Donald Trump repeated his demand for the suspension – or even elimination – of the federal borrowing limit and continued a political crisis which threatens a US government shutdown, insisting any shutdown should happen under Joe Biden’s watch rather than his own upcoming administration.

After first posting on his Truth Social social media platform that “Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling,” Trump soon escalated his rhetoric to write: “If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under ‘TRUMP.’ This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!”

Trump suffered a serious setback on Thursday when Republicans in Congress failed to pass a pared-down spending bill – one day before a potential government shutdown that could disrupt Christmas travel and deliver a blow to the US economy just a month before Trump returns to the White House.