Speaker Mike Johnson Exposes Democrat Lies About Medicaid and Illegal Immigrant Access

In a tense and revealing exchange on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson decisively corrected ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, exposing a significant lie propagated by the Democrats and their media allies.

Stephanopoulos, who has long been a fixture at ABC News, attempted to downplay a crucial aspect of the debate surrounding Medicaid access for illegal immigrants.

Speaker Johnson, known for his firm stance on protecting American citizens and taxpayer resources, set the record straight, underscoring how illegal aliens have been gaining access to Medicaid and how recent Republican reforms aimed to curb this access.

The exchange began when Stephanopoulos, echoing the Democratic narrative, asserted that illegal immigrants cannot access healthcare subsidies or Medicaid.

He said, "Illegal immigrants are ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and the children’s health program. The Democratic bill does not make them eligible."

His assertion was meant to deflect from the ongoing debate about illegal immigrant access to public health resources, positioning the situation as one where the Democratic proposal is not attempting to broaden Medicaid eligibility to illegal aliens.

Stephanopoulos, with his ties to the Clinton administration, often finds himself as a defender of left-wing narratives. However, Speaker Johnson wasn’t fooled by his misinformation.

With calm authority, the Speaker immediately corrected Stephanopoulos and provided hard facts that challenged the narrative put forth by Democrats and their media partners.

Speaker Johnson immediately countered Stephanopoulos’s statement with a matter-of-fact correction. "It does, actually," Johnson replied. "Because what it does is it unwinds the changes that Republicans put into the Big, Beautiful Bill, that signature legislation that we passed and signed into law last July 4th."

Johnson explained how Republicans had successfully passed reforms to the Medicaid program that specifically excluded ineligible recipients, including illegal immigrants, from receiving taxpayer-funded benefits.

The key legislative provision Johnson referred to was part of the Republican-backed bill designed to shore up Medicaid resources for those who truly needed them.

These reforms had already led to significant savings and a more sustainable Medicaid program by ensuring that only eligible individuals—those who meet the requirements of U.S. citizenship, pregnancy, or certain disabilities—would continue to benefit from the program.

Johnson pointed out that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a non-partisan body that evaluates legislation, had verified the success of these provisions just three weeks prior.

"The CBO said that those provisions have helped reduce premiums," Johnson explained, emphasizing that the reforms had done exactly what they were intended to do—ensure Medicaid remained focused on the populations it was originally designed to assist.

Johnson further elaborated on the crucial issue at hand. Medicaid, as it was initially intended, was meant to provide health services for U.S. citizens in specific vulnerable groups: low-income pregnant women, children, the disabled, and the elderly.

However, under the previous administration, many non-eligible individuals, including able-bodied young men and illegal immigrants, had gained access to the program, draining vital resources from those who needed it most.

The reforms that Republicans introduced were designed to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in the program. By removing individuals who were not eligible—including those who were young, able-bodied, and without dependents—the program was able to save millions of taxpayer dollars and focus on those who truly required assistance.

However, the Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have now proposed a countermeasure to undo these reforms. Johnson sharply criticized Schumer’s proposal, stating that it would reverse the protections Republicans had put in place. "That is a simple fact," Johnson added.

As Speaker Johnson laid out the details of the Republican reforms, he pointed to the Congressional Budget Office’s findings as a key verification of the effectiveness of the Medicaid changes.

The CBO had released a report on June 24, 2025, which detailed the impact of the Medicaid provisions in the Big, Beautiful Bill. The report confirmed that the Republican-backed reforms would significantly reduce the number of people receiving Medicaid who were ineligible, particularly illegal immigrants.

The CBO’s estimates were clear: the new Medicaid provisions would remove 4.8 million individuals who were never eligible in the first place—able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64 without dependents.

Additionally, 1.4 million individuals who did not meet citizenship and immigration status requirements would also be removed from Medicaid. This, according to the CBO, would help to restore integrity to the program by reducing fraud and making it more accessible to those who genuinely needed it.

In fact, the CBO predicted that the provisions would lead to a net reduction in the number of people without health insurance by 600,000 in 2034.

While some people would become uninsured as a result of the changes, the overall impact would be a more sustainable healthcare system that focused on the most vulnerable populations.

Despite these facts, the Democrats are now pushing for a rollback of these reforms. Schumer and his allies have proposed legislation that would effectively reopen Medicaid to individuals who are ineligible, including illegal immigrants.

This proposal, if passed, would once again allow those who do not meet the legal requirements to access Medicaid benefits, putting even more strain on the healthcare system and taxpayer dollars.

Speaker Johnson made it clear that this was a major concern. "Chuck Schumer’s counter-proposal on the CR would reverse that," he said, referring to the legislation designed to keep the government funded while broader budget negotiations continued.

Johnson's point was simple: Democrats are attempting to undo the reforms that had improved the Medicaid system, and their actions could lead to the reintroduction of ineligible individuals—illegal immigrants—back onto the program.

Stephanopoulos, ever the defender of the Democratic narrative, waved off Johnson’s fact-based response with a curt dismissal: "You made your point." This was a typical response from Stephanopoulos, who, rather than engaging with the facts laid out by the Speaker, chose to avoid addressing the core of the issue.

For Stephanopoulos, whose political leanings are well-known, it seems more convenient to uphold the talking points of his Democratic allies rather than scrutinize the facts.

This moment highlights the broader issue of media bias in reporting. Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton operative, has long been criticized for using his platform at ABC News to advance a left-wing agenda.

His interaction with Speaker Johnson is just one example of how the media often fails to hold Democrats accountable for their role in creating problems like the Medicaid funding crisis. Instead, they deflect, downplay, or outright deny the realities of the situation.

George Stephanopoulos is not a journalist.

This was not a news interview it was in-kind service for the DNC.@disney, you have a problem. @WeAreSinclair, @NXSTMediaGroup, so do you. pic.twitter.com/SALqSDUCZ4

— L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) October 1, 2025

Speaker Johnson’s exchange with Stephanopoulos was not just a fact-checking exercise—it was a sharp exposé of the Democrats’ attempt to mislead the American people.

By presenting clear evidence from the CBO, Johnson effectively debunked the myths surrounding Medicaid access for illegal immigrants. The reforms Republicans passed in the Big, Beautiful Bill were working to ensure that Medicaid remained focused on those who were eligible—U.S. citizens in need.

The reality is that Democrats are now trying to undo these reforms, opening the door for illegal immigrants to once again tap into taxpayer-funded healthcare programs.

Speaker Johnson’s ability to confront Stephanopoulos and expose the lies surrounding this issue was an important moment in the ongoing debate about government spending, healthcare, and the role of illegal immigrants in American welfare programs.

As the debate continues, the question remains whether Republicans can hold the line and prevent Democrats from reversing these reforms. The outcome will have significant implications not only for Medicaid but also for the broader fight over government spending and immigration policy.

Speaker Johnson has made it clear that the Republican Party will not back down on this issue. By highlighting the successes of their reforms and exposing the Democrats’ efforts to expand Medicaid eligibility to illegal immigrants, Republicans are staking their position as defenders of taxpayer resources and the integrity of government programs.

For now, the battle over Medicaid continues, and Speaker Johnson’s exchange with Stephanopoulos serves as a reminder of the importance of holding politicians and the media accountable for their narratives. The stakes are high, and the American people deserve the truth.