Trump: McConnell must use debt limit to crush Biden agenda

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpPence: Supreme Court has chance to right ‘historic wrong’ with abortion ruling Prosecutor says during trial that actor Jussie Smollett staged ‘fake hate crime’ Overnight Defense & National Security — US, Iran return to negotiating table MORE on Tuesday urged Senate Republicans to use the federal debt limit as leverage to defeat President BidenJoe BidenDearborn office of Rep. Debbie Dingell vandalized Pfizer to apply for COVID-19 booster approval for 16- and 17-year-olds: report Coronavirus variant raises fresh concerns for economy MORE’s social services and climate bill.

In a Tuesday statement, Trump berated Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOvernight Defense & National Security — US, Iran return to negotiating table Senate GOP blocks defense bill, throwing it into limbo On The Money — Biden stresses calm amid omicron fears MORE (R-Ky.) and insisted he should prevent Democrats from raising the federal debt ceiling by any means necessary. 

“Old Crow Mitch McConnell, who is getting beaten on every front by the Radical Left Democrats since giving them a two-month delay which allowed them to ‘get their act together,’ must be fully prepared to use the DEBT CEILING in order to totally kill the Democrat’s new Social Spending (Wasting!) Bill, which will change our Country forever,” Trump said.

Trump has fiercely criticized McConnell for weeks after the minority leader cut a deal with Senate Democrats in October to raise the federal debt limit. His latest barb comes after McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerLawmakers take aim at ‘Grinches’ using bots to target consumers during holidays Democratic frustration growing over stagnating voting rights bills Schumer mourns death of ‘amazing’ father MORE (D-N.Y.) have held discussions over another deal to avert a default by the end of the month.

With days until the U.S. was expected to default, McConnell and 10 other GOP senators voted to break a filibuster on a bill to raise the debt ceiling by $480 billion. That vote allowed Democrats to pass the measure along party lines with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Harris.

Trump and several GOP senators have ripped McConnell for blinking after Republicans vowed for months to block any Democratic attempt to raise the federal debt limit. While both parties previously voted against debt ceiling hikes over politics, the Senate GOP’s recent refusal to allow a regular order vote on a debt limit increase is unprecedented.

Trump has also expressed fury with Republicans who backed a bipartisan infrastructure bill under Biden after the former president repeatedly failed to strike such an agreement during his term.

“Mitch and the Republican Senators had them beaten, but didn’t know it, and we ended up with the Unfrastructure Bill, which is only 11% infrastructure. Worse, he allowed a splitting of the Bills (with 19 votes, including himself), which makes…