‘Deadbeats’ Don’t Pay Debts, Says Trump Fed Pick Held in Contempt for Not Paying Debts

Conservatives have been none too pleased with President Biden’s move on Wednesday to cancel $10,000 in student debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 a year and $20,000 for Pell grant recipients. Stephen Moore, a right-wing economist former President Trump tapped for a spot on the Federal Reserve, joined the chorus on Thursday night during an appearance on Hannity.

“This isn’t what America is about,” he said of the plan to ease the financial burden on millions. “You play by the rules, and you get rewarded. If you’re not paying your debts, you’re a deadbeat.”

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Moore shouldn’t be one to criticize those who don’t pay debts.

The Trump-loving economist and Heritage Foundation fellow was held in contempt of court in 2012 for failing to pay more than $300,000 in child support and alimony to his ex-wife. Moore’s steadfast refusal to pay his debts prompted a court order to sell his houses to satisfy them. Police even went to his home to change the locks, according to court documents, leading Moore to, finally, forked over the bulk of the money he owed his ex-wife and settle the dispute.

The Guardian reported on Moore’s alimony troubles days after Trump nominated him to serve on the board of the Federal Reserve in 2019. The outlet reported the same week that Moore also owed $75,000 in taxes, according to a claim filed by the IRS a year earlier.

Moore’s financial woes were only part of the reason his nomination was criticized. Moore has defended Robert E. Lee, said men must “be the breadwinner” in households, and argued that the lower and middle classes should be paying more in taxes. He’s also been flat wrong about a host of economic issues.

Trump ultimately withdrew the nomination, but Moore has continued to have a home prognosticating across right-wing media, including Fox News’ primetime lineup.

Moore’s comments on Thursday night add to a glut of conservative hypocrisy over Biden’s loan relief plan. Republican politicians have complained incessantly that American taxpayers shouldn’t have to help pay off the debt of college students. The White House on Thursday night posted a devastating Twitter thread highlighting several such GOP politicians who had their own Covid relief loans forgiven at the expense of — you guessed it — the American taxpayer.

The GOP’s attempts to disparage Biden ahead of the midterms haven’t been going so well. Gallup revealed on Thursday that the president’s approval climbed six points in August to 44 percent, its highest point in a year.

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