McConnell ‘Should Be Impeached’ If He Backs Debt Ceiling Elimination: Trump

Former President Donald Trump speaks in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 6, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump said that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “should be impeached” if he backs a Democrat-led effort to eliminate the debt ceiling.

The Democrat push comes amid fears by the majority party that Republicans could use the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip if they take the House, as observers expect. However, the effort to eliminate the debt ceiling could only advance with GOP support in the Senate.

If McConnell offers this support, Trump told conservative radio host John Fredericks, Republicans should consider impeaching him.

“It’s crazy what’s happening with this debt ceiling. Mitch McConnell keeps allowing it to happen. I mean, they ought to impeach Mitch McConnell if he allows that,” Trump said. “Frankly, something has to be—they have something on him. How he approves this thing is incredible.”

McConnell’s position on the issue remains unclear.

McConnell’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Debt Ceiling Dispute

The debt ceiling has been a focal point of dispute long before the 117th Congress.

The U.S. Treasury is allowed to borrow money on U.S. credit, but only with the approval of Congress. Because the Treasury regularly reaches this limit, from time to time Congress must approve of further borrowing.

Not raising the debt ceiling would have catastrophic effects—most notably, a default on the part of the United States would strip the U.S. dollar of most of its value. At the same time, limited government Republicans have long warned against the dangers of regularly raising the debt ceiling without making a corollary effort to cut spending and reduce the national debt.

Members of both parties have used the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip.

For instance, Democrats—including then-Sen. Joe Biden—largely voted against raising the debt ceiling during George W. Bush’s presidency over disagreements with the administration’s policies.

In 2011, Republicans forced concessions, including spending cuts, from President Barack Obama through threats to let the debt ceiling lapse.

The issue also has caused headaches for Democrats in the 117th Congress. Last year, a U.S. default was narrowly avoided by an eleventh-hour agreement between McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

New Letter

In an Oct. 31 letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Schumer, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) and 30 other Democrats called for an end to the debt ceiling altogether (pdf).

Boyle’s letter comes as lawmakers batten down for another looming debt ceiling battle.

“If Republicans refuse to support efforts to increase the debt limit or prevent the Senate from filing cloture on debate, the U.S. will enter into default and the full faith and credit of our country will be threatened,” Boyle wrote.

The letter is a renewal of a similar push during the debt ceiling battle in 2021 when 80 Democrats signed onto a letter calling for an elimination of the debt ceiling altogether.

“We are once again calling on leadership to act to avoid default in order to protect the American economy and the financial security of all Americans,” Boyle wrote. “With the 117th Congress coming to a close at the end of 2022, and the makeup of the 118th Congress’ House and Senate not yet known, we urge you to use the remaining months to take legislative action that will permanently undo the threat posed by the debt limit.”

‘Irresponsible’

Still, the calls do not have the support of the White House.

Asked by a reporter if he supported Boyle’s push, Biden called it “irresponsible.”

“You mean, just say we don’t have a debt limit?” Biden said. “No. That would be irresponsible.”

In comments to Punchbowl News, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)—the most likely pick for speaker of the House if Republicans meet expectations and retake the lower chamber—suggested that Republicans would indeed be willing to use the debt ceiling to force Democrats to “change [their] behavior.”

“If people want to make a debt ceiling (for a longer period of time), just like anything else, there comes a point in time where, OK, we’ll provide you more money, but you got to change your current behavior,” McCarthy said.

Despite his opposition to ending the debt ceiling altogether, Biden vowed that he would not yield to potential pressure from the GOP.

“They will crash the economy next year by threatening the full faith and credit of the United States for the first time in our history, putting the United States in default unless we yield to their demand to cut Social Security and Medicare,” Biden said. “Let me be really clear. I will not yield. I will not cut Social Security. I will not cut Medicare, no matter how hard they work at it.”