Where GOP Presidential Hopefuls Stand on the Debt Limit Bill 

While former President Donald Trump remains mum, his rivals for the GOP 2024 presidential nomination are weighing in on — and for the most part, bashing — the debt limit deal reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Most of the former president’s announced and unannounced challengers have voiced their opposition to the deal. The centerpiece of the agreement would suspend the debt ceiling through the end of 2024, which caps the amount of money that the government would be allowed to borrow. 

“Presidential primaries are flanking maneuvers, and in today’s GOP they are won by achieving distance from Washington,” said Brad Todd, a GOP strategist. “So it’s only natural that people running for president would come out against it.” 

“But chances are they’d all have negotiated a worse deal than McCarthy has, and at least in President Trump’s case, he already did,” he continued, referring to the budget deal that was cut in 2018. 

From accepting default as a potential negotiating tactic to criticizing the country’s massive deficit, the reactions were far and wide from the Republican presidential candidates. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: We’re “Careening Towards Bankruptcy”  

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently formally announced his presidential bid, responded to the deal by criticizing the nation’s spending. 

“Prior to this deal … our country was careening towards bankruptcy. And after this deal, our country will still be careening towards bankruptcy,” DeSantis said on “Fox & Friends” Monday morning. However, it was pointed out by Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, that when DeSantis served in Congress as a Florida House member, he too, voted to raise the debt ceiling. 

“It’s said that you campaign in poetry, and you govern in prose. Man alive, are those comments proof of that,” Johnson said, specifically noting: “Ron DeSantis, he has voted for debt ceiling increases in the past when he’s in the House,” Johnson said. 

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott: Praise for McCarthy, Criticism for the Deal 

Appearing at an Axios live event Wednesday morning, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott – the only candidate in Congress and therefore has a vote on the matter – gave props to McCarthy for bringing Biden to the negotiating table but said he would vote against the deal. 

“The question I asked myself is at the end of the negotiation, is it in our best interest as a nation to allow Joe Biden, someone we cannot trust on spending, to have an open checkbook, no limit on the credit card until the end of his term? My answer is no,” Scott said. So the fact that the current deal allows for him to continue to spend however much he does with no limit is something that I can't support.” 

Former President Donald Trump: Maybe Just Default? 

The former president hasn’t weighed in since a deal was struck between Biden and McCarthy, but his most recent comments came at a CNN Town Hall on May 10, where he advised Republicans to default on the debt if Democrats didn’t promise massive cuts. 

“I don’t believe they’re going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave, will absolutely cave because you don’t want to have that happen. But it’s better than what we’re doing right now because we’re spending money like drunken sailors,” Trump said at the time. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence: The Deal Weakens the Military 

Although former Vice President Mike Pence has yet to formally announce his White House bid, The Messenger exclusively reported on Wednesday that the former Indiana governor is set to launch his campaign in the next two weeks. 

In a statement released by his political advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, Pence said the deal "doesn’t just kick the can down the road, it uses Washington smoke and mirror games to make small reforms while weakening our military at a time of increasing threats from foreign adversaries.” Though defense spending is still getting a bump, some Republicans are wary of military spending caps that are part of the deal.

“By ignoring the drivers of our national debt and avoiding honest conversations with the American people, President Biden and the Washington establishment continue to pile the burden of debt onto the backs of our grandchildren, and the American people deserve better,” his statement continued. 

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley: The Problem Is the Same-Old Politicians 

In a press release, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s campaign criticized the debt limit increase that DeSantis voted for and that Trump signed into law in 2018 after a lengthy government shutdown. 

“The best way to fix Washington’s spending addiction is to elect people who have not been part of the problem,” she said in a statement. “Adding at least $4 trillion to America’s $31 trillion national debt over two years without substantially cutting spending is no way to run our country’s fiscal affairs. Business as usual won’t get the job done.”

Vivek Ramaswamy: Won’t Apologize for Opposing the Deal

Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur who is also running for president, said on Twitter he opposes the deal.

“I would vote against the debt ceiling deal,” he Tweeted. “We need to think on the timescales of history, not 2-year election cycles. We should stand for principles, not incrementalism or window-dressing. I won’t apologize for that.” 

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu: Everyone Gets Credit, Everyone Gets Blame

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who has yet to decide on a 2024 bid, celebrated the fact that Biden and McCarthy agreed on a deal and criticized both parties for not setting the issue of the debt ceiling in earlier negotiations. 

“I mean, release the doves, right? Washington actually is moving forward. Both sides seem pretty frustrated, which means it's probably a pretty good deal, actually,” he said. 

“Why didn't the Democrats make different changes when they had the chance to do it? Or why didn't Republicans make certain changes back in '17 and '18 when they—when they had the chance,” he added. “It's like Washington doesn't know how to react until they have to react. So, in terms of what's being negotiated, the food stamps and all of that, those are kind of small pieces.” 

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson: “It’s Not Perfect”

On Fox Tuesday morning, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the bipartisan debt limit deal was the “result of compromise and having to work with this President who refused to negotiate for 90 days.” He didn’t say directly whether he supported the deal, but his tone was laudatory. 

“Thank God Kevin McCarthy is raising the issue of getting a control on the federal spending,” said Hutchinson. “Sure, we’d like to see more, but thank goodness he fought that battle. So it’s not perfect, but we need to get this issue resolved for controlling spending in the future.”

And on MSNBC Sunday, Hutchinson had praise for McCarthy. 

“McCarthy has done an excellent job shepherding this for the Republican majority in Congress, particularly on the work requirement issue,” he said.