Hillary Clinton Slams MAGA For Forcing “Catastrophe”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fired a shot this morning at “MAGA Republicans” who she says are “trying to tank the economy.” Clinton is addressing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy‘s threat to fail to raise the U.S. debt ceiling — unless the Biden White House gives in to a series of demands that the MAGA GOP presented in McCarthy’s ‘Limit, Save, Grow’ bill.

If MAGA Republicans force a default, the catastrophe consequences for our economy could include:

🚨6 million jobs lost
🚨The unemployment rate surging to over 7%
🚨Plummeting stock prices, threatening millions of Americans' retirement savings pic.twitter.com/ehbTtIcRtt

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 16, 2023

The Biden negotiating position — identical to Donald Trump‘s negotiating position (see video below) when he was in office — is that the debt ceiling should never be used as a “negotiating wedge.” McCarthy, possessing the opposite view, is tying budget requests (future spending) to a debt limit raise (past spending/money owed) as part of a gamesmanship power play.

Even Trump — when he was president — agreed with his congressional rivals Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer that McCarthy’s position is wrong.

President Trump on the debt ceiling: "I said, I remember, to Sen. Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, 'Would anyone ever use that to negotiate with?' They said 'absolutely not.' That's a sacred element of our country. They can't use the debt ceiling to negotiate." pic.twitter.com/WvI6j4nqMQ

— The Hill (@thehill) July 19, 2019

Clinton writes that “if MAGA Republicans force a default,” the “catastrophe consequences” for the economy could include over “six million lost jobs” and “plummeting stock prices” that would crater 401K plans across the nation. Clinton forwards a graphic that says 3 million jobs are at stake and then doubles the number to 6 million in her caption.

McCarthy, if his recent tweets are an indication, is prepared to walk right up to the line on the debt ceiling, even if his constituents are among those who will suffer the broad consequences.

Budgetary concessions could be offered by the White House to move McCarthy along, but Exxon’s latest profits — doubling to $11.4 billion last quarter — aren’t likely to assuage anxious Democrats who say McCarthy’s bill is “oily” and seems “written by the fossil fuel industry.”