Fox News host confronts Republican on vote for “largest deficit” in history

Fox News host Shannon Bream pressed Senator James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, on Sunday about his recent vote in favor of a budget framework that analysis has shown would create the “largest deficit increase in history.”

Newsweek reached out to Lankford’s office via email for comment on Sunday.

Why It Matters

Republicans historically have been the party sounding the alarm over ballooning deficit spending and rapidly growing national debt. Nonetheless, deficit spending has persisted to a significant degree under recent Republican and Democratic presidents.

While President Donald Trump’s administration has touted its goal of cutting federal spending, nonpartisan analysis has shown that the budget framework pushed forward by Republicans will do the opposite.

What to Know

Lankford appeared for an interview on Fox News Sunday. During the interview, Bream pushed the GOP senator on his support for the Trump-backed budget framework, which passed through the Senate and the House this month.

“The House has passed the Senate’s framework on this reconciliation budget bill. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) had this reaction this week,” the Fox News host said. She then read a statement from CRFB’s President Maya MacGuineas.

“This budget sets the stage for the largest deficit increase in history—an unprecedented bill that requires just $4 billion in savings to offset up to $5.8 trillion in deficits. What an absolute disgrace,” MacGuineas said in the Thursday statement read by Bream.

The Fox News host then asked: “The GOP’s supposed to be the party of fiscal discipline. Why did you vote yes on this?”

Lankford dismissed the analysis, describing it as “the wonderful Washington, D.C. math.” He said that Washington, D.C. “says they want all taxes to increase on every single American.” The Republican pointed out that on January 1, 2026, taxes would increase, as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which was passed during the first Trump administration, would expire.

“Washington, D.C. is saying, ‘Yes, increase taxes.’ Our Democrat colleagues are saying, ‘Yes, increase taxes,'” he said. Lankford went on to say that the new Republican budget framework is about “keeping tax rates the same.”

The senator said Republicans want to “decrease” spending and “maintain a good economic policy.” He said the 2107 tax bill led to an “incredible increase in economic activity” across the country, while also increasing the “amount of revenue” the government brought in.

In 2018, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that the 2017 tax cuts pushed through by Republicans and Trump would add some $1.9 trillion to the deficit over 11 years. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center has said the estimates of how much the tax cuts added to the deficit range from $1 trillion to $2 trillion.

What People Are Saying

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday: “It’s a good day in the House. House Republicans passed the Senate amended budget resolution, allowing us to move forward with drafting the one big, beautiful bill. The American people are counting on us, and we will deliver.”

President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Thursday: “Congratulations to the House on the passage of a Bill that sets the stage for one of the Greatest and Most Important Signings in the History of our Country. Among many other things, it will be the Largest Tax and Regulation Cuts ever even contemplated. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, on X earlier this month after the budget framework passed in the Senate: “Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. And in voting for this budget bill, Senate Republicans sided with billionaires, against the middle class, in total obeisance to Donald Trump.”

What Happens Next?

The budget resolution will be drafted as legislation and will face more votes later this year.