Trump Urges Republicans to Get Spending Cuts or Push US Default

(Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to either extract concessions from President Joe Biden to reduce spending or push the US into its first-ever default in a Wednesday interview with CNN.

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“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,” Trump said.

“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,” he added. “But it’s better than what we’re doing right now because we’re spending money like drunken sailors.”

Trump maintains a tight grip on the GOP, with polls showing him as the current frontrunner for the party’s 2024 nomination.

His comments came a day after Biden held a meeting with congressional leaders that by all accounts made little headway toward an agreement on raising the debt ceiling. The president is scheduled to meet again with those leaders on Friday.

Trump made the comments during a New Hampshire town hall on CNN, his first appearance on the network since 2016. The event’s moderator, Kaitlan Collins, asked Trump to clarify his remarks and whether the US should default if Biden didn’t accede to Republican spending cut demands.

“Well you might as well do it now because you’ll do it later because we have to save this country,” Trump said.

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