Former MSNBC host Joy Reid says Republicans use ‘illegals’ as the new ‘n-word’

Former MSNBC host Joy Reid said Republicans have turned the word “illegals” into “the new n-word,” calling it a “completely racist term” while discussing the GOP’s opposition to Democrats’ push to extend Obamacare subsidies during the ongoing government shutdown.

“Republicans want to destroy Obamacare for you by using people’s unhinged hatred of undocumented immigrants. They’ve turned ‘illegals’ into the new n-word. And so if somebody is an illegal, which is a completely racist term, then you’re supposed to be more angry that they might get treated, you’re supposed to be more angry about that than the fact that your a– can’t afford your healthcare,” Reid said during “The Joy Reid Show.”

Reid previously hosted “The Reidout” on MSNBC before her show was canceled earlier this year. 

Reid made the argument again later in her podcast, and said Republicans blame “illegals” for everything.

Joy Reid speaks onstage during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference National Town Hall at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation)

JOHNSON SAYS DEMOCRATS LYING ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE PUSH

Reid argued that rural hospitals could close due to the shutdown and accused Republicans of doing it intentionally.

“They are closing those hospitals on purpose and then blaming it on, wait for it, the illegals, which is, you know, their new word for the n-word. Everything is their fault. Everything. If you stub your toe, it’s the illegals. If you had a bad day, it’s the illegals,” she said. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and most Democrats say they won’t support funding the government unless Congress agrees to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., needs at least eight Democrats to back the GOP bill, which would reopen the government through Nov. 21. 

Joy Reid speaks during the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 7, 2024, in New Orleans. ((Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE))

CHUCK SCHUMER SLAMS GOP’S CLAIM THAT DEMOCRATS WANT TO GIVE HEALTHCARE TO ILLEGALS AS AN ‘EFFING LIE’

Republicans have been pointing to Democrats’ counter-proposal for a continuing resolution as proof that Democrats are fighting to restore healthcare for illegal immigrants. The Democrats’ plan called for repealing the healthcare changes made in the GOP’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which, among other measures, tightened restrictions on who can access Medicaid.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attends a news conference about the government shutdown on Sept. 30, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

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Reid recently claimed during a BET interview that conservatives have a goal of forcing the country back to the early 20th century — if not the 19th — based on the desire for a “hierarchical past” with White men on top. She warned that part of what conservatives hope to restore includes not only a racial hierarchy but also a rollback of business regulations.

“And one of the reasons they’re so serious about it is that, if you go back before the 20th century, there were no income taxes,” Reid said. “There were no regulations on business. You could earn as much money as you want, leave 100% of it to your children with no taxes. That’s the world they want back.”

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind, Greg Wehner and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.