JD Vance Blasts Democratic Claims on Shutdown

Vice President JD Vance addressed what he called the left’s “lies” about the recent government shutdown during a press briefing on Wednesday.

Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle asked Vance to tackle two major claims circulating among Democrats.

“You’re seeing top Democratic leaders—from Kamala Harris and Chuck Schumer to Hakeem Jeffries—say this is a Republican shutdown caused by Trump,” Boyle said. “Second, they claim they don’t want to give healthcare to illegal aliens. Can you address both of these claims?”

Vance: This Is a Democrat Shutdown

Vance argued the shutdown was clearly the Democrats’ doing. He pointed to the House and Senate vote totals and President Trump’s actions.

“Nearly every House Republican voted to open the government,” Vance said. “Almost every Senate Republican voted the same, and even a few moderate Democrats joined them. But nearly every Senate Democrat voted to keep it closed. That’s not a Republican shutdown—it’s obviously a Democrat shutdown.”

He added, “You can debate many issues, but you can’t deny the obvious: Republicans voted to open the government. The President is ready to sign it. We just need a few more Democrats to join us.”

Democrats and Healthcare for Illegal Aliens

Vance then addressed Democrats’ claims about healthcare.

“The legislative text is clear,” he said. “Even fact-checks, like George Stephanopoulos interviewing Mike Johnson, ignored reality and repeated Democrat propaganda. The Democrats included provisions to give healthcare benefits to illegal aliens.”

Vance explained, “If you’ve been to a hospital recently, you’ve likely noticed long wait times. Often, patients are illegal aliens who cannot speak English. That’s because the Biden administration restored funding for healthcare for illegal immigrants, which the Trump administration had stopped.”

He added, “The administration also granted asylum and legal status to millions in the country illegally. This gave them access to taxpayer-funded healthcare. Democrats now deny this, but the facts speak for themselves.”

Sleight of Hand

Vance accused Democrats of sleight of hand: “‘No, no, those weren’t illegal aliens getting healthcare benefits,’ they claim. But everyone knows they were here illegally. It’s a lie, plain and simple. The Trump administration’s stance is that government resources should benefit American citizens, not illegal immigrants.”

He concluded, “Democrats are willing to shut down the government to benefit illegal aliens. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.”

Notably, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) admitted on Tuesday that Democrats are “demanding healthcare for everybody,” including illegal aliens.