President-elect Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Wednesday to denounce the omnibus spending deal and demand that any agreement include either a termination or a significant extension of the debt ceiling.
The debt ceiling, which determines the government’s ability to borrow to meet its financial obligations, was extended to 2025 last year after contentious negotiations between then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and the Biden administration.
At the time, some Republicans opposed raising it altogether, despite the risk of a U.S. default. Now, Trump claims Democrats timed the debt ceiling extension as a political “trap” to undermine him in his next term.
“Sounds like the ridiculous and extraordinarily expensive Continuing Resolution, PLUS, is dying fast, but can anyone imagine passing it without either terminating or extending, the Debt Ceiling guillotine coming up in June?” Trump wrote.
Doubling down on his stance, he added: “Unless the Democrats terminate or substantially extend Debt Ceiling now, I will fight ‘till the end. This is a nasty TRAP set in place by the Radical Left Democrats! They are looking to embarrass us in June when it comes up for a Vote.
The people that extended it, from September 28th to June 1st, should be ashamed of themselves. It was political malpractice!” Trump’s post escalated further as he criticized specific elements of the spending deal, including what he called the “Communist Global Engagement Center,” a program he linked to Hillary Clinton.
He also took aim at the “very corrupt J6 Unselect Committee,” referring to the House committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol riot. “The Communist Global Engagement Center, a project of Crooked Hillary Clinton, should not in any way, shape, or form be extended,” Trump wrote.
“And the shielding of the very corrupt J6 Unselect Committee of Political Losers and Thugs would be suicidal for any Republican approving it. Likewise, this is not a good time for Congress to be asking for pay increases. Hopefully, you’ll be entitled to such an increase in the near future when we, ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’”
Adding to the turmoil, Trump’s close ally, tech billionaire Elon Musk, threw GOP negotiations into disarray by opposing the spending resolution and threatening primary challenges against Republicans who back it. Musk’s influence has left the deal hanging in the balance, complicating Republican leadership’s ability to secure a path forward.
Trump’s aggressive stance highlights the deep divisions within the GOP as lawmakers scramble to address both the spending deal and the looming debt ceiling crisis.