Debt ceiling could be Trump-DeSantis battleground.

DeSantis and Trump Clash Over Debt Ceiling Agreement

The tentative debt ceiling agreement House Republicans struck with the White House has become a live issue on which Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R.) and former president Donald Trump are likely to clash, offering contrasting visions. This is one of the first issues on which the two candidates will differ, turning the already contentious debt battle into a political battleground.

DeSantis and his allies say the deal, which was announced late Saturday, does little to address the nation’s debt crisis. DeSantis, in a Monday interview with Fox News, called it “wholly inadequate” and said that “after this deal our country will still be careening toward bankruptcy.” Trump, who initially urged Republicans to use the threat of default as a bargaining chip, has been uncharacteristically silent on the deal. But his allies have praised the deal as a way to cut Democratic spending initiatives.

Sticking Points Between Trump and DeSantis Campaigns

The debt agreement is the latest sticking point between the Trump and DeSantis campaigns, which have been clashing in the days since the latter launched. Trump has repeatedly lashed out at DeSantis, while the Florida governor has pitched himself as a more electable alternative to the former president. Should Trump come out in favor of the agreement, it would bolster DeSantis’s efforts to appeal to conservatives. The governor has already positioned himself to Trump’s right on issues like abortion and the president’s handling of the coronavirus.

DeSantis indirectly attacked Trump on the latter issue during his Fox interview, saying that the March 2020 COVID-19 stimulus package put the nation “on a trajectory” to bankruptcy.

Republicans Notch Modest Victories

Republicans notched modest victories with the debt ceiling agreement, which will cap federal spending next year and slow spending growth through 2025 in exchange for a two-year debt ceiling hike. The bill would also cut IRS funding and impose minor adjustments to work requirements for welfare. Those provisions were far from House Republicans’ initial demands, which included a decade of spending caps, a complete rollback of the Inflation Reduction Act’s IRS funding boost, and stringent work requirements for social assistance programs.

But some of Trump’s most outspoken congressional boosters, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.)  and Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.), applauded it as evidence that Republicans have kept their promise to rein in Democratic spending. Greene and others took the view that future budget negotiations will provide opportunities to shrink the federal budget.

Grassroots Discontent

There is also evidence of grassroots discontent over the debt ceiling bill, something the DeSantis campaign hopes to capitalize on as their candidate trails in the polls. Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts blasted it Monday evening as a missed opportunity for Republicans.

“Overall, this agreement would continue America’s trajectory towards economic destruction and expanded federal control,” Roberts said in a statement. “House Republicans must go back to the negotiating table and demand more concessions from the Biden administration.”

Even with Republican opposition, many expect Congress to pass the bill before the “X date” of June 5, when the United States runs out of borrowing capacity.

Update 2:00 p.m.: This piece has been updated to include a statement from former vice president Mike Pence.

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