GOP members face tough crowds at town halls over House bill: 'They are getting heckled'
Managing Editor of the Bulwark and Princeton University professor Eddie Glaude join Nicolle Wallace to discuss the latest round of GOP town halls filled with angry constituents frustrated by the Trump administration – this time without Elon Musk to blame.
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Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
People Truly Can't Believe The Location This Republican Senator Chose To Film Her "Apology"
I'm sure you've heard of Iowa Senator Joni Ernst's "we all are going to die" thing. She held a townhall on Thursday, and a clip of her comments about SNAP and Medicaid cuts went viral: At her town hall, when the crowd says people will die due to Medicaid and SNAP cuts, Joni Ernst responds "well we all are going to die." #iasen — danny (@dabbs346) May 30, 2025 ABC/dabbs346/Twitter: @dabbs346 Someone from the crowd shouted, "People are going to die," and Joni responded, "Well, we all are going to die." FWIW, The Hill reported she went on to say that Republicans would protect Medicaid for "the most vulnerable." She also said, "SNAP overpayments that the states have been making will need to stop," and "When you are arguing about illegals that are receiving Medicaid benefits, 1.4 million, they're not eligible, so they will be coming off." ANYWAY, this whole thing kind of blew up. People are calling this "one of the worst politician quotes" they've ever heard. And people are joking: "New GOP slogan: 'We're all gonna die!'" Related: 18 Major Global Events That American Media Is Ignoring Right Now, And Why They Actually Matter To Us Sooo, we're on round two from that. Senator Ernst decided to issue an "apology" that isn't really an apology at all. Against all odds, Joni Ernst has made it worse — Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) May 31, 2025 joniernst/Twitter: @keithedwards "Hello everyone, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for a statement that I made yesterday at my town hall," she said. "See, I was in the process of answering a question that was asked by an audience member when a woman who was extremely distraught screamed out from the back of the auditorium, 'People are going to die.' And I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this earth." "So, I apologize, and I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well. But for those that would like to see eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my Lord and savior Jesus Christ." Related: "I Am So Torn With What You Are Doing" — 11 Posts From MAGA Business Owners Who Are So Close To Getting It Yeaaah, people are unpacking this one. "I'm at a loss for words..." one person said. Another person encouraged her to keep digging in, "Keep posting through it Joni you're almost there." And this person joked, "Leave the tooth fairy out of this, you monster." But the #1 thing people can't believe is the location where she recorded it. It appears that she's walking through a cemetery. "I'm sorry... is she walking through a cemetery as she makes this?" one person asked. Another person said, "No way that Joni Ernst apology video can be real is she in a cemetery." And this person gave her a new nickname: "Senator Grim Reaper." Thoughts? Also in In the News: People Can't Believe This "Disgusting" Donald Trump Jr. Post About Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Is Real Also in In the News: Miss USA's 2024 "National Costume" Has Been Revealed, And It's Obviously An Interesting Choice Also in In the News: One Body Language Expert Spotted Something Very Telling When Donald Trump "Held His Own Hand" At His Recent Press Conference
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
Johnson says 4.8 million Americans won't lose Medicaid access ‘unless they choose to do so'
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) doubled down on his claim that there won't be Medicaid cuts in President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' despite projections that millions of low-income individuals would lose health insurance as a result of the bill. Johnson, during an appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' pushed back on independent projections that the bill would lead to 4.8 million who would lose coverage because of work requirements, saying they won't lose it 'unless they choose to do so.' 'Those 4.8 million people will not lose their Medicaid unless they choose to do so,' he told host Kristen Welker. 'You're telling me that you're going to require the able-bodied — these young men, for example, okay — to only work or volunteer in their community for 20 hours a week, and that's too cumbersome for them? I'm not buying it. The American people are not buying it.' He added that the people who are complaining about losing their coverage are doing so 'because they can't fulfill the paperwork,' noting that the policy follows 'common sense.' 'When people work, when able-bodied young men work, it's good for them, for their dignity, their purpose, and it's good for the community,' he said. 'If you can't find a job, then volunteer in your community for 20 hours, and you will meet the requirement.' The proposed Medicaid and health care reforms would require states to impose work requirements on childless adults aged 19-64 to be eligible for Medicaid. It also aims to shorten the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act, among other changes. The reforms are key components of the bill, which the House Energy and Commerce Committee crafted after being tasked with finding more than $800 billion in savings over a decade. Those portions of the GOP proposal would save $625 billion over 10 years, according to the CBO. Johnson said that the bill 'strengthens' Medicaid and said what they are doing is 'an important and frankly heroic thing.' 'It's intended for young, you know, single, pregnant women and the disabled and the elderly,' he said. 'But what's happening right now is you have a lot of people, for example, young men, able bodied workers, who are on Medicaid. They're not working when they can.' His comments are just the latest assertion from Johnson that the bill won't threaten Medicaid coverage for people who need it. However, the bill is hitting some roadblocks for Republican lawmakers, who are finding themselves enveloped in criticism at their town halls.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘It's an honor': Miami's own Tom Llamas on taking over a national nightly newscast
Tom Llamas is more than ready for his closeup. When the Miami native takes over 'NBC Nightly News' Monday evening, he brings 30 years of experience to the anchor desk. Did we mention he's only 45? A good chunk of that experience came from logging many hours at local TV stations, where he started at the tender age of 15. First job: Interning for Telemundo 51 in Hialeah. 'I walked in with a blue blazer and they told me to take that off immediately,' Llamas told the Miami Herald while in town in early May for a promo tour. Duties ranged from the mundane, like answering calls on the assignment desk, to the terrifying, like going out to cover crime scenes. 'I saw my first dead body when I was 16,' he stated calmly. 'It was a really serious job for a teenager, but I loved it. It put me on a path to where I am at today.' About that path, it's pretty stratospheric, and not lost on him. Llamas is just the fourth lead anchor in the last 40 years of 'Nightly News,' and the first Latino. His Cuban immigrant parents — constantly consuming newspapers and TV to know what was happening on the island — get a hat tip for that one. 'I remember waking up in the morning smelling Cuban coffee and my dad reading the Miami Herald cover to cover,' recalled the fellow news junkie. 'My mom was the same way.' Llamas landed the Telemundo gig soon after a serendipitous career day at Belen Jesuit Prep when local anchor Louis Aguirre, then with Channel 10, returned to his alma mater. The starstruck freshman told Aguirre he had an interest in current events and writing; Aguirre recommended going into broadcasting. 'Because he took the time out to speak to us, it changed my life,' Llamas said. Aguirre didn't realize the impact he'd had on Llamas until the fall of 2015 when the two men reconnected at the GOP debate in Simi Valley, California. At the time, Llamas was with 'ABC World News Tonight' and Aguirre with 'The Insider.' 'He came up to me and said, 'You may not know this, but you made such an impression on me,'' Aguirre told the Miami Herald. 'He'd already hit it big in New York, so I thought that was so generous and gracious to tell me that anecdote. It's a testament to what kind of person he is, not to mention a hell of a journalist.' Now with WLPG Local 10, Aguirre thinks it's a bonus that they're both graduates of Belen's 'hallowed halls.' Founded in 1800s Havana, the all boys school was re-established in Miami in 1961 after Castro (an alumnus) confiscated the property and expelled the Jesuits. 'I'm proud to be an alum,' said Llamas. 'It has such a rich history. It has grown to this incredible institution that is educating young men and has never lost its focus or its roots. It also teaches every student the importance of being Hispanic and why you need to love this country.' Llamas, who now resides in Westchester County with his wife and three kids, will always have a soft spot for his hometown. When he was born his family was living in Little Havana, then moved for a brief, 'freezing' three-year stint to Flint, Mich., for his father's pediatric dentist residency. They then returned to South Florida and lived in the Coral Gables area. 'It was a great life. Little League... roasting pigs in the backyard, a very typical life in Miami. An amazing experience. You could play sports year round. You could be at the beach year round,' said the avid fisherman. 'I am 305 through and through. It's in my DNA.' The 305's weather isn't too shabby either: 'Right when February rolls around and there's still snow on the ground in New York and you don't see the sun, I'm going, 'What is going on here? How did I leave!?'' Favorite old-school (and now defunct) hangouts included the Bakery Centre (the site of Shops at Sunset Place); Specs records store; the original CocoWalk; and — going way back to the archives — Whirlyball. 'It was like this concept of bumper cars and wiffle ball and jai alai,' Llamas explained. 'It sounds like a Miami fever dream.' These days, you'll catch the media superstar with his wife and three kids at iconic spots like Versailles ('a classic'), Pinecrest Bakery ('the best pastelitos'), Joe's Stone Crab (for the colossals) and Faena (their kids love the 'blinged out fossil.') As for local sports? Llamas is still all about the U, aka the University of Miami's Hurricanes, which won five national championships in the 1980s and '90s. 'Some of my best memories with my dad are going to the Orange Bowl and watching them just dominate,' he said, adding he still catches Marlins and Dolphins games every now and again. 'Those were great teams and great years for a very long time.' Shortly after graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans, Llamas began cutting his teeth with the NBC family in various behind the scenes roles. His first on-air position was at NBC 6 South Florida, with his folks cheering him on from their living room a few miles away. 'I was really green when I started and made a lot of mistakes, especially when I was live,' Llamas admitted, laughing. 'I called my mom and I'd say, 'How'd I do?' And she'd say, 'You did great.' I knew I was terrible!' Llamas got better, way better. He went on to win multiple awards, including an Emmy for his report on human smuggling while embedded at sea with the U.S. Coast Guard. Among the vastly fascinating stories in his highlight reel, some stick out more than others, namely natural disasters. He's covered all the big storms, from Katrina and Irene to Sandy, and lived through Andrew as a kid. 'Hurricanes remind us we're not in control,' he said. 'When you have no power and you have no food and you're just trying to get by, and you're trying to help each other out, it's hard, even in a modern world.' In 2014, Llamas was hired as a correspondent at 'ABC Nightly News,' where he eventually moved onto the weekend anchor desk filling in for David Muir. A few years in, he went viral when President Donald Trump singled him out during a press conference for questioning donations to veteran groups. OK, that snippet won't go in the highlight reel, though he did eventually score an exclusive sitdown with the first lady in in Nairobi, Kenya. Without discussing politics in general, Llamas will allow that the country is divided, a topic he hopes to eventually delve into in the future. 'We're at a time right now ... I mean, people are split up, and that's OK. It's happened throughout history, right? I don't think this is unique, but I do want to remind our viewers that we're all Americans, and there's certain things we can all agree on.' Since rejoining NBC network in 2021, Llamas has reported across the globe on major breaking news, including the New Orleans terror attack, the war in Ukraine, the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse as well as the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. Lester Holt's reins were handed down in March, while the 66-year-old TV vet pivots his focus to 'Dateline.' 'Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling and unyielding integrity,' said Janelle Rodriguez, NBC News' executive vice president, in a release at the time. For Llamas, it's literally a dream come true, but not without challenges. 'It's an honor; there's a lot of pressure, but I do think pressure is a privilege,' he said, adding he'll look to Holt, who is both a friend and mentor, for guidance. 'His brand is the most trusted journalist in America,' he continued. 'I want to make sure once I take that seat the viewers know that I'm working for them. I work for NBC, but I really work for them. It's a public service.' When that camera goes on at 6:30 p.m. Monday how does one prepare for that full circle moment? What would the kid walking into the newsroom in Hialeah say? 'Everything that brought me here — I'm going to use,' he said, getting emotional. 'You don't get to the top of the mountain by stumbling. There's a reason why you're there. I've worked really hard.'
