Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” Bill Could FAIL in the Senate — GOP Civil War Erupts
The Josh Lafazan Show on YouTube - Episode 126
Welcome to The Josh Lafazan Show! In today’s episode, we unpack the growing chaos surrounding President Trump’s so-called "big, beautiful bill" — and how the Senate may be about to tear it apart.
The House barely passed the bill with just one vote to spare, a major accomplishment for Speaker Mike Johnson who somehow rallied the fractured GOP caucus. But now, the real challenge lies ahead in the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune faces an uphill battle. Thune, who recently took over for Mitch McConnell, must now prove he can command the same control over the Senate GOP. But can he bridge the divide between moderate Republicans and fiscal conservatives? Or will this bill collapse under its own contradictions?
As Politico reports, Thune’s greatest challenge may come from a group dubbed the "Medicaid Moderates" — including Senators Josh Hawley (MO), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Susan Collins (ME). These three Senators are pushing back hard against the House's proposed Medicaid cuts, which would impact tens of millions of Americans. If Thune loses just three votes, the bill dies. Plain and simple.
Josh Hawley has emerged as the loudest voice among the moderates, penning a scathing New York Times op-ed titled "Don’t Cut Medicaid." In it, he writes: “If Republicans want to be a working-class party — if we want to be a majority party — we must ignore calls to cut Medicaid and start delivering on America’s promise for America’s working people.” On CNN, he made it even clearer: he won’t support a bill that includes those cuts.
Meanwhile, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst made headlines for all the wrong reasons. At a recent town hall, Ernst responded to questions about Medicaid by saying, "We’re all going to die," and then doubled down on the remarks. The backlash was swift. Democrats seized on the comment, generating viral clips, negative coverage, and political ammunition that could resurface in 2026.
Thune's problems don't stop with the moderates. On the other end of the spectrum are conservative Senators like Ron Johnson and Rand Paul, who are sounding alarms over the bill’s impact on the national debt. The bill adds $5 trillion to the deficit — a staggering figure for a party that claims to champion fiscal responsibility. Johnson says it's not nearly aggressive enough on spending cuts, while Paul slammed Trump and the bill for pushing the national debt past $36 trillion.
So let’s get this straight: moderates oppose the bill for cutting too much. Conservatives oppose it for not cutting enough. And Trump is caught in the middle.
This is what dysfunction looks like. The GOP has the House, Senate, and White House, and yet, cannot pass its flagship legislation. If Republicans can’t govern now, when will they? And more importantly, what does this mean for voters heading into 2026?
We’ll break down the internal war happening inside the GOP, the media fallout from Joni Ernst’s Medicaid comments, and whether John Thune can pull off a miracle in the Senate — or if Trump’s big, beautiful bill is destined for the shredder.
Tune in for all that and more on today’s episode of The Josh Lafazan Show.
#politics #news #congress #politicalnews #newsupdate #usa #america #trump #donaldtrump #newsheadlines #newstoday #fyp #election