A Fox News host called out Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Sunday for trying to spin facts about his “Rescue America” proposal as “Democrat talking points.”
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” anchor John Roberts asked the senator about his 11-point legislative agenda that has earned a frosty reception on both sides of the aisle. The plan, in part, proposes raising income taxes for low-income Americans.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rejected the proposal earlier this month, saying: “We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years.”
Roberts also brought up those points, quoting directly from the plan.
“That would raise taxes on half of Americans and potentially sunset programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security,” Roberts said. “Why would you propose something like that in an election year?”
“That’s, of course, the Democrat talking points,” Scott replied.
“No, no, it’s in the plan!” Roberts exclaimed.
Scott attempted to push back again, but Roberts interrupted: “Senator, it’s not a Democratic talking point. It’s in the plan.”
Scott went on to claim that the plan “says we ought to every year talk about exactly how we are going to fix Medicare and Social Security,” and insisted that the goal is to figure out how to preserve those programs.
Last month, Scott got away with making false claims about his proposal on Fox News during an interview with Sean Hannity. He claimed it doesn’t involve raising taxes, even though it does.
His plan also addresses a variety of Republican culture war issues, including finishing former President Donald Trump’s border wall, declaring that “men are men, women are women and unborn babies are babies,” and preventing Democrats from trying to “rig elections.”