In a rare moment of agreement across the political aisle, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) publicly acknowledged on Thursday that President Donald Trump is right about one major issue: the United States should abolish the debt ceiling.
In a striking op-ed published in The New York Times, Warren opened with an admission that caught many by surprise: “It is possible that hell has frozen over,” she wrote, referring to her unexpected alignment with Trump on fiscal policy.
Warren, a longtime critic of the debt ceiling, argues the borrowing limit serves no useful economic purpose and is instead a weaponized political tool. The debt ceiling, currently reinstated at $36.1 trillion after a suspension in June 2023, caps the amount of money the federal government can borrow to fulfill legal obligations like Social Security payments, Medicare benefits, military salaries, and interest on the national debt.
“It serves no other function. None,” Warren wrote. “It has no impact on spending, and it doesn’t restrain the growth of the national debt.” She contends the debt limit has become a way for minority parties in Congress to create crises and extract concessions, rather than serving any fiscal responsibility.
Warren noted she has long advocated for both Democrats and Republicans to come together and eliminate the limit permanently, though with little success—until now, perhaps. “Now, with Mr. Trump’s support, our country could finally get rid of this form of brinkmanship that has, for decades, threatened the stability of our economy,” she wrote optimistically.
In a phone interview last December, Trump stated that the debt ceiling “should be thrown out entirely.” Warren, quoting his words in her op-ed, emphasized that she agreed then—and still agrees now. “Now,” Warren added, “we have a chance to make a permanent change that benefits our nation.” She also took aim at her Republican colleagues, urging them to reconsider their stance and prioritize economic stability over political leverage.
“Republicans in Congress can set aside their big, beautiful billionaire budget while lawmakers of both parties can come together to do what Mr. Trump urged last week,” she wrote, “to recognize that the debt limit is ‘too devastating to be put in the hands of political people that may want to use it despite the horrendous effect it could have on our country.'”
With both Warren and Trump unexpectedly aligned, momentum may be building for a long-debated change to how the U.S. manages its fiscal obligations. Whether Congress takes action remains to be seen.