WASHINGTON ― On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump expressed his view that Congress should do away with the debt ceiling, showing support for a proposal that some Democrats favor. This statement came just hours after Trump criticized a bipartisan agreement that aimed to fund the government and prevent a looming shutdown as the year draws to a close.

In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump remarked that eliminating the debt ceiling would be the “smartest thing Congress could do,” stating, “I would fully support that.”

The debt ceiling sets a limit on how much the federal government is permitted to borrow, and it had not been considered in the discussions regarding a temporary spending bill prior to Friday’s midnight deadline, which is crucial for keeping various government operations running.

“Democrats have expressed a desire to abolish it. If they want it gone, I will lead the effort,” Trump told NBC, labeling the debt ceiling as a “meaningless” idea. He added, “It holds no real significance, except for its psychological impact.”

Trump escalated his comments regarding the debt ceiling in an interview with ABC News, declaring that “there will be no approvals unless the debt ceiling is resolved.”

The debt ceiling was most recently increased in June 2023, when Congress suspended it until January 2, 2025, to avert a disastrous default on national debt. This decision followed contentious negotiations between President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was later removed from his position due to criticism from his fellow Republicans over compromises he made during those discussions.

The Treasury Department can implement what are known as “extraordinary measures” to postpone a non-binding debt limit and give Congress additional time to deal with the issue.

A bipartisan agreement forged early in the week between House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrats, aiming to fund the government until mid-March, collapsed on Wednesday after Trump’s opposition and tech mogul Elon Musk criticized the legislation on social media.

Republicans have shown resistance to various additional items in the 1,500-page bill, which includes salary increases for Congress members, $100 billion in emergency aid, and $21 billion designated for farmers facing crop or livestock challenges.

Before these latest comments about removing the debt ceiling, Trump had initially urged Republicans to advance a spending bill devoid of “Democrat giveaways,” while also proposing an increase in the debt ceiling while Biden remained in office.

In a post shared on Truth Social Wednesday evening, Trump warned that any Republican representative who backs a continuing resolution without a debt ceiling increase would face a “primary challenge.” He asserted that the “debt limit mess” needs addressing during Biden’s remaining time in office, rather than dragging it into his own presidency.

Addressing reporters on Thursday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., commented that discussions surrounding the debt ceiling are “premature at best.” Democrats have urged Republicans to adhere to the previously reached bipartisan funding agreement.

However, at least one House Democrat quickly supported Trump’s proposal to entirely eliminate the debt ceiling.

“For years, I’ve encouraged my colleagues to permanently abolish the debt ceiling, which has never effectively reduced our national debt,” Representative Don Beyer, D-Va., stated in a post on X, referencing past legislation he co-sponsored aiming to achieve this goal. “Let’s put an end to the debt limit once and for all.”