Is he crazy or just a plain liar?
President Biden stated during a press conference in Hiroshima, Japan, that he would not be at fault if the United States were to default on its debt in the coming days. He made this assertion after Republicans in Congress compelled him to engage in negotiations, despite the White House’s previous stance of refusing to debate the issue. Biden now argues that certain “MAGA Republicans” are intentionally seeking a default in order to destabilize the economy prior to his re-election campaign.
Biden emphasized that he had fulfilled his responsibilities in the negotiations and called for the opposing side to adjust their positions, as he found some of their proposals unacceptable. This led to a follow-up question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy at the end of the press conference.
Doocy inquired, “Mr. President, you have already stated that you’ve done your part regarding the debt limit. Do you believe that if a breach occurs, you cannot be held responsible?”
Biden humorously responded, “Of course, no one will hold me accountable. I know you won’t. You’ll probably say Biden did an excellent job.”
Doocy further pressed, “Would you bear no responsibility in the event of a default?”
“On the basis of what I have offered, I would be free from blame,” replied Biden. “However, from a political standpoint, no one would escape blame. I must note that there are some individuals, particularly MAGA Republicans in the House, who understand the detrimental impact it would have on the economy. Since I am the president, and presidents are held accountable for everything, Biden would undoubtedly face blame. And that’s one way to ensure that Biden is not re-elected.”
Biden also asserted that he possessed the authority to unilaterally raise the debt limit by invoking the 14th Amendment. However, legal experts have expressed doubts about the validity of this argument in court.
Acknowledging the potential legal dispute, Biden mentioned that the appeals process would significantly delay a final decision, extending beyond the default date.
A GOP source confirmed to Fox News on Friday that negotiations had hit an impasse due to significant differences between the two sides. The source indicated that there was a lack of progress concerning Republican objectives to reduce spending on the “discretionary” side of the budget, which pertains to the portion of expenditure controlled by Congress through the annual appropriations process.