Don’t Believe the Meme: Conservatives Aren’t Cutting Benefits—We’re Trying to Save Them

I was scrolling through my feed the other day and came across this meme of Jeff Bezos and his wife on their wedding day. With its dramatic caption: “Half the world’s wealth is at Bezos’ $50M wedding, and the rest are in D.C. figuring out how to cut healthcare, food aid, and insurance protections.” It was clearly designed to get people fired up, but instead of being shocked, I just rolled my eyes.

This kind of messaging is very popular online, but it completely distorts what’s actually happening. As a conservative, I care about programs like Medicaid, food assistance, and insurance protections. I want these programs to be strong, effective, and available to the people who truly need them—not just today, but for future generations too. The idea that conservatives are trying to strip these benefits away from struggling families is not just wrong—it’s dishonest.

The truth is, many of us on the right are fighting to preserve these programs by making sure they’re not being abused. If we don’t address the fraud, waste, and inefficiency, these systems will collapse under their own weight. That’s not a scare tactic—it’s basic math.

Let’s talk facts. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), over $80 billion in improper payments were made by Medicaid in just one year. That’s nearly 25% of all spending. Think about that: a quarter of every dollar spent in the program might be wasted. That’s money that could go to nursing homes, to children with disabilities, or to low-income families. Instead, it’s disappearing into this broken system with loopholes wide enough to drive Hakeem Jeffries' massive ego through.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) isn’t doing much better. In 2022, the USDA reported an 11.5% improper payment rate, which comes out to more than $11 billion. Some of that is human error, but a hefty amount of it is outright fraud—people underreporting income, hiding assets, or simply lying to get benefits they shouldn’t be receiving. If all Americans, not just Republicans or Democrats, allow this to continue unchecked, we're not helping the poor—we're undermining them.

That’s why Republicans support reforms like work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, income verification, and giving states more flexibility to manage federal aid. These aren't about cruelty—they’re about sustainability. Take Florida, for example. Under Governor Ron DeSantis, our state resumed regular Medicaid eligibility reviews after the federal pandemic pause ended. As a result, more than half a million ineligible individuals were removed from the Medicaid rolls, ensuring the program was reserved for those who genuinely qualify. These efforts protect the integrity of the system and prioritize limited resources for the truly vulnerable—children, seniors, and the disabled. That’s not punishment—it’s responsible stewardship.

We also can’t ignore the elephant in the room: the national debt. We’re now sitting on over $34 trillion in debt, and programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security account for nearly two-thirds of federal spending. If we don’t make changes to how these programs operate, we’re risking their very existence. The people who will suffer won’t be billionaires—they’ll be the single parents, the seniors on fixed incomes, and the disabled who rely on these benefits to survive.

So no, conservatives aren’t trying to dismantle the safety net. We’re trying to keep it from collapsing. If we want these programs to be there not just for us, but for our kids and grandkids, we need to root out abuse, increase efficiency, and make sure help is going where it’s needed most.

Those catchy memes might rack up likes, but they don’t reflect reality. The real fight is to protect the people these programs were designed for. That’s what we’re standing for—and it’s worth saying louder.

About the Author: Tim Hennessy spent 25 years in broadcast television and has served as an advertising agency owner, political campaign manager, and grassroots community organizer. He is currently the President of Hennessy Strategies. Founded in 2020, Hennessy Strategies is a full-service branding and advertising agency serving a diverse client base of innovative companies, candidates, elected officials, nonprofits, and entrepreneurial start-ups from Southwest Florida.

Learn more about Hennessy Strategies at hennessystrategies.com.