Tim Miller and Sam Stein join MSNBC’s Deadline: White House to discuss the political cowardice behind the GOP's rushed passage of Trump's deeply unpopular bill. They unpack Senator Lisa Murkowski's baffling decision to support legislation she knows will harm Americans, and Republicans' willingness to cave to Trump's demands at the expense of their own constituents.
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They are counting on people believing when they say “the BBB stops waste, fraud, and abuse. No deserving person will lose benefits.” And many people will swallow that line until they or someone they know loses their benefits, which won’t happen till after the midterm elections.
Don't get the the Republicans doing this to please Trump, knowing he we turn right around and blame them for whatever goes wrong. He warned them not to cut Medicaid. How could could they be so disloyal as to allow Trump to bully them into voting for something Trump is against.
BECAUSE TRUMP'S BALLS CAN'T LICK THEMSELVES
Sen. McCaskill ON FIRE. She was my Senator when I lived in Missouri, I'm glad to see her sticking around and speaking truth.
oh yes, those supposed moderate are fake, fake, rake. None of them are real, they are lying. I really have to laugh at anyone who listen to the jerks who pretend.
No Billionaires Left Behind!
JD is a low, mean scoundrel by all accounts, but he managed to tell the truth: this is police state at the expense of poor people's food, and medical care. In so many words. What they've accomplished through this bill will go a very long way towards removing millions of "illegals". Along with giant tax cuts for Trump and his cronies, of course. JD at least didn't even bother to lie about this. That's a hell of a lot of contempt.
I thought Republicans hated government bureaucracy.
The GOP isn't pathetic. The GOP is evil.
Borrow and Spend Credit Card Junkie GOP have SOLD OUT THE USA
BEFUDDLING. I can't love that more. Tim you were actually brilliant in your takedowns in the MSNBC, super clear, eloquent, no BS, I believed you. :) GREAT JOB, Men of Bulwark.
For a party that likes to think of themselves as “tough guys”, in the end they ALL turn out to be great big COWARDS! Including trump, who is scared to death of Putin! AND his dumbass base!!!!
Typical bullies - always cowards in the end!!!!!
Great arguments Tim and Sam-especially using the old bait and switch about the medicad-focusing on migrants taking away the Red state voters benefits.....giving more focus on the Biggest Expense on the budget ICE----(man oh man Kristy can spend the money!!!) so kudos to Tim and Sam-you hit the nail on the head!
What Murkowski did was just so horrible. All she had to do was stand strong and we ALL would have been saved from this. She's a coward and stupid. They are all cowardly. I'm so mad this morning I can barely stand it. What utter bastards all of them
Why do we only complain about R who know better . What about Coach Tuberville , the execrable Mike Lee, Loony tunes Ron Johnson , slime ball Cruz-oil Ted , the ever concerned Susan Collins , scary mom Katie Britt-- they ALL voted for it
Yeah, I get that and agree. The diference is that Murkowski positions herself to be one of the "good ones" which the others do not. They are total magats and dont' care what anyone else thinks. Murkowski is like Lucy and the football. She pretends that she will be good and then does it anyway.
Can’t wait for the Adolf Hitler Memorial sculpture garden. Maybe they can find space to bury all the kids who’ll die of measles.
If the Democratic Party is going to change, it is going to be from within. It is time for disaffected and party-less conservatives to hold their noses and join the Democratic Party. This can alter the balance of power within the party to become the centrist
'Democracy' party that we need
This is an excellent point. My fellow Dems: give up on pushing the party left for a bit. Bring down Trump, then have policy quibbles.
Trump knows the Medicaid cuts don’t go online until he’s gone. (Assuming he goes.) That’s why he can confidently say “The Dems will screw up Medicaid.” The GOP is so F’ing cynical. And Republicans are trashing our planet in this bill. It’s repulsive and needs much more attention.
Just a thought. Musk is threatening the Republicans in their primaries because he knows he made changes in 2024 that made Trump win and he will turn it on them. Simple.
Can someone explain me when the Medicaid & SNAP cuts will happen if the house passes the bill without changing it. Will it be immediate or around the midterms? Also can parts of the bill be canceled after it has been accepted by the house (a new bill made by a different senate and house canceling this bill)?
Many of the effects/requirements will not go into effect until 2026 or 2028 - so they are cynically hoping voters will not notice the changes until after the Mid-terms, I suspect. Here is a synopsis of the House bill (before the changes the Senate made)https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-megabill-programs-medicare-snap/story?id=122460864 You are correct in that the House could significantly change the bill again once it goes back there for a vote.
Thanks Heather. My third question was not clear enough. Once the bill is passed by the house , can some of it be canceled/modified through a new bill (made by a different congress)?
Yes, laws can be repealed - normally by passage of a new law that expressly retracts previously enacted legislation.
I can think of a lot of terms more applicable than pathetic - craven, mendacious, soulless, cruel, inhumane, egotistical, arrogant, totalitarian, etc. I could go on and on, but why bother. They don't care what anyone thinks because they have all the power - for now.
Sam, man. Whatever it is you have wanted to style in your dreams, just do it going forward. Pendleton board shirt? Thom Browne? KidSuper? Tie-dye? Ditch this idea that I am on TV, so dress shirt. You’ve got to the point where you make your own sartorial rules.
Legacy media, legacy media clothes. *shrug*
Tim and Sam, big thanks.
Sam, you are looking very shmick for tv! Nice. Great segment you two, thanks for sharing.
Again, I have to ask: why are any writers and podcasters at The Bulwark-- many of them former Republicans and/or conservatives--shocked that this incoherent and malicious bill has landed at our feet? The Republican party has been openly brewing this kind of anti-social legislation for over 40 years. The GOP's most successful themes--fleecing the poor to reward the rich, hostility towards immigrants, shaving government to the bone at the expense of the common good--Republicans have amplified and hyperbolized them all since the early days of Fox News to warp the American electorate's sense of judgment. Were the Bulwark staff really not aware that what we're seeing now is the logical and immoral fruit of a decades-long conservative movement to make tax cuts for the wealthy permanent? Why in God's name did you all call yourselves conservatives and Republicans then? It was noxious in the 80s, 90s, and beyond...and now it's finally reached its apotheosis. And only now you smell its rot?
1) 10 points to Ravenclaw for "apotheosis."
2) I think the Bulwark peeps are shocked, but not surprised. Decent people rarely get to the point where they can really inhabit the minds of indecent people.
I like serious Sam! He was on the money explaining the impact of this bill.
Might have a little crush on Sammy now. Which is a real surprise, since I don't swing that way. :) Competence, the ultimate aphrodisiac.
There are no depths to the level of despicable, heinous, grotesque, craven, pussy-ass actions these bag of dicks eill take to f*ck their constituents on behalf of the O-turd. He won't get punished by the MAGAt voters. They'll blame Congress.
Sam and Tim, You both get 5 stars for your representation of yourselves and the Bulwark. You both nailed it on the commentary and analysis. As I was listening, it occurred to me that we are facing this disaster because not only Murkowski but another Republican Senator ( whose name escapes me) voted for it. It doesn't seem that fair to me that Alaska with a population of 740,000 gets 2 votes on this bill that will affect the 41 million people living in California. Maybe that worked in the 1780's but now? Murkowski knowing this bill will hurt Americans in the other 49 states and playing games to get her state some extra morsels and then voting for it is unforgivable. Unfortunately, I can't do much about it but her picture is definitely going up on my dart board .
If Trump gets his private army of ICE agents, what the people who are going to be hurt by this bill think may not matter. Trump said, "Christians, get out and vote, just this time. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians." What do people think he meant? And when he said that people were working on how he might run for a third term, do people think he was just Trump being Trump? Is anyone stupid enough to believe that when he talks about rescinding immigrants' citizenship or arresting opposition politicians, it's hyperbole? This guy is as serious as a heart attack. He wants to be President for life. And Alaska won't be exempt from any of this.
Undocumented immigrants taking Medicaid. Suuure. Always eager to fill out government applications, aren’t they.
That was where I went WUT? Ok, sir, if there are undocumented folks somehow getting Medicaid, a) let's see 'em, and b) gee, hope you weren't letting that slide during your first administration because you were too busy tweeting and golfing.
What you're missing is the GOP's confidence in their propaganda skills. I don't think any of this will stick to Republicans, even in swing states. So depressing.
I agree, their propaganda machine is so strong. It doesn't matter if the bill hurts their voters, they know that the propaganda will convince these people that their sacrifice is worth it, and that Dem's are at fault. They know their propaganda will fix this.
Please let us agree that “the Musk of it all” is on the permanent quit list. 🙃
I can't help thinking what the conversations would have been like had Murkowski said no. She had a chance to be a real leader for Americans and fucked it up.
And people wanting tax free overtime got screwed out of that promise. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjE2Gf1f/
Great job, Sam and Tim. You’re spot on to link this to the anti-immigration fetish MAGA has.
Apparently Lisa sold out Alaskans for big oil. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjE2wLbt/
They have been sleepwalking since before the election .. they “can’t watch the news, it is too upsetting” so we are left with the majority of citizens who don’t know what was happening and how we got here..it is beyond PATHETIC! I am 😡at all of them!
I believe they can. I mean there have been other laws passed undoing prior laws. Or Supreme Court decisions reversing "precedents". It's ultimately a matter of power & what our country's citizens will accept & not rise up against. Too many American voters are sleep walking now. But they may soon be rudely awakened. I hope!!!
I am a bit confused.
Everyone is saying that these tax cuts for billionaires are permanent. But, if the dems ever get the house and senate back, can't they just undo all of this? Not the damage done in the next 4 years, but if they get house and senate back, can't they just undo this bill?
Permanent in that they aren't set to expire in x number of years.
I don't think so, not if they are permanent
Yes and undoing this stuff is just as messy as doing it. And we will be set back by it in the meantime. E.g. rural healthcare. If rural hospitals close that’s a long term problem. Even if the stuff gets walked back we are not going to suddenly see a bunch of hospitals open in rural areas. Hospitals are expensive to run and more expensive to start up.
What does “permanent mean”? They weren’t written to expire. So when the Dems take Congress back - they could revise the tax rates and change it to what it was in 1980!
Yes…they can’t be permanent in the sense that they can’t ever be changed. They’re not writing them in the Constitution.
they're not gonna have midterm elections are they? Or they're going to pull peoples citizenship so they can't vote. The tax cuts are permanent for billionaires.???! how can that even be?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLkmHauAoY_/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Why are the tax cuts permanent for billionaires ?? That doesn’t say democracy ☹️
Why would you think Democracy is important to these Republicans....?
Because he wants them after he leaves office too!
It is sick and repulsive - they are either all cheating on their significant other, have killed people in a former life or the utmost worst cruel fucked up people on the planet - lying freaks who do not care about anyone. This bill and the mech from alligator Alcatraz is enough absolutely enough
Yup. Lisa Murkowski has no morals or grace.