White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took a buzzsaw to one reporter who attempted to confront her with Democratic talking points about illegals over the reason for the Schumer shutdown.
During a press gaggle outside the White House on Thursday, Leavitt addressed the government closure and said it was happening because Democrats want to provide healthcare benefits for illegal aliens.
READ MORE: JD Vance Joins White House Press Briefing, Again Destroys Democrats' Schumer Shutdown Lies
MORE: Angry Mike Johnson Explains Exactly How the Media Is Covering for Dems on the Schumer Shutdown
LEAVITT: DEMS SHUTDOWN HYPOCRISY
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) October 2, 2025
“Democrats voted 13 times for the same CR… now they’re shutting the government down to give health care benefits to illegal aliens. We stopped it. President Trump stopped it.” — @PressSec @KarolineLeavitt pic.twitter.com/XumVbemnPz
"Democrats have voted for the same CR [continuing resolution] Republicans introduced 13 times in the past… now all of a sudden they are shutting the government down and they are holding our country hostage over a partisan political matter [healthcare benefits to illegal aliens]....And we stopped it. The President [Donald Trump] stopped it with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill," Leavitt said. "And now they want to undo the President's very popular policy to ensure taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits only go to taxpaying, law-abiding American citizens."
The fireworks then started when a reporter used Democrats' verbiage and claimed that Democrats couldn't give healthcare to what he called "undocumented immigrants" because it was "against the law."
Leavitt cleaned the floor with him.
Watch this exchange re: Democrats wanting free healthcare for illegal aliens:
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) October 2, 2025
“You know who would like free benefits? Hard working Americans who work their butts off every day who are living paycheck to paycheck” @PressSec pic.twitter.com/dhm2c9k6Ee
"Let me ask you, do you think that illegal aliens should receive Medicaid benefits?" the White House Press Secretary replied. "Medicaid benefits that go to the most vulnerable people in our society."
The reporter hit back and said, "I didn't ask about benefits. And that's a debate. My question was ...."
But Leavitt was just getting started, despite his attempts to interrupt her numerous times.
"Medicaid benefits that were designed to help low-income families and Americans in our country," the WH Press Secretary said. "So what the [former President Joe] Biden's administration did is they allowed tens of millions of illegal aliens from all over the world to come into our country."
"And they paroled them into the system," she added. "It was a complete abuse of our immigration system. They slapped a Band-Aid on these illegals. They called it temporary protective status. And then they allowed those illegals from all over the world to get free benefits."
"And you know who would like free benefits? Hard-working Americans who work their butts off every day, who are living paycheck to paycheck," Leavitt continued. "Because of the Biden-induced inflation crisis. And there were higher wait times in hospitals under the Biden administration. We saw these illegals committing crimes all over our country. And they're getting things for free. That is fundamentally unfair. And this administration is not going to do it."
This White House is showing no weakness when it comes to their messaging on the shutdown, putting the blame squarely on the Democrats and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), properly naming the closure the Schumer Shutdown.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) has pointed out that it's not White House's "political spin" about what the Democrats were up to with funding for illegals; it's written right there in black and white in their proposal.
"This isn't a Republican talking point, or political spin… It's what Democrats put IN WRITING: On page 57, section 2141, of their OWN bill, Democrats restore taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants," Johnson wrote on X.
This isn’t a Republican talking point, or political spin…it’s what Democrats put IN WRITING:
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 2, 2025
On page 57, section 2141, of their OWN bill, Democrats restore taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants.
See for yourself: https://t.co/alc8965ARh pic.twitter.com/7rsixVHqe8
He then invited people to see the bill for themselves here.
Oh, those darn facts!
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
Help us continue to report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member