By Dr. John Petrone
Friends,
We are hours away from a Trump/GOP engineered government shutdown. And right on schedule, the Republican disinformation machine is gearing up to blame anyone but themselves.
Vice President JD Vance, Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Republicans, and the entire MAGA chorus are now repeating the same lie: that Democrats want to “shut down the government to give free health care to illegal immigrants.”
That’s not just false. It’s a deliberate attempt to gaslight the public and cover up their own recklessness.
The Facts
Republicans control everything. Trump is in the White House. The GOP holds both chambers of Congress. They own the budget process. If the government shuts down, it is because Republicans chose to walk away from compromise.
The Democratic proposal doesn’t provide free health care for unauthorized immigrants. Federal law bars undocumented immigrants from Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Democrats aren’t changing that.
What Democrats actually want is to extend Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire and to roll back Medicaid cuts jammed into Trump’s tax and spending law this summer. If nothing is done, millions of Americans—citizens and lawful residents—will face crushing premium hikes.
Republicans are twisting “lawful presence.” The Trump-GOP law stripped coverage from 1.2 million people who were previously recognized as lawfully present, including refugees, asylees, and DACA recipients. Democrats want to restore that coverage. Republicans call them “illegal.” That’s a lie.
Hospitals are already struggling. The GOP’s law even reduced federal reimbursement for hospitals providing emergency care to low-income undocumented patients. That cut hurts states, hospitals, and communities—not because immigrants are gaming the system, but because Republicans targeted them to score political points.
The Fiction
“Democrats want to shut down the government.” False. Republicans are holding the gavel in both chambers. They set the rules, the calendar, and the bills. They alone can bring compromise to a vote.
“This is about illegal immigrants getting free health care.” False. The budget fight is about Americans losing subsidies and facing skyrocketing health costs. The GOP is dangling immigrants as scapegoats to distract from their own cuts to working families.
“Democrats are hostage takers.” False. The hostages are the American people, and the captors are the very Republicans trying to force through Trump’s cruel austerity agenda while pretending to be victims.
Why the Lie?
Because the truth is simple: Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House. They designed the law that gutted health care. They are refusing to compromise. If the government shuts down, it’s on them.
But that’s not a message they want to run on. So they’re trying to spin a scapegoat narrative—distract with immigrants, blame Democrats, and gaslight the public into believing that black is white and up is down.
What We Must Do
This is where you, the reader, come in. Here are concrete steps that cut through the noise and turn awareness into action:
Relentlessly Repeat the Truth
Every conversation, every post, every share must carry the core fact: Republicans control the government. If it shuts down, it’s their fault. Say it, write it, repeat it until no one can miss it.Challenge the Lie in Real Time
When you see “free health care for illegals” pop up, correct it immediately. Point out that undocumented immigrants cannot access Obamacare subsidies, Medicaid, Medicare, or CHIP. Facts must follow lies like a shadow.Flood the Media
Write letters to your local paper. Call into radio shows. Push journalists on social media. When the press lazily covers this as a “both sides” fight, demand better. They must state plainly who holds the power and who created this crisis.Organize Locally
Gather your networks—unions, civic groups, activist circles. Host teach-ins on the real stakes: rising health care premiums, slashed Medicaid, weakened hospitals. Turn outrage into local pressure.Call Your Representatives Daily
Even if they’re Republicans, they need to feel the heat. Even if they’re Democrats, they need to know you have their back. Congressional offices track call volume—it matters.Arm Yourself with Facts
Carry the talking points:Shutdowns are happening under total Republican control.
Immigrants are scapegoats, not the cause.
Millions of Americans will face higher health bills if subsidies vanish.
Medicaid and hospital cuts are deliberate cruelty.
Share Relentlessly
Forward this post. Share summaries in Facebook groups, Twitter threads, and family chats. GOP propaganda spreads fast; truth must move faster.Stand With Federal Workers
When the shutdown hits, remember who gets hurt first—federal employees and contractors. Support them, amplify their voices, and remind everyone that Republicans made them collateral damage.Stay Focused on the Real Fight
Do not let the GOP drag you into side debates. This is not about immigrants. It is not about Democrats refusing to compromise. It is about Republican extremism and a president in decline who is willing to wreck the country to stay in power.
Final Word
When the shutdown comes, Trump and the GOP will lie. They will scapegoat. They will gaslight. But the truth is simpler than their circus: the party in full control is the party to blame.
Don’t let them bury that truth under fiction. Spread it, shout it, repeat it—because in the end, facts are our strongest weapon against their propaganda.
Shared and prepared.