Fox News Host Confronts Republican on 'Risky Posturing' in Debt Limit Fight

Representative Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, was asked by a Fox News host on Sunday about the GOP's risky tactics in the ongoing fight over the country's debt ceiling.

Republicans and Democrats are currently engaged in a heated back-and-forth over the country's budget, with the GOP refusing to agree to raise the debt ceiling without cuts to government spending. President Joe Biden has stated that he is open to discussions with Republicans over budget cuts, but will not negotiate over the debt ceiling.

"I will not let anyone use the full faith and credit of the United States as a bargaining chip," Biden said in January.

Without raising the country's limit, the United States would end up defaulting on some of its debts, a move that experts have said would cause catastrophic ripples throughout the global economy. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently estimated that the U.S. could enter default as soon as June 1, giving lawmakers a slim window of time to make a deal.

Donalds, who represents Florida's 19th Congressional District, was asked by host Shannon Bream about the debt ceiling fight during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. In posing the question about Republicans potentially jeopardizing the U.S. financial standing worldwide, Bream cited a recent New York Times opinion column in which former GOP congressional aide Mike Lofgren called the party's approach to the debt ceiling "risky posturing" that could negatively impact the country's standard of living.

In response, Donalds declined to say whether he believes the U.S. should be allowed to default on its debts for the first time in history. He did, however, say that the fault in the matter lies with Biden, not congressional Republicans.

"If Joe Biden brings nothing to the table, if all he does is sit there with his hands in his pockets and not understanding what he has done and a way to actually negotiate, then he is the one leading our nation into default and it's a very sad thing to see," the congressman said.

In April, the GOP-majority House passed a plan that would raise the debt ceiling, but as it was crafted, it would be unlikely to pass the Democrat-majority Senate or gain the approval of Biden.

On Friday evening, the president himself accused the plan of calling for cuts to "veterans' benefits, education, health care, and more," and said that "MAGA Republicans" are leading the country into a "manufactured crisis."

Newsweek reached out to the White House press office via email for comment.