NCS’s Abby Phillip shut down conservative commentator Scott Jennings’ makes an attempt to regurgitate President Donald Trump’s messaging across the authorities shutdown, telling him, “Scott, that’s a lie.”
On NCS Saturday Morning Table for Five, the panel was discussing the federal government shutdown that started on Wednesday, and which Trump and the Republicans have repeatedly attempted to blame on Democrats, claiming that Democrats try to present undocumented immigrants free well being care.
Talking in regards to the president’s Truth Social posts in regards to the shutdown, together with a racist AI-generated video that includes Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, Jennings mentioned, “The fact is, [Democrats] don’t just want the subsidies. They want other things. And the president is drawing attention to it, I think, in a pretty clever way.”
Phillip rapidly responded, “Medicaid is still not going to illegal immigrants, Scott,” which kicked off a back-and-forth between the pair the place they argued over primary information. In actuality, Democrats are solely seeking to increase Medicaid protection to immigrants with authorized standing or authorities safety.
Phillip tried to spotlight a key subject with the price range that Democrats are in search of to deal with, which is the lack of health-care funding for states. She advised Jennings, “Listen, the part of the bill that deals with the money that goes to states, it doesn’t say anything about their immigration policy. So red state or blue state, those states are getting less money from the federal government. That still has to be dealt with. And that has nothing to do with immigration.”
She added, “Medicaid does not go to undocumented immigrants. SNAP does not go to undocumented immigrants. You know, CHIP does not go to undocumented immigrants,” earlier than difficult Jennings to show her incorrect.
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings speaks at a fundraiser hosted by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) on Aug. 23, 2025, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. / Scott Olson / Getty Images
“Scott, show me the U.S. code where it says that they’re allowed to get Medicaid funding,” Phillip mentioned.
“I will show it on social media,” Jennings mentioned as Phillip replied, “It doesn’t exist,” earlier than exasperatedly telling him, “Scott, that is a lie, OK?”
Jennings tried to argue additional however, undeterred, Phillip continued, including, “You might want to dispute whether or not states should get reimbursed from the federal—or should get federal dollars for Medicaid at the levels that they got it before. That’s a different issue. But that’s not an issue that’s actually tied to immigration and you know it.”
Speaker Mike Johnson has been confronted for parroting the Trump administration’s unfounded declare that Democrats are in search of to broaden Medicaid protection for undocumented immigrants. / Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Other Republicans have additionally struggled when confronted in regards to the inaccurate speaking factors being pushed by the Trump administration.
Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean confronted Speaker Mike Johnson over Trump’s offensive AI-generated video, whereas even Fox News’ Laura Ingraham pushed back on Johnson’s declare that Chuck Schumer desires to present well being care to “illegal aliens”.
“[Schumer] says that’s not true. Democrats say it’s expanding Medicaid, getting dollars back from Medicaid,” Ingraham, a fierce Trump supporter, advised Johnson.