Pamela Brown for her portrayal of the government shutdown on Thursday.
Following a press conference by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Brown suggested that Democrats were to blame for the shutdown. She stated that Johnson was attempting to frame the situation as a Democratic issue and claimed that Democrats had falsely asserted their desire to provide healthcare for illegal immigrants.
This criticism comes despite Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) confirming earlier this week that Democrats are advocating for healthcare for illegal immigrants as part of their negotiations to keep the government running.
In response, Leavitt criticized CNN on X, asserting that the network is functioning as a “Democrat propaganda machine,” and shared a fact-checking statement she had prepared.
This is the truth:
Democrats are pushing to halt federal government operations while providing taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants.
The Democrats’ fundraising proposal aims to allocate nearly $200 million over the next ten years for benefits directed toward non-citizens.
The final proposal from the Democratic Party seeks to eliminate the tax cuts established under President Trump’s legislation, which prevents illegal immigrants from receiving medical benefits amidst issues of waste and abuse.
Additionally, their proposal would enable Medicaid to cover asylum seekers and parolees, which some argue was improperly permitted during the Biden administration.
Leavitt also noted that the Democratic plan might lead to Medicaid spending more on emergency care for illegal immigrants than care for American patients, particularly vulnerable populations like the disabled, elderly, or children.
Furthermore, she mentioned that California is likely to continue funding Medicaid programs for non-citizens that were initiated under the Affordable Care Act.
In a statement to Breitbart News, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson echoed Leavitt’s concerns.
“Fake News CNN is aware that it contradicts the left-wing narratives it supports, so it keeps quiet about the truths they’ve disregarded, leading to plummeting trust among Americans,” Jackson asserted. “However, the Trump administration remains committed to delivering accurate information to the public.”
