An attribution error has been fixed in this story.
Cleveland — When Senator Bernie Moreno visited Cleveland’s historic City Club on Wednesday, the crowd inside expressed just as much annoyance and animosity as the demonstrators on the sidewalk outside.
The senator was questioned on several of the headlines that have characterized President Donald Trump’s second term during an interview hosted by Henry Gomez of NBC. The Republican One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Moreno backed, was the subject of one of Gomez’s initial inquiries to the senator.
Gomez asked if Moreno was worried that the law’s implementation would deny people access to necessary services and health care.
According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the comprehensive proposal would increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion over the next ten years while making large cuts to support programs.
As the audience burst into a chorus of moans and jeers, Moreno remarked, “There is no appetite in Washington, DC, by the way, in either party, not to help people who have needs.”
Moreno, for his part, set the tone for a boisterous affair by openly defending Trump and his ideas throughout the entire hour.
Moreno faced questions from people for the first time in his seven months in office on Wednesday. He hasn’t hosted any town hall meetings in public.
However, the City Club event, which was organized by a group that has promoted polite conversation for almost a century, occasionally felt more like a brawl between the senator and the audience.
Except for a few people, it was obvious that neither Moreno nor Trump were particularly popular with the overflow crowd. Dan Moulthrop, the CEO of the City Club of Cleveland, stepped in as the audience’s interruptions, frustrated moans, and sardonic laughter become more frequent.
We all came here to hear answers, and while we might not be happy with them, we are all here to respect civic discourse, so I just want everyone to take a few deep breaths and remember that. Additionally, he said, “I’ll gladly refund any tickets that need to be refunded if you don’t want to respect civic discourse.”
Pushing back in support of Trump, Moreno reiterated well-known Republican talking points that have been shown to be untrue in support of the party’s goals.
For instance, Moreno asserted that the One Big Beautiful Bill would not result in Medicaid cuts, but rather that the program would get a sizable increase in funding.
Following the bill’s passage, the Congressional Budget Office projected that it would cut federal Medicaid expenditure by $911 billion over a ten-year period. Additionally, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—formerly known as food stamps—will see major cuts.
Even though Congress certified the results on January 7, 2021, confirming President Biden as the victor, Moreno would not say with certainty if the 2020 election was properly won.
For four years, was Joe Biden the rightful president of the United States? According to Moreno, he was unquestionably the worst president of the United States for four years.
Trump’s tariffs, according to Moreno, will level the playing field for the American working class in the global economy.
At the end of the day, it’s just a truth that you can cough, get angry, and act like a child. After defending Trump’s tariffs, Moreno informed the crowd, “That’s just a fact.”
Economists like Goldman Sachs have cautioned that Trump’s America First trade agenda will disproportionately affect consumers and Americans with lower incomes.
The event contrasted with the City Club’s lengthy and illustrious history, which has included visits from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., South African human rights advocate Bishop Desmond Tutu, and three presidents.
After the event, Mark Ross, the president of the City Club’s board, told the audience, “I would just off script remind everyone that if we’re going to continue to get speakers like Bernie, like Senator Moreno here tonight, we have to be a little bit more thoughtful in our way of acting in the audience.”
