President Donald Trump appeared caught off guard during a meeting with congressional Republicans this week when informed that his heavily promoted “Big, Beautiful Bill” would slash Medicaid by $1 trillion—despite his repeated warnings to GOP lawmakers not to touch the program.
According to a report by NOTUS, Trump hosted a group of moderate Republicans on Wednesday to rally support for the legislation, which has narrowly passed the Senate and now faces a tight vote in the House. During the meeting, Trump reportedly emphasized that if Republicans want to win elections, they should avoid touching three things: Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.
That’s when one Republican lawmaker reportedly interrupted him, pointing out that the very bill he’s pushing does cut Medicaid.
Sources familiar with the meeting told NOTUS that the president seemed unaware of the provision—despite the fact that the legislation is estimated to boot nearly 11 million Americans from Medicaid coverage.
In response to the report, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the bill, stating, “President Trump’s reconciliation bill takes decisive action to protect Medicaid for generations to come by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. He remains committed to safeguarding the program for the vulnerable Americans who rely on it most.”
GOP Divided Over Massive Spending Plan
The legislation—Trump’s signature second-term policy push—faces stiff resistance from within the Republican Party. Conservatives including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and members of the House Freedom Caucus have criticized the bill for its projected $3.3 trillion increase to the national debt over the next decade.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is urging Republicans to set aside personal reservations and support the legislation, warning that internal divisions could derail the broader GOP agenda.
The bill includes a mix of sweeping changes:
- Extending the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts set to expire this year
- Cutting Medicaid by $1 trillion
- Adding $150 billion to the Pentagon budget
- Boosting ICE funding from $10 billion to over $100 billion
Despite Trump’s public confidence in the bill, the revelation that he may not fully understand its contents has added fuel to criticism from both Democrats and members of his own party.
The House vote is expected to be razor-thin. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes. With Massie already a “no,” party leaders are scrambling to shore up support.
The incident has raised new concerns about whether the president is fully informed about the implications of the legislation that bears his stamp.
