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Scarborough Takes on Hoyer over Reagan vs. Obama Debt

February 21, 2013

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough took on Rep. Steny Hoyer's (D., Md.) assertion that President Reagan's record on national debt is actually worse than President Obama's Thursday on "Morning Joe:"

JOE SCARBOROUGH: So Steny, I've done the arithmetic for you.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: He's been working the math here. Pen and paper.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: You've helped me do the math here.

STENY HOYER: Good. I came on to help you, Joe.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: You did. And you always help me. And I love you, Steny. I always have. So, I'm looking at Ronald Reagan's deficits.

STENY HOYER: Started at $895 million.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: $221, $149, $155 [million]. Over eight years, Ronald Reagan didn't run up deficits that Barack Obama ran up this past year. But even in inflation-adjusted dollars, Barack Obama ran up higher deficits last year than Ronald Reagan did over eight years.

STENY HOYER: No, you're correct.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Thank you. That's all I wanted.

Hoyer had earlier claimed Reagan's record of increasing of the national debt from $900 billion to $2.8 trillion is comparable, if not worse than President Obama's record on the issue.

The national debt under President Obama has increased from $10.6 to $16 trillion over the first four years of his administration.

Fiscal year 2013 OMB estimates project President Obama's proposed budget will increase the national debt to $25.4 trillion by 2022.

Full interview: