Far-right activist Laura Loomer is going after a prominent conservative health policy expert and former Trump administration official for his proposals to overhaul Medicaid — stoking larger intraparty tensions at a pivotal moment for negotiations over President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”
In a social media post Monday, Loomer called Brian Blase, the president of Paragon Health Institute, a “RINO Saboteur” for helping draft a letter circulated by 20 House conservatives that advocated for deep cuts to Medicaid in the GOP’s domestic policy megabill.
His role in writing the missive was first reported by POLITICO.
“In a shocking betrayal of President Donald Trump’s unwavering commitment to America’s working-class families, and his promise to protect Medicaid, [Brian Blase] … is spearheading a dangerous campaign to undermine the Republican Party’s midterm prospects,” Loomer said on X.
Fiscal hawks believe cuts to the safety net program will deliver necessary savings to finance Trump’s desired package of tax cuts and extensions, border security spending, energy policy and more. But Trump has also continued to insist there will be no provisions included in the bill that would result in cutting Medicaid benefits — though he hasn’t detailed how that might be the case.
Loomer accused Blase of “currently pressuring congressional Republicans to defy the President’s ironclad pledge to protect Medicaid — a program critical to the heartland voters who propelled Donald Trump to his election victories.”
Blase worked in Trump’s first administration as a special assistant to the president on the National Economic Council. He’s one of the most influential conservative health policy thinkers in Washington, frequently writing op-eds in the Wall Street Journal and publishing a mountain of policy papers pushing Medicaid reform.
In a statement Tuesday, Blase defended himself and his work.
“I am proud to have served President Trump for two and a half years at the White House, leading the implementation of his health care agenda,” Blase said. “Paragon shares the president’s commitment to reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in government programs and reversing the harmful health policies of the Biden administration — like California’s $10 billion scheme to put illegal immigrants on Medicaid.”
A Paragon spokesperson said last week the group sent a list of Medicaid reform principles to policymakers and that it “It appears that the excellent letter by [Texas GOP Rep.] Chip Roy and colleagues incorporated some of our ideas.”
It’s significant that Loomer would make Blase a target: She has a history of crusading against people she sees as disloyal to Trump, having in the past personally persuaded the president to fire several top national security officials over their perceived lack of sufficient fealty.
The situation also speaks to the broader friction within the Republican Party between the moderate and the populist wings — which are wary of benefit cuts — and the more traditional conservative faction — bent on making major changes to safety-net programs.
The divide has threatened to imperil the package central to Trump’s agenda as Republicans are under immense pressure to find savings for the bill.
Roy and a handful of House Republicans who are in touch with Blase are full steam ahead to force GOP leaders to pursue deeper cuts across Medicaid and other safety-net programs, which they argue need massive reforms to curb long-term spending.
Freedom Caucus members met Tuesday morning to discuss reconciliation and to try to push back on attacks that they’re gutting Medicaid, according to three Republicans with direct knowledge of the matter.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
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