Republican strategist Scott Jennings and former Democratic South Carolina State Rep. Bakari Sellars clashed Thursday night over illegal immigrants receiving Medicaid.
The President Donald Trump-backed “Big, Beautiful Bill” being debated in Congress includes reforms to Medicaid, which helps provide health coverage for low-income people in the U.S. and an effort to end use of the program by illegal immigrants. Jennings asked Sellars if he wanted illegal immigrants to take advantage of the program.
“According to your logic train, we need to let more illegal aliens into the country, give them more health care to keep all the hospitals —” Jennings said, with Sellars cutting him off by saying, “I’m not — no. First of all, let me tell you what I’m saying.”
“Are you for it or not?” Jennings persisted, with Sellars asking, “Can I start my logic train?”
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“Are you for it or not?” Jennings asked again, with Sellers saying, “My logic train starts with the fact that I don‘t want to — I don‘t want to kick 11 million people off of Medicaid —”
“Do you want illegal aliens on or not?” Jennings asked, with Sellars saying, “Do I want to ill — first of all, do I want undocumented citizens to have health care? The answer is yes.”
Upon taking office on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump issued several executive orders to address illegal immigration, including designating Mexican drug cartels, the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and the El Salvadoran prison gang MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations. Trump also signed an April 15 executive order to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving services.
“Okay. More Democrats,” Jennings responded, prompting Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh of Illinois to respond, “Do you want them to not get insulin if they’re diabetic?”
“I want Medicaid to exist, first and foremost, for American citizens who need it,” Jennings shot back.
After a further back and forth between Jennings and Sellars, the former state lawmaker turned to a different approach.
“How about this? How about this? When the people that are — that are picking your peaches —” Sellars said, with Jennings cutting in with, “So passionate.”
“Yeah, I’m passionate about Americans,” Sellars claimed, with Jennings responding, “Very passionate for the illegals.”
The Border Patrol encountered millions of illegal immigrants during the Biden administration, according to figures released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), many of whom were released into the United States.
“No, I’m passionate for Americans,” Sellars claimed, with Abughazaleh interjecting, “How dare you want people to be alive? How dare you?”
“Passion for the illegals. Bring more,” Jennings shot back.
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