Trump endorses GOP plan that would likely slash Medicaid hours after saying he wouldn't touch it

• Donald Trump endorsed a House GOP budget plan.
• Republicans' outline would likely lead to billions in Medicaid cuts, which insures over 70 million Americans.
• In an interview alongside Elon Musk that aired Tuesday night, Trump said he wouldn't touch Medicaid.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed a House Republican budget plan that could cut billions from Medicaid, just hours after pledging that the healthcare program for millions of disabled and low-income Americans would not be touched.

Republican leaders have called for massive spending cuts to finance trillions in tax cuts and other provisions. House conservatives won a major concession last week, passing a budget blueprint that ties the size of the proposed tax cuts to the size of spending cuts. If Republicans don't cut enough spending, their outline would not likely allow for all of Trump's promises, including ending taxes on tips and overtime pay.

During an interview alongside Elon Musk, Trump said he would not touch Medicaid. He has pledged not to cut Social Security and Medicare, the largest federal government programs, though his administration has recently gone after Social Security for suspected fraud.

"Medicare, Medicaid, none of that stuff is going to be touched," Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview that aired on Tuesday night.

Trump previously said he would "love and cherish" Medicaid, which insures 70 million Americans. The federal government covers most of the cost of the $880 billion a year program, which was first created in the same 1965 law that birthed Medicare, a separate program for Americans 65 and older.

Last week, the House Budget Committee released its budget draft that outlined about $2 trillion in spending cuts. These included a proposed $880 billion in spending cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which would extend for a decade.

It's likely these cuts would target Medicaid, a program with over 72 million people enrolled, according to October 2024 data. Medicaid supplies healthcare services coverage for lower-income Americans of all ages, accounting for about $872 billion in spending in 2023.

Some GOP leaders have suggested implementing per-capita caps on Medicaid, which could save up to $900 billion per a House Budget Committee Proposal. It's likely cuts to Medicaid would reduce Medicaid services or search for other funding methods, which could impact millions of recipients.

Trump's statement comes as congressional Republicans tussle over how to best proceed with the special budget process that will allow them to extend Trump's 2017 tax plan, fund stiffer immigration enforcement, and potentially pass a no-taxes-on-tips plan, all without requiring the support of a single Democratic lawmaker. Known as reconciliation, the process will likely be Trump's best avenue to pass the bulk of his domestic agenda, given Republicans' thin majorities in Congress.

Senate Republicans have a competing plan, which does not include tax cuts. Under their proposal, the GOP would return to extending tax cuts and passing additional ones later this year. Senate Republicans were expected to move forward with their proposal before Trump's announcement later this week.

The White House did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.