Trump Blasts The GOP and Kevin McCarthy
President-elect Donald Trump has strongly criticized the House GOP and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for their vote to raise the debt ceiling in 2023, a decision he called one of the “dumbest political decisions” made in recent years. In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his disappointment with the move, emphasizing that while McCarthy is a “good man and a friend,” the debt ceiling hike was a major political blunder.
Trump’s comments referred specifically to the May 2023 vote, which temporarily raised the debt ceiling through January 1, 2025. This decision came after long negotiations between the GOP-led House, the Democrat-controlled Senate, and the Biden administration. The measure passed in a bipartisan vote, with 314 members voting in favor and 117 against. While the vote ensured that the government could meet its financial obligations and avoid default, Trump believes it was unnecessary and politically damaging for Republicans.
Trump argued that the debt ceiling extension was a mistake, stating that “nothing was gained” from the decision, and that Republicans got nothing in return. He also pointed out that the debt ceiling increase should have been a political burden for President Biden, not the GOP. “It was Biden’s problem, not ours. Now it becomes ours,” Trump remarked. He went on to say that the decision played a significant role in McCarthy losing the speakership, criticizing it as a politically costly move.
Trump’s frustrations were also reflected in his warning that Democrats would use the debt ceiling issue as a tool to hurt the Republican Party. He urged Republicans to force the issue onto the Democrats, claiming that they would prefer a “depression” as long as it damaged the GOP. Referring to the Great Depression, he called the situation “1929,” referencing the devastating stock market crash that triggered the economic downturn.
As markets showed signs of distress in December, with the Dow Jones falling by more than 4 percent, Trump’s concerns about fiscal policy and its impact on the economy were only amplified. The Treasury Department, led by Janet Yellen, has already warned that another debt ceiling hike will be necessary in 2025 to prevent a U.S. default. Trump’s statements reflect growing dissatisfaction among conservatives with how the GOP has handled the national debt and its long-term implications for American taxpayers.
In the midst of these ongoing financial concerns, Trump continues to advocate for stronger Republican leadership that holds the Biden administration accountable for fiscal mismanagement, warning that the GOP must not take the blame for an issue that should be squarely in the Democrats’ hands.
