Senator Rubén Gallego (D-AZ) became visibly agitated when CNBC host Joe Kernen confronted him directly on how he’d responded to government shutdowns in the past — particularly when Republicans had been the ones making demands — and Kernen ultimately pulled the plug on the entire interview.
“If Republicans shut down the government the next time Democrats are in charge to extract whatever it is that they happen to want —” Kernen began.
“Like they did last time?” Gallego interrupted.
“Are you saying that’s okay? Are you saying that’s okay if they do that next time?” Kernen asked.
“Republicans have done this quite a while, yes,” Gallego claimed.
“What did you say about it when they did it?” Kernen asked.
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Gallego shot back.
WATCH:
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” says petulant baby @RubenGallego when asked about his past shutdown comments.
Here’s a reminder —
2013: You can’t “shutdown the government… and still claim to be a Patriot”
2019: “Putting the country in danger”
2023: “Put country before… pic.twitter.com/JbA7aU1M2B
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 27, 2025
The interview did not get less contentious from there.
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Kernen and Gallego clashed over Democrats’ demands for reopening the government, in large part because Gallego claimed Democrats were not making any demands and then in the same breath explained what he and other Democrats “want” before they’ll vote to reopen the government.
WATCH:
Senator Gallego (D-AZ) claims Democrats aren’t “demanding anything” to reopen the government.
This is a lie.
Democrats have spent the last month demanding a plethora of things, including $1.5T in spending, which could allow illegal aliens to receive taxpayer-funded healthcare. pic.twitter.com/IiZdP4U8Dt
— Media Lies (@MediasLies) October 27, 2025
“We’re demanding a very simple thing. … We want to make sure that Americans, 24 million Americans, do not see their insurance premiums doubled,” Gallego said at first.
“Well, by not extending [subsidies], it would go up. But what’s the $1.5 trillion, Senator? You could extend those for one year, you could extend the Obamacare subsidies for $40 billion. For 10 years, you can do it for $345 billion. You’re asking for $1.5 trillion.”
“I’m sorry, are you an insurance broker?” Gallego objected, and then insisted that the money was all to prevent increases in premiums.
“What’s in the $1.5 trillion? You could do it for 10 years, Senator, for $345 billion. What’s the $1.5 trillion that Democrats are demanding to open the government?” Kernen asked again.
“We’re not demanding anything. This is just a Republican talking point,” Gallego claimed. “All I want is for the ACA to be extended for Americans, for 24 million people to not get their premiums doubled. In Arizona, we are talking about 500,000 people.”
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