Donald Trump On Fiscal Cliff: Obama 'Would Have Folded' If GOP Used Debt Ceiling Leverage

Donald Trump blasted Republicans on Monday for their negotiating tactics during the fiscal cliff debate, positing that Obama "would have folded" if they had used the debt limit as leverage.

“You have the debt ceiling coming up which they should have put into this package," Trump said during an appearance on Fox News' "Fox & Friends." "Not waited a month or two months and you have all of these things coming up and Obama would have folded. A hundred percent. As sure as you’re sitting there, Obama would have folded liked a deck of cards. He had no choice.”

Trump said that the Republicans were "the worst" negotiators he'd seen.

"I’m a Republican and I will tell you I’m so disappointed in what the Republicans are doing," Trump said. "I’m so disappointed in their negotiating ability and what happened recently. They could have wrapped up a big, beautiful package that would have been great for the country and didn’t choose to do it. Instead, they’re going step by step, losing each step of the way."

He continued: "I don’t know who these negotiators are, but they’re like the worst I’ve ever seen"

Trump has been an outspoken critic of the fiscal cliff deal. After lawmakers reached a last-minute agreement on how to handle the tax hikes and spending cuts set to kick in on January 1, Trump took to Twitter, lamenting how Republicans "got nothing" in the deal.

Earlier in the fiscal talks, the real estate mogul urged Republicans to use the debt ceiling as a "nuclear weapon" while negotiating with Democrats.

"The debt ceiling's coming up in another month and a half, and the debt ceiling is going to be devastating to Democrats if the Republicans want to play that card," Trump said. "They should go for the big plan, or no plan whatsoever."