WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s false claims about Democrats and immigration have long been repeated uncritically across right-wing media. But on Tuesday night, even one of his most reliable platforms pushed back.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appeared on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle to defend Trump’s handling of the government shutdown. What began as a standard friendly interview quickly turned awkward when Laura Ingraham, one of the network’s most loyal Trump allies, challenged Johnson’s parroting of the president’s talking points.
The Claim
Repeating Trump’s rhetoric nearly word-for-word, Johnson insisted that Democrats were deliberately prolonging the shutdown because they wanted to give “free health care to illegal aliens.”
It’s a line Trump himself has hammered repeatedly. In a post on Truth Social last week, he accused Democrats of pushing “FREE Healthcare” for “Illegal Aliens, many of them VIOLENT CRIMINALS.” He further claimed that Democrats supported keeping “deceased individuals” on Medicaid and Social Security rolls so “criminals can continue to steal their money.”
The Pushback
Ingraham, while far from defending Democrats, nonetheless corrected the record.
“He [Sen. Chuck Schumer] says that’s not true,” she told Johnson. “Democrats say it’s expanding Medicaid, getting dollars back from Medicaid. It leaves some room for unauthorized immigrants—I call them ‘undocumented Democrats’—but they’re unauthorized immigrants in some cases, and there’s discretion to use the money toward individuals who are not here lawfully.”
Ingraham’s clarification marked a rare moment where Fox News, often accused of amplifying Trump’s falsehoods, injected nuance into the conversation.
Johnson Doubles Down
Rather than adjust his rhetoric, Johnson accused Ingraham of being “wrong” and doubled down on Trump’s claims. He repeated the assertion that Democrats’ true goal was to funnel taxpayer dollars to undocumented immigrants — a talking point at the core of MAGA’s shutdown messaging.But facts contradict his claims. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid. Trump’s own “One Big Beautiful Bill” earlier this year further tightened restrictions, reducing even the number of legal immigrants eligible for subsidies.
What Democrats have actually pushed for is a reversal of Trump-era cuts to Medicaid and new federal subsidies aimed at making health care more affordable for working-class Americans.
Schumer Strikes Back
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted Republicans for “lying through their teeth” about the negotiations. “They know immigrants aren’t eligible. They’re deliberately misrepresenting the facts to keep this shutdown going,” Schumer said.
His remarks echoed growing Democratic frustration at what they see as deliberate fearmongering designed to distract from the GOP’s refusal to pass a clean funding bill.
The Racist Video
Complicating matters further, Trump recently posted an AI-generated video showing Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries set to mariachi music, with Jeffries depicted in a sombrero and fake mustache.
The video, widely condemned as racist, became a flashpoint in Tuesday’s hearing. Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean confronted Speaker Johnson about it, asking if he condoned the president’s behavior. Johnson replied that the video “wasn’t [his] style,” but refused to call it racist, framing it as a “joke.”
Later that evening, speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Johnson downplayed the controversy again. “The fight tonight is not about social media posts,” he said. “The fight is about whether they’re going to keep the government open for the American people.”
Cracks in the MAGA Media Wall
The moment underscored a growing tension within Trump’s conservative ecosystem. For years, outlets like Fox News have been accused of enabling the president’s disinformation campaigns. But as Trump’s claims become more extreme — and more detached from reality — even loyal hosts like Ingraham are occasionally compelled to step in.
For Democrats, the pushback was proof that the truth is finally breaking through. For Republicans, it was an awkward reminder that not all allies are willing to carry every talking point unchallenged.And for Trump, it was yet another sign that as his rhetoric grows more incendiary, even his most reliable defenders may not always provide the unquestioning echo he craves.
