House Speaker Mike Johnson found himself in the hot seat when CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins fact-checked him live on air over his claims that Democrats are fighting to give “free health care” to undocumented immigrants.
The exchange took place during Johnson’s appearance on The Source with Kaitlan Collins, where the Republican leader repeated one of the GOP’s favorite talking points, and quickly ran into resistance from Collins, armed with facts. Collins pressed Johnson on his accusation, pointing out that people without legal status are not entitled to federally funded health insurance.
“I’m just saying that giving people who are here illegally [free] health care is not exactly what is in their [Democrats’] proposal,” Collins said, cutting through Johnson’s broad claim. Johnson doubled down. “It’s 100 percent what’s in their proposal,” he shot back, insisting Democrats are prioritizing undocumented immigrants over citizens.
But Collins didn’t back down, adding, “It’s immigrants who have legal status, you’re just disagreeing on who is eligible,” she countered. When Johnson accused her of being wrong and told her to “study” the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of the GOP’s resolution, Collins calmly responded, “I looked at it, actually, because I was curious about your argument yesterday.”
It was a rare, unfiltered TV moment that left Johnson visibly frustrated as Collins dismantled his talking point in real time. The interview came just a day after President Donald Trump posted a deepfake video online portraying Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supposedly saying that Democrats are fighting to provide free health care for undocumented immigrants.
The video went further, showing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero and fake mustache, imagery widely condemned as offensive. Jeffries swiftly blasted the clip. “It’s a disgusting video and we’re going to continue to make clear; bigotry will get you nowhere. We are fighting to protect the healthcare of the American people in the face of an unprecedented Republican assault,” he told MSNBC.
The deepfake video has added more fuel to an already heated political battle over health care and immigration, two flashpoints ahead of the looming government shutdown. The fight over health care is also at the center of the ongoing budget standoff that has shut down parts of the federal government.
Republicans supported a short-term funding measure through November 21, but Democrats blocked it, demanding that the package address their priorities on health care. Democrats are pushing to reverse Medicaid cuts included in Trump’s earlier mega-bill and to extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable for millions of Americans who rely on Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Republicans have dismissed the proposal as a “nonstarter,” accusing Democrats of fiscal irresponsibility.
With negotiations at a standstill, roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, and some could even lose their jobs. There’s no clear end in sight to the looming shutdown, and the bitter political fight over health care for immigrants, both real and exaggerated, is taking center stage. This is the first Government shutdown in six years and there is uncertainty about how long the shutdown could last.
