Scoop: Schumer-linked group hits Ernst on "we all are going to die"
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Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) arrives for a vote. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A group linked to Senate Democrats' top super PAC is launching an online ad campaign this week featuring Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) viral "we all are going to die" quote during a May town hall.
Why it matters: Iowa has been a solidly red state for years, but Democrats see an opportunity to weaken Ernst ahead of her 2026 re-election campaign.
Zoom in: In response to questions about Medicaid cuts expected to be part of the sweeping GOP budget bill making its way through Congress, Ernst argued the program would protect the most vulnerable, but also told voters "well, we all are going to die."
- Democrats are featuring the footage in a new ad campaign launching Wednesday that will run for the next couple weeks on streaming services, YouTube and social media.
- Majority Forward, a nonprofit affiliated with Senate Majority PAC —and linked to Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — is spending $200,000 on the effort.
- Democrats have made Medicaid a focus of their counterattacks against GOP's congressional control, accusing vulnerable Republicans of working to strip health care coverage from potentially millions of Americans.
What they're saying: "Ernst was already a remarkably weak candidate," SMP spokesperson Lauren French said in a statement.
- She continued, "and we're going to ensure she has to answer for not just her asinine and callous comments but for her continued support of policies that do nothing to lower costs for Iowans."
Ernst spokesperson Palmer Brigham told Axios in a statement: "While Democrats fearmonger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans."
- "There's only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and she's working to ease the burden of both by fighting to keep more of Iowans' hard-earned tax dollars in their own pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse."
Zoom out: The firestorm from Ernst's comment has shaken up her campaign, as Axios Des Moines reported.
- She has drawn a GOP primary challenger and national attention to what could have been a sleepy, safe race, now listed as "likely R" by Cook Political Report.
