ICE in Hospitals & the Trump Rx Grift
Thu Feb 05 2026
Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson break down a cascade of political decisions and enforcement actions that are actively reshaping American health care. The episode covers new reporting on ICE disrupting care inside hospitals, Democratic senators raising alarms about the legality of Trump’s “TrumpRx” prescription drug platform, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reconsidering all vaccine recommendations amid rising anti-vaccine influence. The hosts also examine the latest Epstein file releases and what they reveal about the growing overlap between wellness influencers, media power, and political hypocrisy.
The show also checks back in with Dr. Erin Stevens, an OB-GYN in the Twin Cities and a leading voice speaking out against ICE activity in medical settings. Dr. Stevens shares an on-the-ground update from Minnesota as the ICE surge continues, discusses how fear is keeping pregnant patients from critical care, and calls on hospital systems and professional organizations to more forcefully defend patients and providers.
Background reading:
* AP: ICE claim that a man shattered his skull running into wall triggers tension at a Minnesota hospital
* The 19th: Fear of ICE is keeping pregnant immigrants in Minnesota from critical care
* Verite News: A pregnant mother in ICE detention says she’s bleeding — and hasn’t seen a doctor in weeks
* KFF Health News: ‘I Can’t Tell You’: Attorneys, Relatives Struggle To Find Hospitalized ICE Detainees
* Democratic Congressional leaders’ letter listing their ten “guardrails” for ICE
* TrumpRx website
* Sign the Committee’s open letter calling for legislation to restore hospitals as sensitive locations, free from the presence of ICE and other federal agents → ProtectMed.org/ICEoutofHospitals
* MedPage Today: TrumpRx May Not Be Legal in Its Current Form, Senators Contend
* STAT: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog
* PharmaVoice: Why TrumpRx is stumbling before it gets off the ground
* The Guardian: US committee is reconsidering all vaccine recommendations
* The Hill: Trump says latest release of Epstein files ‘absolves’ him
* Peter Attia’s “apology”on X
* The Atlantic: The Longevity Influencer Who Went Into ‘Withdrawal’ Without Jeffrey Epstein
* The Cut: The Celebrity Doctor in the Epstein Files (non-paywalled version is HERE)
* Variety: CBS News Contributor Peter Attia Under Fire After Latest Epstein File Disclosures
* The Daily Beast: CBS News’ Star Hire Hung With Epstein as Baby Son Fought for Life
* The Guardian: A ‘wellness bro’, a cosmologist and an RFK Jr crony: meet Bari Weiss’s new CBS News contributors
* Los Angeles Times: Longevity guru Peter Attia keeps CBS News role despite showing up in Epstein files
Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org.
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Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe
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Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson break down a cascade of political decisions and enforcement actions that are actively reshaping American health care. The episode covers new reporting on ICE disrupting care inside hospitals, Democratic senators raising alarms about the legality of Trump’s “TrumpRx” prescription drug platform, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reconsidering all vaccine recommendations amid rising anti-vaccine influence. The hosts also examine the latest Epstein file releases and what they reveal about the growing overlap between wellness influencers, media power, and political hypocrisy. The show also checks back in with Dr. Erin Stevens, an OB-GYN in the Twin Cities and a leading voice speaking out against ICE activity in medical settings. Dr. Stevens shares an on-the-ground update from Minnesota as the ICE surge continues, discusses how fear is keeping pregnant patients from critical care, and calls on hospital systems and professional organizations to more forcefully defend patients and providers. Background reading: * AP: ICE claim that a man shattered his skull running into wall triggers tension at a Minnesota hospital * The 19th: Fear of ICE is keeping pregnant immigrants in Minnesota from critical care * Verite News: A pregnant mother in ICE detention says she’s bleeding — and hasn’t seen a doctor in weeks * KFF Health News: ‘I Can’t Tell You’: Attorneys, Relatives Struggle To Find Hospitalized ICE Detainees * Democratic Congressional leaders’ letter listing their ten “guardrails” for ICE * TrumpRx website * Sign the Committee’s open letter calling for legislation to restore hospitals as sensitive locations, free from the presence of ICE and other federal agents → ProtectMed.org/ICEoutofHospitals * MedPage Today: TrumpRx May Not Be Legal in Its Current Form, Senators Contend * STAT: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog * PharmaVoice: Why TrumpRx is stumbling before it gets off the ground * The Guardian: US committee is reconsidering all vaccine recommendations * The Hill: Trump says latest release of Epstein files ‘absolves’ him * Peter Attia’s “apology”on X * The Atlantic: The Longevity Influencer Who Went Into ‘Withdrawal’ Without Jeffrey Epstein * The Cut: The Celebrity Doctor in the Epstein Files (non-paywalled version is HERE) * Variety: CBS News Contributor Peter Attia Under Fire After Latest Epstein File Disclosures * The Daily Beast: CBS News’ Star Hire Hung With Epstein as Baby Son Fought for Life * The Guardian: A ‘wellness bro’, a cosmologist and an RFK Jr crony: meet Bari Weiss’s new CBS News contributors * Los Angeles Times: Longevity guru Peter Attia keeps CBS News role despite showing up in Epstein files Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at feedback@pagingamerica.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe