Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is making headlines again after encouraging Americans to use Memorial Day weekend not just for remembrance and celebration—but for political activism. In a message posted Friday on X (formerly Twitter), Clinton called on her followers to confront family and friends about President Donald Trump’s latest budget plan.
Dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” by the Trump administration, the budget narrowly passed the House and now faces strong resistance in the Senate. Several key Republicans, including Senators Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Rand Paul (KY), have voiced skepticism over its scope and implications.
In her post, Clinton described the bill as dangerous for children and the future of the country.
“I’m giving you a mission this Memorial Day,” she wrote. “Talk to at least two people at your cookout or gathering about how Trump’s budget fails our kids. We owe them a better future than this.”
Clinton included a set of talking points highlighting four major criticisms of the bill:
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Health Coverage Cuts: She warned that millions could lose Medicaid access, including families relying on ACA programs.
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Food Assistance Reductions: Clinton claimed that up to 11 million Americans—including 4 million children—could be dropped from SNAP benefits.
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Child Tax Credit Rollbacks: She noted that 4.5 million children could lose support through proposed changes to the child tax credit.
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Lack of AI Oversight: The bill includes a decade-long freeze on state-level AI regulation, which Clinton argues leaves children vulnerable to digital threats like deepfakes and exploitation.
Republicans have countered these claims, insisting that the proposed changes aim to curb government waste rather than slash essential services. Trump and GOP leaders have repeatedly stated that entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security are not on the chopping block.
Supporters of the budget also point to estimates from Elon Musk’s AI research team, which claim hundreds of billions could be saved by rooting out fraud and inefficiencies in current systems.
Despite Clinton’s push, her message drew criticism for potentially politicizing a holiday meant to honor fallen service members. Critics also noted that she had disabled replies on her original post, though many users quoted the tweet to voice opposition or support.
While Clinton’s strategy may energize some Democratic voters, others argue that turning family gatherings into political battlegrounds could deepen divisions.
