Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Arkansas Medicaid Ad Sparks Backlash Over Decision to Cast White Man

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing backlash from some conservatives over her latest campaign ad, but it’s not for the reason some might expect.

The ad promotes Sanders’ push for stricter Medicaid work requirements and features a fictional young white man named Brad who spends his time playing video games and eating cheese balls instead of working.

However, some conservative commentators took issue with the decision to portray the character as white.

“This Republican ad calling out welfare leeches uses a young white male named ‘Brad’ as the villain. Meanwhile, back in reality, women are significantly more likely to be on welfare than men. And black people are astronomically more likely to be on welfare than white people,” conservative commentator Matt Walsh ranted on X in a September 28 post.

He continued, “So the number of single young white male ‘Brads’ abusing the welfare system is minuscule. Practically non-existent. But of course Republicans don’t have the balls to do this ad with ‘Shaniqua’ as the villain. Even though that would actually be an accurate portrayal of the problem at hand.”

Sean Davis, cofounder of The Federalist, also criticized the ad.

“Our government has systematically discriminated against white men for decades now, and yet now has the audacity to dishonestly mock young white men as welfare queens,” Davis wrote via X.

It’s important to note that Sanders’ ad focused on Medicaid and not welfare.

However, the criticism comes despite data showing that the majority of recipients in the Arkansas Medicaid program targeted by Sanders’ policy are white, according to a Tuesday, October 6, report from the Associated Press.

About 60 percent of people enrolled in the Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me program, known as ARHOME, are white, while roughly 18 percent are Black, according to recent state Department of Human Services data cited by the Associated Press.

Sanders, 44, has continued to stand by the ad.

“We should never confiscate money from hard-working Arkansans to give it away to those who simply choose not to work at all,” her campaign manager, Jordan Powell, told the AP.

Sanders began rolling out new requirements in July for healthy adults ages 19 to 64 enrolled in ARHOME. In order to qualify, they must work, attend school or volunteer for at least 80 hours each month to maintain their coverage.