Former President Donald Trump on Friday took to Truth Social, his social media platform, and pressed GOP lawmakers to dig in their heels on the current debt limit discussions, just as negotiations with the White House stalled over disagreements, as reported by The Hill.
"Republicans should not make a deal on the debt ceiling unless they get everything they want (Including the 'kitchen sink')," Trump urged on Truth Social. "That's the way the Democrats have always dealt with us. Do not fold!!!"
The former president directed his message as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's, R-Calif., top negotiator, Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., left a meeting in the Capitol with negotiators appointed by President Joe Biden. Graves voiced his frustration that the two sides had failed to make progress this week, and he blamed Democrats as the reason why they didn't.
"We decided to press pause because it's just not productive," Graves told reporters on Friday, saying that the White House negotiators were being "unreasonable."
One day ago, McCarthy told reporters that he saw a "path" forward during talks and that the House could vote on a deal as soon as next week. With negotiations now paused, Trump's emphatic message to Republicans is a call to action that could greatly influence negotiations when or if they resume.
It's not the first time the former president and current presidential candidate has waded into the debt ceiling debate. Earlier this month, he said the U.S. should default on its loans if the White House refuses to agree to GOP spending cuts as a condition for raising the debt ceiling.
"We have to start paying off debt ... I say to the Republicans out there — congressman, senators — if they don't give you massive cuts, you're going to have to do a default, and I don't believe they're going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave, will absolutely cave because you don't want to have that happen, but it's better than what we're doing right now because we're spending money like drunken sailors," Trump said during a CNN town hall event held in New Hampshire.
A default is considered by many economists to be a very risky proposition, however, one that could roil markets, costs jobs and impact the nation's global standing.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that a U.S. default on government debt would leave millions of Americans without income payments, potentially triggering a recession that destroys many American jobs and businesses.
According to the Treasury Department, if lawmakers from both sides are unsuccessful in raising the debt ceiling by June 1, the U.S. could default on its debt.
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