Former President Donald Trump voiced support for a government shutdown if members of Congress can not come to a deal to help mitigate the nation’s $35 trillion debt in a interview with Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“I think if they don’t get a fair deal—we have to save our country. We’re at $35 trillion in debt, we have to save our country,” he said. “I’d shut down the government if they can’t make an appropriate deal, absolutely.”
Ms. Welker had pressed the former president on whether “Republican hardliners should abandon their threat” of a government shutdown now that an impeachment inquiry was on the table. He rejected the idea.
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The record debt led to Congress voting earlier this year to raise the debt ceiling after a months-long stalemate, approving legislation backed by President Joe Biden in order to avoid the nation’s first ever default.
Now Congress faces an appropriations battle, and must approve 11 more major spending bills by Sept. 30. Should members of the House and Senate not come to agreement on any of the 11 bills, the government would technically be forced to shut down. Congress would need to proceed at an average pace of more than one