*
Progressives warned MAGA, sexists, xenophobes, and racists that Trump was using them. They will live the results of their grave mistake as they are the most dependent on government welfare.
MAGA to fund tax cuts with cuts to their Medicaid.
Watch Politics Done Right T.V. here.
Podcasts (Video — Audio)
Summary
The discussion highlights the Republican agenda to cut Medicaid and other essential social programs to fund tax breaks for the wealthy, a move that disproportionately harms their own base. It explains how Medicare and Medicaid were created due to private sector failures and how privatization schemes like Medicare Advantage siphon public funds into corporate profits. The video criticizes Elon Musk’s government reliance while pushing austerity measures and exposes the hypocrisy of red states that depend heavily on federal aid. Ultimately, it warns that working-class conservatives who supported Trump are now facing the consequences of their choices.
Key Takeaways:
- Medicaid and Medicare Exist Due to Private Sector Failures: These programs were created because private insurers refused to cover the elderly and low-income individuals.
- Republican Hypocrisy on Government Spending: The GOP seeks to cut Medicaid while protecting tax loopholes and subsidies for corporations and billionaires like Elon Musk.
- Red States Are the Biggest Beneficiaries of Federal Aid: Despite GOP rhetoric, Republican-led states rely heavily on Medicaid, making them the most vulnerable to these cuts.
- Trump’s Tax Cuts Primarily Benefit the Wealthy: The 2017 tax cuts were designed to enrich the top 1%, and Republicans now want to extend them at the expense of working-class Americans.
- MAGA Voters Are the Ones Who Will Suffer Most: Many Trump supporters depend on Medicaid and other federal programs, yet they voted for politicians who are now slashing their benefits.
Progressive Perspective
The GOP’s plan to gut Medicaid is yet another example of their loyalty to the ultra-rich at the expense of working Americans. The most tragic irony is that the very people who fell for Trump’s false promises are the ones now facing dire consequences. The progressive movement must continue to push for universal healthcare and policies prioritizing ordinary Americans’ needs over corporate greed. It’s time to wake up, fight back, and demand a government that serves the people—not just the billionaires.
Premium Content (Complimentary)
The Republican Party, under the leadership of Donald Trump, has long championed policies that prioritize tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the working class. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was a prime example, delivering massive corporate tax breaks while providing minimal, temporary relief for middle- and lower-income Americans. As Trump and his allies seek to extend these tax cuts, they seek ways to finance them—primarily through deep cuts to Medicaid and other social programs. The irony is unmistakable: many of Trump’s most ardent supporters are among the biggest beneficiaries of these very programs. They were warned, yet they continued to support policies that would ultimately harm them. Now, they face the consequences.
The Role of Medicaid and Medicare in American Society
Medicaid and Medicare exist because the private sector failed to provide adequate and affordable healthcare for the elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals. Private insurers refused to cover older Americans because they were considered too high-risk, leading to the creation of Medicare in 1965. Similarly, Medicaid was established to ensure that those who could not afford private insurance—whether due to poverty, disability, or other circumstances—could still access healthcare.
These programs have been lifelines for millions of Americans, particularly in red states where economic conditions often leave many citizens without employer-provided healthcare. Red states disproportionately benefit from federal aid programs like Medicaid, yet their Republican representatives consistently push for cuts to these very programs.
The GOP’s Strategy: Starving Social Programs to Benefit the Wealthy
The Republican strategy has always been to funnel government resources toward the wealthy while leaving working-class Americans to fend for themselves. The current plan to cut Medicaid is just the latest iteration of this long-standing agenda. The GOP has made no secret of its desire to slash social programs. Project 2025, a policy blueprint for a potential second Trump administration, explicitly calls for reducing the federal government’s role in healthcare, including block-granting Medicaid to states, inevitably leading to massive coverage losses.
Trump himself has previously floated the idea of cutting Social Security and Medicare despite repeatedly promising on the campaign trail that he would protect these programs. Now, under the guise of “fiscal responsibility,” Republicans are looking to gut Medicaid to fund the extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy and large corporations.
Who Will Be Hurt the Most? MAGA Voters and the Working Class
The cuts to Medicaid will disproportionately impact the voters who have been duped into supporting these policies. Many of the states most reliant on Medicaid are intensely red. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 80 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, with states like West Virginia, Kentucky, and Mississippi having some of the highest enrollment rates. These states also have some of the worst health outcomes in the country, meaning that cutting Medicaid will lead to dire consequences: higher rates of untreated illnesses, more medical bankruptcies, and increased mortality rates.
Additionally, Medicaid cuts will hit rural hospitals particularly hard. Many rural hospitals operate on razor-thin margins and rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements to stay open. When states lose Medicaid funding, hospitals are often forced to shut down, leaving entire communities without access to healthcare. This has already happened in states that refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
It’s not just Medicaid recipients who will suffer—cutting Medicaid will have ripple effects throughout the economy. Healthcare jobs will be lost, local economies will shrink, and states will have to compensate for lost federal funding by raising taxes or cutting other essential services.
The Hypocrisy of Republican Fiscal Conservatism
The argument that Medicaid must be cut to balance the budget is a smokescreen. If fiscal responsibility were the goal, the GOP would focus on eliminating tax loopholes for corporations and billionaires. According to estimates, closing corporate tax loopholes and enforcing fair taxation on the wealthy could generate over $500 billion annually. Instead, Republicans continue to prioritize tax cuts for the rich while demonizing social programs that help everyday Americans.
Elon Musk serves as a perfect example of this hypocrisy. While Trump and his allies paint themselves as champions of the free market, they have no problem funneling billions of taxpayer dollars into the pockets of billionaires like Musk. SpaceX, Tesla, and Starlink have all benefited from government subsidies and contracts—yet Musk dares to push for austerity measures that would harm the very taxpayers who funded his success.
The Republican Dilemma: Cutting Their Voters Off at the Knees
Despite their rhetoric, Republicans are now facing a political minefield. Many of their constituents rely on Medicaid, and slashing the program could lead to significant backlash. GOP lawmakers are reportedly worried that Trump, sensing political danger, will turn on them and oppose the cuts at the last minute, leaving them to take the blame. This wouldn’t be surprising—Trump has a long history of betraying his allies when it benefits him politically.
The problem for Republicans is that they have built their political brand on attacking “big government” while simultaneously benefiting from it. Their base has been conditioned to believe that social programs only benefit “undeserving” people—when in reality, these programs are lifelines for millions of working-class Americans, particularly in Republican strongholds.
The Hard Truth: Elections Have Consequences
The 2024 election should serve as a wake-up call. Voters were warned repeatedly that Trump and the GOP would prioritize tax cuts for the rich over essential social programs. They were told that Project 2025 aimed to dismantle government protections for the working class. Yet many chose to ignore these warnings, believing the lies peddled by right-wing media.
With Medicaid on the chopping block, they are learning that elections have consequences. The people most affected by these cuts are not the coastal elites or urban progressives—they are the very MAGA voters who cheered Trump on at his rallies. It is a cruel irony but one that could have been avoided.
Conclusion: A Progressive Path Forward
The progressive movement must continue to fight against these draconian cuts and advocate for a government that prioritizes the needs of the many over the greed of the few. Universal healthcare, a fair tax system, and strong social safety nets are not radical ideas—they are common sense policies that have been proven to work in other developed nations.
It is time for Americans—especially those who have been misled by right-wing propaganda—to recognize that the GOP’s economic policies serve only the ultra-rich. The fight for a just and equitable society requires informed voting, grassroots activism, and relentless advocacy for policies that put people first.
Ultimately, the choice is clear: either continue down the path of austerity and inequality, or demand a government that truly serves its people. The time for complacency is over.
Viewers are encouraged to subscribe and join the conversation for more insightful commentary and to support progressive messages. Together, we can populate the internet with progressive messages that represent the true aspirations of most Americans.
Egberto, I hope you play Robert Reich’s Inequality Media video for tomorrow and narrate it. I already sent the link to you via FB messenger, just in case you forgot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP0pRIBRcDk