Trump calls Biden's student-loan-forgiveness efforts 'vile' — and suggests voters shouldn't count on that relief if they elect Trump
During a campaign speech in Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump said Biden's student-debt-cancellation plans were "publicity for the election."
Scott Olson/Getty Images
- At a Wisconsin campaign rally, Trump criticized Biden's student-loan-forgiveness efforts.
- He described Biden's debt relief as illegal and an attempt to get "publicity for the election."
- Biden is moving forward with his broader attempt at debt relief, but it's likely to face lawsuits.
Former President Donald Trump is making sure voters know how he feels about student-loan forgiveness.
During a Tuesday campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump delivered a more than an hourlong speech on topics including immigration, national security, and the economy.
He also used that time to criticize President Joe Biden's efforts to enact student-loan forgiveness for millions of Americans.
"He's throwing money out the window," Trump said.
"This student-loan program, which is not even legal, I mean it's not even legal, and the students aren't buying it, by the way," he added. "His polls are down. I'm leading in young people by numbers that nobody's ever seen before."
A Harvard Youth Poll conducted in March found that among people 18 to 29, Biden was leading Trump at 45% compared with 37%. That was still a reduction from Biden's youth support in the poll in 2020.
Trump also referred to the Supreme Court's striking down Biden's first attempt at broad student-loan forgiveness last summer, saying that "he got rebuked and then he did it again."
"It's going to get rebuked again even more," he added, calling the plan "vile" and an attempt to get "publicity for the election."
The day of the Supreme Court decision last June, Biden's Education Department announced it would pursue a new route for debt relief using the Higher Education Act of 1965. That law requires the administration to undergo a process known as negotiated rulemaking, which entails a series of negotiations with stakeholders and a period of public comment before relief can be implemented.
The department recently concluded the public-comment period, and it plans to start implementing the relief — expected to benefit over 30 million Americans — this fall. However, conservative groups have voiced opposition to the plan, and it's highly likely it will once again run into lawsuits that could delay or block the relief.
The presidential election also presents uncertainty surrounding the fate of student-loan forgiveness. Should Biden win, his administration would most likely continue carrying out its broad and targeted debt-relief efforts such as one-time account adjustments for borrowers on income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Given Trump's opposition to debt cancellation, as president he would most likely cease the Biden administration's work to cancel student debt.
This isn't the first time Trump has criticized student-debt relief. He called Biden's first attempt at broad relief an "election enhancing money grab." After the Supreme Court decision, his campaign said in a statement that "these wins were only made possible through President Trump's strong nomination of three distinguished and courageous jurists to the Supreme Court."
Still, Biden's Education Department is moving forward with its relief efforts and has maintained that all its actions are in accordance with the law and the Supreme Court decision. Along with its broader second attempt at relief, the Education Department began canceling student debt for borrowers on the SAVE plan who borrowed $12,000 or less originally and made as few as 10 years' worth of qualifying payments.
While GOP state attorneys general launched two separate lawsuits seeking to block that relief, a court has yet to issue a final decision.