Don't Fall for Republicans' Federal Debt Con
Long before Trump's 'big beautiful bill,' Republicans proved they don't really care about the budget deficit.
Long before Donald Trump began fooling American voters, Republicans developed their own con game on the federal debt. It takes center stage again this month.
The con consists of two steps.
The first: Republicans issue loud protests against a federal budget awash in red ink, warning of catastrophic bankruptcy.
The second: Republicans increase the debt even further.
They’ve run this political play for more than 40 years. And they don’t think it has passed its expiration date yet.
House Speaker Mike Johnson calls the debt “the number one threat to our nation,” bigger than Russia or China. “It is a time bomb,” says Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Both are now working to advance the “big beautiful bill” Trump demands for his economic agenda. It would extend the tax cuts an earlier Republican Congress passed during Trump’s first presidency, and add costly new breaks on income from tips and Social Security that the president promised during his 2024 campaign.
Will Congress also pass spending reductions to offset the loss of trillions in government revenue, and begin defusing that ticking time bomb?