On Wednesday morning, the primary day of the federal government shutdown, Morning Joe stooped as little as it might to mock Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) over the Bible and lie about Republicans exposing unlawful immigrant well being care protection.
Co-host Joe Scarborough first gave Johnson the moniker “Mr. I Rule By The Bible,” which Mika Brzezinski chuckled at however rapidly collected herself.
Scarborough continued to select the lowest-hanging fruit he might discover, which was debasing Johnson’s religion by connecting it to his alleged lies:
So I am questioning the place within the Bible does Mike Johnson learn Jesus saying, “You recognize what, inform the reality, besides, effectively, when it’d serve you effectively politically, after which simply lie. And why do not you, whilst you’re mendacity, why do not you unfold lies about those that are on the outskirts of society? Those that are struggling proper now essentially the most? Why do not you lie in regards to the weakest amongst us, Mikey?”
Not an incredible search for the MSNBC host who grew up going to a Baptist church. But it surely’s not as if he’s recognized for taking Christian truths to coronary heart.
Scarborough appeared to hedge his dismissal of Johnson’s argument, suggesting the unlawful immigrants weren’t getting “Cadillac advantages”:
I imply that — however that is what he is doing. He is spreading the lie. The President’s spreading the lie. All of the Republicans are mendacity via their tooth. And any podcaster as we speak that spreads this lie, anyone on different information networks that spreads this lie, is aware of precisely what they’re doing. There is no such thing as a Democratic plan to provide healthcare Cadillac advantages to unlawful immigrants. It is not even authorized.
After all it’s not authorized. That doesn’t imply it’s not taking place. Republicans have been utilizing the truth of unlawful immigrants receiving well being care as a part of a broader argument for why they imagine Democrats are chargeable for the federal government shutdown.
Brzezinski relieved Scarborough from his spoke as if she was the purely-factual authority on the difficulty:
Properly, as you and John Bresnahan simply identified, the GOP is repeating what the New York Occasions calls “a brand new and deceptive speaking level,” that “Democrats are shutting down the federal government to fund free well being look after unauthorized immigrants.” The false assertion — false — has been repeated by Vice President JD Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson, together with the President himself.
Undocumented immigrants have lengthy been prohibited from taxpayer-funded Medicaid protection, aside from therapy in emergency medical conditions. In addition they don’t qualify for Medicaid and Medicare. The battle on Capitol Hill is over reimbursements that enable hospitals to recoup the loss, the prices of emergency care, in sure instances. The President’s large spending invoice had restricted these federal {dollars}, which is what Republicans wish to hold in place.
Can’t count on docs to surrender the Hippocratic Oath. However because the White Home had outlined, liberal states have abused the system to successfully steal from the American individuals. Neglect about overspending. Democrats don’t care about fiscal accountability — which means it didn’t matter the place the cash goes as long as it’s being spent.
Co-host Willie Geist gave a last thrust to actually promote the concept completely nobody was wrongfully receiving well being care:
And we must always underline once more, Bres, there’s a federal regulation that claims individuals right here with out authorized standing can not get taxpayer cash for well being care beneath Medicaid, Medicare or the ACA. It is towards federal regulation, and Democrats say they haven’t any plans to vary that. They don’t know the place this made-up speaking level is coming from.
All of us do, Willie. It’s broadly recognized that liberal states abuse funds awarded by Medicaid by offering well being care therapy to trespassers. They did this in hopes of migrants (authorized or not) voting to maintain Democrats in energy.
The transcript is under. Click on “broaden” learn:
MSNBC’s Morning Joe
October 1, 2025
6:18:35 a.m. EST
(…)
JOE SCARBOROUGH: And now it is taking place once more. This time, the lie within the Speaker of the Home, Mr. I Rule By The Bible, spreading an unambiguous lie, an unambiguous lie, going into this authorities shutdown. They’re mendacity to their very own supporters. They’re mendacity to their very own constituents. They’re mendacity to their very own followers, saying, “Democrats wish to shut down the federal government as a result of they wish to give nice well being care advantages to unlawful immigrants.”
It is a complete lie. So I am questioning the place within the Bible does Mike Johnson learn Jesus saying, “You recognize what, inform the reality, besides, effectively, when it’d serve you effectively politically, after which simply lie. And why do not you, whilst you’re mendacity, why do not you unfold lies about those that are on the outskirts of society? Those that are struggling proper now essentially the most? Why do not you lie in regards to the weakest amongst us, Mikey?”
I imply that — however that is what he is doing. He is spreading the lie. The President’s spreading the lie. All of the Republicans are mendacity via their tooth. And any podcaster as we speak that spreads this lie, anyone on different information networks that spreads this lie, is aware of precisely what they’re doing.
There is no such thing as a Democratic plan to provide healthcare Cadillac advantages to unlawful immigrants. It is not even authorized.
MIKA BRZEZINKSI: Properly, as you and John Bresnahan simply identified, the GOP is repeating what the New York Occasions calls “a brand new and deceptive speaking level,” that “Democrats are shutting down the federal government to fund free well being look after unauthorized immigrants.” The false assertion — false — has been repeated by Vice President JD Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson, together with the President himself.
Here is what’s essential to notice. Undocumented immigrants have lengthy been prohibited from taxpayer-funded Medicaid protection, aside from therapy in emergency medical conditions. In addition they don’t qualify for Medicaid and Medicare. The battle on Capitol Hill is over reimbursements that enable hospitals to recoup the loss, the prices of emergency care, in sure instances. The President’s large spending invoice had restricted these federal {dollars}, which is what Republicans wish to hold in place.
As CNBC studies, Democrats say they’re solely attempting to revive well being care protection choices that have been out there to some immigrants earlier than these choices have been eradicated by President Trump’s so-called One Massive, Lovely tax invoice this 12 months. Steve Rattner, are you able to add to that and speak in regards to the financial influence of the shutdown?
STEVE RATTNER: Yeah, Mika, that is utterly deceptive on the a part of the Republicans. And, apparently, this provision’s been round for 4 years, and I don’ recall anyone speaking about how there was waste, fraud, and abuse. That is the Republican favourite speaking level.
BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
RATTNER: After all, once they wish to assault a program, they are saying it is all waste, fraud, and abuse.
That is simply subsidies for regular well being look after regular Individuals who’re down — additional down within the financial ladder to make well being care inexpensive once they purchase it on the ACA exchanges. That’s the core of the battle. The Democrats have requested for another stuff, however clearly there is a negotiation and doubtless most of that will not occur. That is on the core of it.
Primarily — let me simply step again and put this additionally—
BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
RATTNER: — in perspective. With out ever — within the first time period, Trump talked on a regular basis about overturning Obamacare, repealing Obamacare, after which famously John McCain voted towards it, it stayed in place. You haven’t heard the Republicans discuss repealing Obamacare for a very long time, however that’s what they’re doing. In the One Massive Lovely Invoice, there are a bunch of modifications in Medicaid, after which you have got this provision that —
BRZEZINSKI: Go forward, hold going —
RATTNER: Then there was this provision that didn’t get expired. And once you add all of it up, all of the stuff they’ve finished in about One Massive Lovely Invoice plus this, would scale back the variety of Individuals who obtained well being care beneath Obamacare by 70 p.c. It will successfully unwind 70 p.c of Obamacare on this very stealth manner with out ever saying that is what they’re doing.
BRZEZINSKI: And is that this additionally the cuts that a few of them come after the midterms?
RATTNER: Sure. The Medicaid cuts —
BRZEZINSKI: So individuals do not feel them till after the midterms.
RATTNER: The Medicaid cuts come after the midterms. However for one thing like 20 million Individuals who’re shopping for their insurance coverage via the exchanges which is what this battle is about —
BRZEZINSKI: Proper
RATTNER: – you bought Biden exchanges, you are going to really feel it immediately. The medical health insurance firms have already filed their premiums for subsequent 12 months, and the typical premium enhance shall be 18 p.c due to this expiration of this provision. So even those who nonetheless do not get subsidies, nonetheless purchase on the exchanges, are going to see a lot greater premiums immediately, not after the midterms.
WILLIE GEIST: And we must always underline once more, Bres, there’s a federal regulation that claims individuals right here with out authorized standing can not get taxpayer cash for well being care beneath Medicaid, Medicare or the ACA. It is towards federal regulation, and Democrats say they haven’t any plans to vary that. They don’t know the place this made-up speaking level is coming from.
(…)
