Crockett Criticizes Ernst Over Controversial Medicaid Comments

On Wednesday, Senator Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) took Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to task regarding her controversial comments about Medicaid, which included a statement that “we’ll die,” followed by a sarcastic video she shared later.

“Look, nobody decided you should become a grave digger. People want to ensure they live well and thrive, not just survive,” Crockett stated during an interview on MSNBC.

Ernst had previously rebutted Democrat concerns at a City Hall meeting, claiming that cuts to a proposed “big beautiful bill” would lead to unnecessary deaths, asserting instead that “we’ll all die” if reforms aren’t made.

Crockett, known for her sharp commentary, expressed disappointment over the apparent lack of empathy in politics, using Ernst’s remarks as a case in point.

“Compassion seems to be missing from Congress. It’s a quality we generally lack in politics,” she remarked.

“It’s hard to justify when a senator opts for a metaphor that feels more like a cemetery than a sincere apology,” Crockett added.

During a town hall in Butler, Iowa, Ernst defended her fiscal reforms, asserting that the package she proposed aimed to prevent illegal federal benefit claims.

At one point, a member of the audience attempted to question Ernst, bringing up her comments on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and shouted “die” in frustration. Ernst retorted, “Well, we will all die.”

Ernst seemed to lean into her earlier quip, sarcastically referencing an Instagram video filmed at what appeared to be a cemetery during her remarks.

“Here I am, responding to audience questions, while someone from the back shouts about dying,” she noted. “I wrongly assumed everyone knew that, yes, we will all eventually leave this earth. I apologize for that, and I’m glad to clarify my earlier comments,” she concluded.