Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) decided she’d attack the idea of “socialism” while also trying to praise Medicare and Medicaid, but must have forgotten the basics of the two government health care programs, which led to her being publicly humiliated as millions on Twitter mocked her for only succeeding in owning herself.
Friday was the 56th anniversary of the day President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, and here’s how Stefanik observed that event:
Today’s Anniversary of Medicare & Medicaid reminds us to reflect on the critical role these programs have played to protect the healthcare of millions of families. To safeguard our future, we must reject Socialist healthcare schemes. https://t.co/mOdUuX7THT
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) July 30, 2021
As MSNBC notes, for years after the creation of the two health care programs, Republicans attacked them as “socialism.”
“For anyone who has even a basic familiarity with Medicare and Medicaid, the Republican’s missive was head-spinning. Indeed, when Medicare and Medicaid were being created, it was Stefanik’s ideological forebearers who warned Americans that these programs were socialist health care schemes.
“And yet, generations latter, as far as Elise Stefanik is concerned, it makes sense to celebrate socialized health care programs while simultaneously denouncing socialized health care programs.”
Social media then took over and gave Stefanik the mocking she so richly deserved:
Um, who wants to tell this Harvard grad that Medicare/Medicaid are socialized health insurance programs? https://t.co/B3nzqv2jvE
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) July 30, 2021
To protect free government-run healthcare programs, we must…reject free government-run healthcare programs! Great argument! https://t.co/UXKWuNC77t
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) July 30, 2021
Elise Stefanik is as dumb as you thought. https://t.co/lBpFpDxZmL
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 30, 2021
Socialism is a scare word they’ve hurled at every advance the people have made. Socialism is what they called public power, social security, deposit insurance, and independent labor organizations. Socialism is their name for anything that helps all people.
—Harry Truman, 1952 https://t.co/EbA6P28bmA
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) July 30, 2021
Even conservatives took Stefanik to task for her clueless tweet:
WTF IS THIS?! We must “reject socialist healthcare schemes” to protect *check notes* a government-run healthcare program beloved by socialists? When did Elise Stefanik get so fucking stupid? https://t.co/Eguw0bGP2h
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 30, 2021
This is what happens when you opt-in to the identity crisis the Trump Republicans have forced on themselves. https://t.co/Kv506v3gdE pic.twitter.com/bZqQXJlROV
— Mark Sanford (@MarkSanford) July 30, 2021
But perhaps the best jab was delivered by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY):
Totally agree.
In fact, to further protect Medicare from socialism, let’s strengthen it to include dental, vision, hearing, & mental healthcare and then allow all Americans to enjoy its benefits.
Trust me, Medicare for All is the #1 thing you can do to own the socialists. https://t.co/iqmPDV3Cy6
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2021
Featured Image Via NBC News
