Republicans slammed online for celebrating children going hungry and millions losing Medicaid from Trump’s bill | OneFootball

Republicans have been slammed online for their exuberant celebrations over the passage of President Donald Trump’s signature domestic policy bill which will strip health insurance from millions and cut meals for some of America’s poorest children.

The GOP budget package, dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”, provides tax cuts for the wealthy while slashing benefits through Medicaid and the food assistance program SNAP. It passed by a thin 218-214 margin Thursday in the House of Representatives and will be signed into law by the President in the Oval Office at 4pm Friday.

After the bill passed, Republicans danced in the House to Village People’s Y.M.C.A, one of the President’s preferred rally songs, hugged each other and posed for photographs with thumbs up. Others took their celebrations online.

Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, of Wisconsin, replied “YES!” on X in response to a post which read: “17 million people just lost health care. 18 million kids just lost school meals. 3 million Americans just lost food assistance.”

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Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden deleted a post that appeared to celebrate the fact that millions will likely lose their health insurance and many children will go hungry. (Getty Images)

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, at least 17 million Americans are estimated to lose health coverage, or subsidies in their insurance that make it affordable. Fewer children will be automatically eligible for free school meals under the legislation and the bill creates “a domino effect” that will harm children across the U.S., the School Nutrition Association warned.

SNAP benefits will now be withheld from adults with children who do not return to work if their youngest child is 14 years or older.

Van Orden’s post sparked outrage among Democrats, campaigners, political pundits and some members of the public.

“You need to understand these people know exactly how badly they are hurting people and they love it,” Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy of Connecticut wrote, reposting Van Orden’s message. “It’s sick.”

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Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas celebrated the passing of President Donald Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ while smoking a cigar. (REUTERS)

Rep. Eric Swalwell of California added: “This is a REAL TWEET. Republican Congressman CELEBRATING the theft of your health care to fund billionaires’ tax cuts.”

“This isn’t leadership. It’s cruelty,” wrote Democratic National Committee secretary Jason Rae. “It's time for him to go.”

Van Orden later deleted the post, claiming that it was shared in error, and he meant to reply to White House press secretary Karole Leavitt’s post that said: “VICTORY!”

Still, skeptics said the post showed his “mask had slipped.”

“Congressman @derrickvanorden (PTSD-Wisconsin) has now deleted his celebration of kids going hungry and Americans getting sicker with the amazingly stupid excuse that he thought he was replying to a @PressSec tweet,” said political commentator Keith Olbermann.

Elsewhere, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas was called out for dismissing the fact that millions of Americans are projected to lose their health insurance as he puffed on a cigar on the steps of the Capitol.

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After the bill passed, Republicans danced in the House to Village People’s Y.M.C.A, one of the President’s preferred rally songs, hugged each other and posed for photographs with thumbs up. (AP)

Nehls was asked by Scripps News correspondent Elizabeth Landers about the Congressional Budget Office analysis on how many would lose health coverage.

“Can I ask you about the CBO score and the idea that 11 million, 12 million Americans may lose health insurance?” Landers asked.

“I don’t have any faith and confidence in the CBO, their scoring, they’re wrong half the damn time,” Nehls replied. “I don’t give any—nah. I’m not worried about the CBO.”

Landers pressed him again, asking: “You’re not worried at all that Americans may lose their healthcare because of this bill?”

“Just some Americans that aren’t Americans. And that is, the illegals,” the lawmaker replied. “Why should illegals be on Medicare? We did a great job with it all!”

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Republicans celebrating the passage of Trump’s bill in the House (Getty Images)

Responding to a clip of the video on social media, Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York said: “I have countless constituents who would beg to differ.”

“There it is. Stripping people of healthcare based on who they are, not what they need,” said Brian Allen, whose prominent X account regularly posts about politics. “So much for a party of ‘Christian’ values.”

Faiz Shakir, an adviser to Bernie Sanders, also criticized Nehls for “confusing Medicare and Medicaid.”

The organization Vote Vets called it “shameless, cruel and un-American” in a post on X after the bill passed. “They danced. They smiled. They gave a thumbs up,” the group said. “All after passing Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill" that rips food, health care, and support away from Veterans — just to give Elon Musk and billionaires another tax break.”

Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders blasted the bill as a “death sentence.”

“Republicans are celebrating the passage of the largest Medicaid cut in U.S. history to pay for the largest tax break for billionaires in American history,” Sanders said. “51,000 Americans will die each year so that the top 1% can get a $1 trillion tax break.”