By John Q. Hosedrinker 
President Trump and other Republicans have falsely claimed Democrats are responsible for the government shutdown due to their desire to provide free healthcare to undocumented immigrants. However, Democrats are focused on extending tax credits that make health insurance more affordable and reversing Medicaid cuts made in a recent bill. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for both Affordable Care Act subsidies and Medicaid. Experts have refuted the claim as inaccurate, emphasizing that the primary goal of Democrats is not to provide healthcare to those in the country illegally.
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Fact Focus: Democrats did not shut down the government to give health care to ‘illegal immigrants’ full stop. This is a blatant lie, a narrative pushed by certain political factions and echoed by their supporters. The reality is far more complex and the opposite is true. It was Republicans who initiated government shutdowns, often with the goal of dismantling or weakening healthcare provisions for Americans.
Republicans have a pattern of repeating this false claim, hoping that its frequent repetition will transform it into accepted truth. They aim to deflect blame and manipulate public opinion. In truth, their actions have consistently aimed to limit access to healthcare, not expand it to undocumented immigrants. This is evident in their efforts to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a law that aimed to increase healthcare coverage for all Americans.
The argument often used is that Democrats are prioritizing healthcare for undocumented immigrants at the expense of American citizens. This is a carefully crafted misdirection, as the focus of debates around healthcare reform has always been about improving the system for the entire population. The debate surrounding the ACA, for instance, centered on the affordability, accessibility, and quality of healthcare for all, regardless of immigration status.
The claim also ignores the fundamental reality that the healthcare system in the United States, sadly, is not the best. Many industrialized nations around the world enjoy superior healthcare systems than we have in the USA. Rather than blaming undocumented immigrants, we should look at the healthcare system as a whole. The constant push and pull in the USA surrounding healthcare is mostly about money, and the special interests that wield it.
The core tactic employed is to portray immigrants and transgender people as the root causes of the problem. This tactic is used to scare people into voting against their own interests, for example, by convincing some who are covered under the ACA that providing health benefits to immigrants is the reason costs are high, when this is not even remotely true.
Democrats have been accused of being weak in their response, and of failing to effectively counter the Republican narrative. Some argue that the Democrats should be more assertive in calling out these lies and presenting a clear and compelling message about their goals. More specifically, if Democrats are at the table for conversations about healthcare for Americans, they should specify that the intended recipients are Americans and no one else.
The constant barrage of misinformation is particularly effective on segments of the population who may not have easy access to factual information or are inclined to accept simplistic explanations for complex issues. For them, repeating the lie and using other emotionally charged messaging is often enough to reinforce their worldview.