In the ongoing debt ceiling crisis, President Joe Biden’s White House aides are engaging in an entitled and ungrateful complaint campaign against the mainstream media’s coverage of the situation. They believe that the press corps is mishandling the coverage by failing to highlight the Republicans’ use of the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip for policy concessions. The White House officials are frustrated that reporters are not calling out House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for treating the debt ceiling negotiations as a compromise, and they claim that raising the debt limit does not equate to authorizing new spending.
However, the White House’s claim that they have never attempted to bully lawmakers and that their policies are solely for the sake of policy is laughable. The American people elected Republicans to the House in the 2022 midterms based on their promise to rein in spending. McCarthy and House Republicans are simply fulfilling their commitment and doing what they said they would do.
The mainstream media’s coverage of the debt ceiling issue has also been complicated by the contradictory statements made by Karine Jean-Pierre. The White House’s complaints ignore the historical context of debt ceiling increases. Previous increases were often accompanied by spending cuts that had the support of a majority of Americans.
Perhaps the White House is concerned because recent polls have shown Biden’s approval ratings reaching new lows, even among Democrats and independents. Many Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track despite the Democrats’ control of Washington politics.
Instead of complaining, the West Wing aides should appreciate the role the mainstream media played in getting them their jobs. It was the mainstream media that helped propel Joe Biden to the White House by downplaying the controversies surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop, providing minimal scrutiny during his basement campaign, and running numerous stories, regardless of credibility, to undermine Donald Trump.
