GOP Senator Doubles Down On ‘We All Are Going To Die’ Comment
Sen. Joni Ernst from Iowa faced backlash for her dismissive response to concerns about GOP legislation that includes significant cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. At a town hall in Parkersburg, Iowa, one woman in the crowd shouted, “People will die,” to which Ernst responded, “People are not ― well, we all are going to die. So, for heaven’s sakes, folks.”
Ernst attempted to address the controversy in a video posted on her Instagram Story, but her tone shifted as she continued. She failed to deliver a genuine apology, stating, “I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this earth.” The non-apology went viral, with one observer noting that “Against all odds, Joni Ernst has made it worse.”
In a follow-up video, Ernst made a pitch for Christianity, urging people to embrace Jesus Christ for eternal life. Interestingly, both videos were filmed in a cemetery.
The Republican legislation that sparked the town hall exchange includes $1 trillion in cuts to federal health and food programs, potentially leaving 8 million fewer Americans with health insurance. These cuts offset the bill’s nearly $4 trillion in tax cuts, primarily benefiting higher-income individuals.
