Former President Trump called on Republican lawmakers to refuse to raise the debt ceiling so that the US government could default, if Democrats do not make concessions.
"We have to start paying down the debt. I want to tell the Republican congressmen and senators that if the Democrats don't agree to cut spending drastically, you need to default on the debt," former US President Donald Trump said in an interview with CNN on May 10 in New Hampshire.
According to Mr. Trump, the Democrats will eventually have to give in because they do not want that scenario to happen. "But it is still better than what we are doing right now, America is spending like drunken sailors," Mr. Trump said.
Host Kaitlan Collins asked Trump to clarify his comments, asking if the former president thought the US should default on its debt if the White House did not accept the spending cuts proposed by Republicans.
"If we don't do it now, we'll do it later, because we need to save our country. Our country is being destroyed by very unwise people," Mr. Trump added.
Former US President Donald Trump at an interview with CNN in Manchester, New Hampshire on May 10. Photo: CNN
The US hit its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling set by Congress in January, forcing the Treasury Department to take extraordinary measures to keep the government running. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently warned that the US could default on its debt on June 1 if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling.
Raising the debt ceiling, or the limit on how much the government can borrow to pay for its expenses, is a regular occurrence. Republicans, who took control of the House of Representatives after the 2022 midterm elections, have said they will only agree to raise the debt ceiling if it is accompanied by major cuts to government spending.
The spending cuts Republicans are pushing would slash health care funding for the poor and other items, including tax incentives for solar and other green energy sources.
A meeting between President Joe Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and several bipartisan members at the White House on May 9 failed to produce a breakthrough. The parties are scheduled to continue negotiating on the issue on May 12.
Nhu Tam (According to AFP, CNN )
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