Politico reports Republicans are weighing a preemptive increase in the US debt
ceiling to avoid a fiscal cliff during a possible Trump term. Republicans raised
the ceiling by $5 trillion last year; White House officials have privately
floated lifting the limit to $41.1 trillion within party-line spending bills
many GOP members want passed before the November midterms. An independent
forecaster projects the X-day—the final deadline to avoid US default—between
next summer and early 2028, which would overlap the start of the presidential
primary season. The proposal could limit near-term default risk for Trump if
Republicans lose control of either chamber, though Democrats would still press
for concessions in any bipartisan deal; total public debt is about $39.7
trillion.
