And this angle points to an even bigger story: how Republicans may already be laying the groundwork to try to destroy a Joe Biden presidency, should he win the election. As of now, Senate Republicans are hostile to supporting a deal even if the White House and House Democrats can reach one. But, given that spending more now would likely boost Trump’s reelection chances, why aren’t Senate Republicans on board? The calculation is probably not just about avoiding the hypocrisy of spending big now and embracing austerity under a Democratic president. But notably, the GOP strategist above also telegraphs a strategy of constraining Biden by suddenly claiming to care deeply about deficits.

Source: Washington Post October 14, 2020 18:03 UTC