Mick Mulvaney told CNBC’s John Harwood Wednesday that President Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate the national debt in eight years was “hyperbole.”
“It’s fairly safe to assume that was hyperbole,” the Office of Management and Budget director reportedly explained to Harwood. “I’m not going to be able to pay off $20 trillion worth of debt in four years. I’d be being dishonest with you if I said I could.”
“The reason the president doesn’t want to change some of the mandatory spending is because the public’s not ready for it yet.”
Later in the interview, Mulvaney said “raising the debt ceiling” will help “solve and resolve some of our debt problems.”
“That means entitlement reform, right?” Harwood pressed, prompting Mulvaney to respond, “it may.”
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