Two Santa Clause Theory- It's not a Christmas story.
Repubs always run up the debt when they are in power then, when the Dems take over they cry about the size of the debt and say the deficit is out of control and that cuts need to be made.
That is exactly what is going on today.
Read about it here:
https://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2018/02/how-gop-used-two-santa-clauses-tactic-con-america-nearly-40-years
Also see it in action here. Notice how many repubs are in the top 10? I thought they said they wanted to reduce the size of government. No, actually they want to cut spending on the middle class and give huge tax breaks to the wealthy.
That's the only play in their playbook an Americans appear to either want this or are to blind to see they are being conned
https://www.investopedia.com/us-debt-by-president-dollar-and-percentage-7371225