US media reports: Republicans begin considering raising the debt ceiling again as midterm elections approach.

According to Politico, U.S. Republicans raised the debt ceiling by $5 trillion last year. Now, they are already considering how to avoid falling back into a "fiscal cliff" during Trump’s term. Independent forecasting agencies project that the U.S. will reach "X Date"—the final deadline to avert a U.S. debt default—between next summer and early 2028, a period that coincides with the intensification of the presidential primary season. Two sources familiar with the matter said that to avoid high-stakes negotiations with Democrats, White House officials have privately proposed raising the U.S. debt ceiling of $41.1 trillion via a partisan spending bill that many Republicans hope to pass ahead of the November midterm elections. If Republicans lose control of either chamber of Congress in the upcoming midterms, this move could save Trump significant trouble, as Democrats will in any case demand concessions in bipartisan negotiations to prevent an unprecedented national debt default—with the total national debt currently nearing $39.7 trillion.