Murphy says Ernst’s constituents ’would just rather die in old age’

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Sunday that Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) constituents know they will die, but “would just rather die in old age,” a reference to a town hall remark from Iowa Republican.

“I think everybody in that audience knows that they’re going to die,” Murphy told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” discussing comments made by Ernst on Friday in response to a remark that cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would result in deaths.

“They would just rather die in old age at 85 or 90, instead of dying at 40. And the reality is that, when you lose your health care, you are much more at risk of early death,” Murphy added.

During a town hall in Butler, Iowa, Ernst defended spending reforms included in a budget reconciliation package passed by the House, including those to stop people from getting federal benefits if they’ve entered the country illegally.

A person in the crowd attempted to talk over the senator, interrupting her while she was answering about changes to Medicaid and SNAP, shouting that people are “going to die” as a result. 

“Well, we’re all going to die,” Ernst responded, drawing jeers.

Ernst later doubled down on her comments on social media, saying in a Saturday Instagram post that she “made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this earth.”

“So I apologize, and I’m really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well,” she added.

The Hill has reached out to Ernst’s office for comment.