Advocates for using debt ceiling as leverage: "I would not raise it"

Weighing in on the debt ceiling crisis, Trump urged Republicans to use the limit as leverage to force spending cuts, stating, "I would not raise the debt limit until Obama-era spending is brought under control." He dismissed warnings of default as "scare tactics," arguing that a short-term default would be preferable to continued spending. His comments foreshadowed his later willingness to use government shutdowns and fiscal brinkmanship as political tools.

"I would not raise the debt limit until Obama-era spending is brought under control." — Interview on Fox News