Donald Trump

Mike Pence: Trump White House ‘Could Have Done a Better Job of Controlling Spending'

The former vice president's comments to NBC News came as President Joe Biden and congressional leaders met about the impending possibility of default.

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday that he and then-President Donald Trump "could have done a better job" keeping the federal debt in check.

"The trillions of dollars that we appropriated for families and businesses and health care in this country during Covid — it's what government's for during a time of national emergency," Pence said. "But let me stipulate ... we could have done a better job of controlling spending under our administration."

His assessment, delivered in an exclusive interview, came at the same time President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., clashed in face-to-face negotiations over how to avoid a federal default.

Much as Pence acknowledged the Trump administration's role in accumulating debt, he criticized Biden for "runaway federal spending" in his two-plus years in office and said it is up to the president to strike a deal that averts an economic crisis.

"I think it’s incumbent on President Biden to sit down today in good faith and find a way forward that will hold the full faith and credit of the United States," Pence said.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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