The White House and left-wing Democrats are likely heading for blows after President Biden appeared to close the door on several of their top demands, threatening to splinter the party.

The president used his first town hall in office to pour cold water on the liberals’ calls for $50,000 worth of student loan relief per person and also took a step away from them as he signaled he is open to negotiating a minimum wage hike to a point less than their preferred $15 per hour. His comments put the two long-standing demands from progressive lawmakers and activists in jeopardy.

Biden has backed a measure to relieve $10,000 worth of student loans per person. That's a fraction of the $50,000 threshold hard-left lawmakers and activists are pushing for.

“I will not make that happen,” Biden said Tuesday at the CNN town hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, of the higher figure.

Activists say Biden’s education secretary, once confirmed, can use the Higher Education Act of 1965 to cancel student loans backed by the agency by releasing its claim on the debt and writing down the amount owed.

During the town hall, Biden said he feared a blanket policy that would erase student loan debt for Ivy League graduates. The former vice president and 36-year senator also suggested a trade-off between debt forgiveness and spending for early childhood education. Biden also said he didn’t think he had the authority “to do it by signing the pen.”

Prominent liberal senators pushed back on Biden’s position Wednesday.