Biden Falsely Claims RNC Chair Said U.S. Default 'Bodes Well' for GOP

President Joe Biden falsely claimed on Thursday that Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel had said a U.S. default on the debt ceiling would “bode very well” for the GOP come 2024.

Speaking to Fox News host Martha MacCallum on Wednesday, McDaniel had been asked to comment on a Quinnipiac poll about the current Republican presidential candidates.

“This can be anybody’s race,” MacCallum said. “But the former president is clearly in a significant lead position right now, Ronna. What would you say to voters as they look at the numbers on the screen right now?”

“I think it is early,” McDaniel said. “We have to look at Biden’s numbers and that’s where Republicans should be paying attention to his low approval. This is not a president that the American people feel is doing a good job on their behalf.”

McDaniel then went on to explain how Republicans had tried to negotiate with the Biden administration on the debt ceiling and appeared to blame him for a potential default if the two sides could not come to a deal. She also pointed out some of the president’s core issues, from the fentanyl crisis to the border crisis, and said that the Republicans stand to “bode very well” given the president’s poor popularity due to the many issues she cited.

“The vast majority of Americans feel like we’re not heading in the right track. And then you look at this debt ceiling crisis. You look at us about to default, and you see that president took 90 days out from negotiating. He refused to come to the table with Republicans,” she said. “Republicans have put a plan on the table and this is an MIA president when it comes to problems that the American people are facing — whether it’s energy independence, whether it’s fentanyl, whether it’s a broken border, whether it’s crime surging in our streets.”

“This is a president that is failing the American people. So I think that bodes very well for the Republican field,” she added.

In a Twitter post, the president made it seem as if Ronna McDaniel had said a default on the U.S. debt would mean political opportunity for Republicans.

“Defaulting on the debt—including trillions incurred under Donald Trump—could mean seniors missing Social Security checks and millions of jobs lost. It sounds like the head of the Republican Party thinks that’s a price worth paying to elect Republicans,” he wrote.

As Breitbart News reported on Thursday, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy held the line in negotiating with the White House and Democrats on raising the debt ceiling, demanding caps on spending and work requirements for social safety programs.

“The White House attempted to float a freeze on spending at current levels per sources involved in the negotiations, but McCarthy rebuffed the administration’s proposal and is holding out seeking actual cuts to spending levels,” noted the report.

“While sources involved say they are unsure at this time exactly how much spending will be cut, some say it could be into the tens of or hundreds of billions of dollars of spending cuts, combined with caps on future years of discretionary non-military spending,” it added.

McCarthy has also reportedly insisted on cuts for President Joe Biden’s plans to bring on thousands of new IRS agents in his “Inflation Reduction Act.” Republicans have long expressed fear that such agents would not be used to extract more revenue from multi-millionaires and billionaires but to nickel-and-dime the middle class.

“We know where our differences lie. We worked well into past midnight last night. We’re back at it today trying to get to the conclusion,” McCarthy told reporters. “We need to have an agreement that is worthy of the American public.”

Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.