Former President Donald Trump recently suggested that Republican lawmakers should allow the United States to default on its debt if Democrats don’t agree to significant spending cuts. Trump’s comments come amid an ongoing debate over the debt ceiling, which has significant implications for the US economy and financial markets.

In a recent town hall event, Trump advised Republicans to consider default as a strategy to force Democrats to cave in on spending cuts. He argued that the current state of spending is unsustainable and that drastic measures are needed to save the country from financial ruin. Trump’s comments could potentially influence GOP supporters in Congress to take a firmer stance against raising the debt limit without corresponding spending reductions.

The US is projected to run out of cash to pay its bills in just a few weeks unless Congress addresses the debt ceiling. Since January, the US government has taken extraordinary measures to avoid default. A default could wreak havoc on markets and result in millions of job losses, analysts and economists warn. It is worth noting that Republicans voted to raise the debt ceiling three times during Trump’s presidency.

President Joe Biden has stated he won’t negotiate over raising the debt limit, although he is open to discussing ways to reduce spending in a separate context. Biden and the top four congressional leaders, including Trump supporter House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, will meet again to discuss the debt ceiling on Friday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the US government could hit the debt limit as soon as June 1.

Entrepreneurs and investors should closely follow the ongoing debate over the debt ceiling, as it could have significant consequences for the US economy and financial markets. While Trump’s comments are likely to shape the GOP’s stance on the issue, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming weeks.