Rival Slams Senator’s ‘We’re All Going to Die’ Remarks

Iowa’s political scene erupted Tuesday after Paralympic basketball champion and state representative Josh Turek launched a fiery Senate campaign — using Senator Joni Ernst’s own infamous words, “We’re all going to die,” as a weapon against her.

Turek, 45, who was born with spina bifida and endured more than a dozen surgeries before becoming a two-time gold medalist, framed himself as a fighter who never had it easy. “I’ve been an underdog my whole life,” he declared in his campaign launch video. “It was a senator from Iowa who once opened doors for kids like me. Now the senator from Iowa is slamming them shut.”

The video splices footage of Ernst’s May 2024 town hall, where she brushed off concerns about Medicaid cuts after an attendee shouted, “People will die.” Ernst’s deadpan response — “Well, we’re all going to die” — was met with gasps and quickly went viral.

“Taking away healthcare. Making it harder for parents to feed their kids. All for billionaires’ tax breaks,” Turek said in the ad. “And her excuse? ‘We’re all going to die.’”

I was born an underdog. 21 surgeries by the age of 12 for spina bifida. A kid wearing goodwill hand-me-downs. I knew nothing would come easy, but I never doubted my right to the American dream.

Now, I'm running for the U.S. Senate to make sure all Iowans have a shot at theirs. pic.twitter.com/G7j4zYFErW

— Josh Turek (@turek4iowa) August 12, 2025

Ernst, now in her second term and a vocal ally of President Donald Trump, doubled down after the backlash, posting a sarcastic “apology” on social media. Critics say the remark crystallized what they see as her callousness toward working-class Iowans.

Turek isn’t just another politician — he’s a Paralympic legend. The Council Bluffs native led Team USA to gold in both the 2020 and 2024 Games, earning a reputation as a relentless competitor. His political career began in the Iowa House, where he pushed for expanded disability access and fought Republican-led rollbacks to Medicaid under Trump’s first term.

In his campaign press release, Turek accused Ernst of abandoning the very people she once vowed to protect. “She went to Washington and forgot about fighting for us,” he said. “I’m running for Senate to stick up for Iowans, not billionaires.”

Political analysts say Turek’s entry could energize Democrats in a state Trump carried twice and where Republicans hold both Senate seats. Ernst’s approval ratings have slipped since the “we’re all going to die” remark, though she remains a formidable fundraiser.

Whether Turek can translate his Paralympic fame into a statewide political victory remains to be seen — but his opening salvo has already landed.

“This race,” said Iowa State University political science professor Henry Caldwell, “just went from predictable to explosive.”