Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

During an interview on CNBC, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

Make us preferred on Google

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.


When Quick pointed out that the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the cuts could reduce revenue by as much as "$11.2 trillion over the next decade," Cassidy defended Trump’s stance, insisting that he "doesn’t want to touch Medicare and Medicaid."

He said:

“What he means is not don’t go after things which was inappropriate spending. He’s saying, don’t cut benefits to beneficiaries.”

Here it's worth noting that the 2025 Republican budget proposal calls for $2 trillion in mandatory spending reductions. While it doesn’t explicitly outline cuts to Medicare or Medicaid, analysts argue that reaching such a financial target without affecting the two programs would be difficult. Currently, nearly 70 million Americans depend on Medicare, while about 80 million receive Medicaid benefits.

Cassidy then suggested applying billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) model to entitlement programs—though not without a major Freudian slip, correcting himself quickly:

“Let’s bring that approach not to just what DOGE is doing, discretionary spending, but let’s look at Medicare. Is there some way that we can cut—excuse me—reform Medicare so that benefits stay the same? But that is less expensive, more efficient, I would say that there is, and that's where our opportunity lies."

You can watch what happened in the video below.

It was impossible to miss—and Cassidy was quickly called out for it.


Since returning to the White House, Trump has vowed to crack down on fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, while his Republican allies in Congress have used fraud prevention as a justification for proposed Medicaid spending cuts.

During a recent address to Congress, Trump claimed his administration had uncovered “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud,” though he did not provide specific examples.

However, Trump’s tough-on-fraud rhetoric contrasts sharply with his past actions.

In both his first and second terms, he granted pardons or commutations to at least 68 individuals convicted of fraud or obstructing fraud investigations, according to a KFF Health News review of court and clemency records, DOJ press releases, and news reports.

Among them, at least 13 were involved in Medicare and Medicaid fraud schemes totaling over $1.6 billion, per the Department of Justice.

Adding to the contradiction, one of Trump’s earliest moves upon reentering office was the dismissal of 17 independent inspectors general—officials tasked with identifying fraud and waste across the federal government.

More from News/political-news

Ellen Pompeo
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

Ellen Pompeo Sparks Representation Debate After Being Cast As Woman With Hearing Loss In New TV Series

Actor Ellen Pompeo has sparked a debate about representation after announcing her next television gig.

Pompeo, best known for her long-running stint as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy, is set to star in a new medical drama in development at Hulu playing a character with hearing loss.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

It Looks Like Trump's Tacky Monument To Himself In DC May Become A Reality—And People Are Truly Disgusted

Critics pounced on President Donald Trump's latest vanity project after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that excavation will begin for an enormous arch that will bear Trump's name.

Trump has given significant attention to White House renovations and other pet projects around Washington, D.C., since returning to office. Trump's White House renovations have already cost nearly $1 billion, according to one analysis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kevin Dillon, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Debi Mazar, Doug Ellin, Jerry Ferrara, Rex Lee and Jeremy Piven posing on a red carpet event in front of an "Entourage" step and repeat.
Gregg DeGuire / Contributor/Getty Images

'Entourage' Creator Speaks Out After Debi Mazar Claims Set Became 'Toxic' After Birth Of Her 2nd Child

Loosely inspired by the early days of Mark Wahlberg's rise to fame in Hollywood, Entourage, which Wahlberg executive-produced, was one of the most successful original series ever produced by HBO.

Premiering in 2004, Entourage went on to run eight seasons, and win six Emmy awards, even spawning a film, which premiered on HBO in 2015.

Keep ReadingShow less
Evan Rachel Wood reflects on being recast in Practical Magic 2 after originating the role of Kylie Owens.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Courtesy of Warner Bros.

'Practical Magic' Star Evan Rachel Wood Reveals Nobody From Original Film Reached Out To Her Before Her Role Was Re-Cast For Sequel

When Practical Magic 2 was announced last year, fans were ready to head back to the Owens family home—but apparently, not everyone from the original cast got the invitation.

The sequel picks up 25 years after the 1998 cult classic, with Joey King and Maisie Williams taking over as Kylie and Antonia Owens, the daughters of Sandra Bullock’s Sally. The recasting hasn’t exactly worked its magic on everyone, with fans complaining about Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip being replaced in the roles they originated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Davis Mallory and Rachel Vaughan
@davismallory/Instagram

'The Challenge' Star Debuts New Girlfriend A Year After Announcing He's 'No Longer Gay' Thanks To 'God'

A former MTV star has revealed that he is "no longer gay" thanks to "God."

Davis Mallory, who starred on MTV's The Real World and The Challenge, recently went Instagram-official with his girlfriend Rachel Vaughan.

Keep ReadingShow less