Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) sparred with CNN commentator Scott Jennings over comments he made Wednesday on Medicaid and steep cuts to the program included in President Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill.
As Torres blasted House Republicans for supporting cuts to Medicaid with the legislation signed into law on July 4, Jennings said “according to the [Congressional Budget Office], which you deny the existence of, apparently … almost five million people, who choose not to work, would be…”
Torres interjected before the two started to talk over one another.
“That is false,” the New York lawmaker said in the exchange, which was first highlighted by Mediaite. “That is like a figment of your imagination.”
“It’s literally right here,” Jennings replied, to which Torres said, “the percentage of people who choose not to work is less than one percent of all enrollees.”
“Republicans want to encourage people to work,” the commentator added. “You want to encourage people to be government dependent. That’s the difference.”
As CNN host Abby Phillip attempted to end the segment, Torres took one more shot at Jennings.
“The caregivers are working much harder than you are,” he said.
Jennings has made a name for himself on CNN by sparring with Democrats, members of the media and other critics of Trump. A former top aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), he has spoken in support of the president’s policies and attended a rally for him earlier this year.
