Biden claims he’s ‘blameless’ if US defaults on debt

President Biden declared himself free of any blame should the country default on its debt, shifting the responsibility on “MAGA Republicans” and claiming they have derailed negotiations.

Discussing the infighting over the debt ceiling during a news conference in Hiroshima, Japan, Biden claimed far-right Republicans are hoping to cause a default and weaken the US economy ahead of his 2024 re-election campaign.

“I’ve done my part,” Biden said of negotiations with Republicans after months of insisting there would be no debate over the debt ceiling. “It’s time for the other side to move their team positions because much of what they were proposed is simply quite frankly, unacceptable.”

When asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy if the president is “blameless” should America default on its debt, Biden agreed.

“Of course no one will blame me, I know you won’t,” he joked. “You’ll be saying, ‘Biden did a wonderful job.’

“On the merits, based on what I’ve offered, I would be blameless,” Biden added.

The president, however, said that the politics behind the negotiations means that no one would really come out “blameless,” claiming that MAGA Republicans would use it to hurt his image.

“I think there are some MAGA Republicans in the House who know the damage that it would do to the economy and because I am president, and presidents are responsible for everything, ‘Biden would take the blame,’” he said. “‘And that’s the one way to make sure Biden’s not re-elected.’”

The potential plunging of the US economy has plagued much of Biden’s trip to Japan during the G-7 economic summit, where he told a reporter on Saturday to “shush up” when pressed on the matter.

Despite the president’s insistence that he will broker a deal between Republicans and Democrats over the debt ceiling, negotiations remain deadlocked.

Among the stalled negotiations, Republicans have called for more spending cuts on the US budget, which Democrats fear would be harmful to Americans.

Meanwhile, Democrats are calling for greater tax hikes on the wealthy, which Republicans oppose.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy blamed “the Bernie Sanderses and the socialist wing” of the Democratic Party for the impasse – which, he said, would remain until Biden’s return from Japan.

Biden and McCarthy have just days to strike a deal to raise the debt ceiling, the government’s borrowing limit. The Treasury Department has warned that it will run out of funds to pay incurred debt – currently at $31 trillion – on June 1.