Raw Story - Trump is holding hospitals 'hostage' in brazen 'power grab': AOC

Erik De La Garza
January 28, 2025 4:44PM ET



Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) unloaded on President Donald Trump in an escalation of the brewing Democratic opposition to the new administration as it unleashes a barrage of new executive orders.

“Trump is holding all the nation’s hospitals and vital services hostage to seize power from Congress and hand it over to billionaires,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a social media post Tuesday when it became clear that Medicaid portals had shut down throughout the United States.

“We must state the truth: this is a constitutional crisis. It’s a massive, illegal power grab that the House and Senate have a sworn duty to stop," she added.

The New York lawmaker, who hasn’t shied away from criticizing Trump in the past, made the comments on her X account in reaction to Trump's pause on federal grants and loans – reportedly in the trillions of dollars – that goes into effect Tuesday.

The sweeping executive order has threatened several crucial government programs, including Medicaid, which provides health insurance to over 70 million Americans.

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