During a closed-door meeting with congressional Republicans on Wednesday, President Donald Trump appeared unaware that his much-touted “Big, Beautiful Bill” includes deep cuts to Medicaid — despite having repeatedly warned his party against touching the program.
According to a report from NOTUS, Trump hosted a group of moderate GOP lawmakers to rally support for the sweeping legislation. But sources at the meeting say the president seemed oblivious to a key provision: the bill would slash Medicaid by $1 trillion and potentially strip health coverage from roughly 11 million Americans.
Three sources familiar with the exchange said Trump emphasized that Republicans should avoid cuts to three key programs if they want to win elections: Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.
“But we’re touching Medicaid in this bill,” one GOP member reportedly pointed out.
The White House responded through spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who claimed the bill “takes decisive action to protect Medicaid for generations to come by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.” Jackson said President Trump remains committed to safeguarding healthcare access for vulnerable Americans.
The legislation — which passed the Senate by a single vote — now heads to the House, where its fate remains uncertain. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes, and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has already come out against the measure. Members of the House Freedom Caucus are also voicing concern over the bill’s projected $3.3 trillion addition to the national debt over the next decade, per the Congressional Budget Office.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday urged unity among Republicans, telling his colleagues they must “give up on our personal preferences” to push the bill through.
If passed, the legislation would lock in the expiring 2017 Trump-era tax cuts, shrink Medicaid spending by $1 trillion, increase the Pentagon’s budget by $150 billion, and boost ICE funding tenfold — from $10 billion to over $100 billion.
