U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst says she doesn't regret holding an Iowa town hall where she sparked a viral moment with her response to a constituent's concerns about Medicaid cuts.

Sen. Joni Ernst’s response of “we all are going to die” to a constituent who was complaining about proposed Medicaid cuts in President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” has also helped ...

Ernst horrified social media users with her sarcastic response to the woman. "Well, we are all going to die," Ernst said, which elicited more angst in the auditorium and online.

It's worse that she isn't taking Iowans seriously. | Opinion Sen. Joni Ernst speaks during a town hall at Aplington-Parkersburg High School on May 30, 2025, in Parkersburg.© Lily Smith/The Register ...

Ernst's response was, " Well, we all are going to die." If that ridiculously glib statement wasn’t enough, Ernst's sarcastic “apology,” given in a cemetery, was even worse.