AOC Urges Democrats to Mobilize Against Medicaid Cuts in GOP Districts

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is rallying Democrats to take the fight against potential Medicaid cuts into Republican strongholds. During a 54-minute Instagram Live session Tuesday night, the congresswoman fired up her 8.7 million followers by accusing former President Donald Trump and the GOP of trying to gut the safety net to benefit billionaires. Oh, and she didn’t hold back on calling out Elon Musk, labeling him an "a--hole" for good measure.

Ocasio-Cortez claimed Trump strategically avoided mentioning Medicaid cuts in his recent State of the Union speech because he knows the issue is a political minefield. She urged Democrats to seize the moment by holding town halls and other public events in Republican districts to expose what she described as efforts to undermine essential programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

"These Republicans, I’m telling you all, they are getting scared," she said. "Trump not mentioning Medicaid at the State of the Union is the game. He doesn’t talk about it because he knows it’s dynamite." According to her, House Republicans are avoiding town halls because they fear the backlash.

She specifically called for actions in districts held by GOP lawmakers like Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), Rep. Mike Lawler (N.Y.), and Rep. Jeff Van Drew (N.J.). Her message was clear: if Republican representatives refuse to host town halls, Democrats should organize their own and spotlight the issue.

Medicaid has become a heated topic as House Republicans negotiate budget cuts to advance Trump’s policy goals. While Trump has publicly pledged to protect Medicaid and Medicare, some Republicans have expressed concerns about the scale of cuts being proposed to offset spending. Ocasio-Cortez, however, isn’t buying the assurances. She sees this as an opportunity for Democrats to drive home the risks of gutting the programs.

She also took aim at billionaires like Musk, accusing them of profiting off public funds while supporting policies that harm vulnerable Americans. "We let a--holes like Elon Musk cut Medicaid and Social Security just so he can enjoy tax cuts and billion-dollar federal contracts," she said, drawing comparisons to defense contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

On a broader note, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the need for Democrats to reach out to Republican voters, arguing that healthcare is a fundamental human right. "We cannot give up on winning the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans," she urged, highlighting the stakes of the ongoing battle over social safety nets.

In her typical fiery style, Ocasio-Cortez declared that Republicans are "stepping on one of the biggest rakes in modern American history" by targeting Medicaid and Social Security. Whether her call to action will resonate beyond her progressive base remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: she’s not planning to back down.