Politics

‘Outright Lie’: Abby Phillip Relentlessly Debunked By Scott Walker

Published

1 week ago

April 2, 2025

CNN anchor Abby Phillip was forcefully corrected on live television this week after repeatedly suggesting that Elon Musk, through his government reform agency, is planning to cut Social Security and Medicaid. Former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who attended one of Musk’s rallies, dismantled her claims in real-time.

“It is true that he spent twenty million dollars on the affiliated groups that were involved in this race,” Phillip said, referencing Musk’s involvement in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election. “Not only did he spend the money—he came to the state. He talked about cutting Medicaid, Social Security through DOGE.”

Walker immediately pushed back. “He explicitly said he would not,” Walker said. “That’s not what he said at his rally. No, no. Other people said that. But I was there. I watched it. He did not say he was going to cut Medicaid.”

Phillip attempted to clarify, saying, “Other people at his rallies who work for DOGE, who work for Elon Musk’s organization, talked about those issues.”

But Walker didn’t budge. “No, I was at the rally. Not a one of them said that!” he insisted.

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Phillip then shifted the argument, bringing up allegations of fraud involving deceased individuals receiving benefits. “It’s not true that 120-year-old people are getting Social Security checks,” she said. “The checks stop at a certain point automatically.”

Walker clarified that the issue wasn’t that these individuals were receiving money directly. “Those Social Security numbers get counted for various parts of the federal government,” he said. “They count… for money that gets allocated to different departments in their budget. And they shouldn’t be if somebody is no longer alive.”

Walker responded, “There are [risks], if people believe the lies that people are saying about that.”

Pennsylvania, USA on March 22, 2025 ;Elon Musk greets US President Donald Trump as he arrives to watch the men’s NCAA wrestling competition

Launched by President Donald Trump in early 2025, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was placed under the leadership of Elon Musk and tasked with slashing wasteful spending and boosting accountability across the federal bureaucracy.

From the outset, Musk has emphasized that essential programs like Social Security and Medicare would not be reduced. But that hasn’t stopped media figures like Phillip from attempting to frame DOGE’s reforms as attacks on the elderly and the poor.

In doing so, critics argue that CNN and other outlets are misleading the public and stoking fear about benefit cuts that simply aren’t happening. Recalling his own recall election as governor, Walker noted that when he stopped responding to the media’s version of events and started presenting facts directly to voters, “we actually won by more votes than we did” the first time.

“Make it abundantly clear that that’s not being touched,” Walker said. “But if there’s waste, fraud, or abuse, spell it out, make the case, and bring it to the voters.”