Biden snaps at reporter after student debt handout defeat at Supreme Court: 'I didn't give any false hope'

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Biden snaps at reporter after defeat on student debt handout: 'I didn't give any false hope!'

President Biden tells Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich he didn't "give any false hope" to student loan borrowers, despite his own past rhetoric questioning whether he had the authority.

President Biden snapped at Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Friday after she pressed him over why he gave "false hope" to Americans who believed they would receive a student loan handout by his executive order, which was struck down by the Supreme Court. 

On Friday, the court ruled in a 6-3 decision that federal law does not allow Biden's secretary of education to cancel more than $430 billion in student loan debt.

Following his remarks reacting to the ruling, Heinrich asked the president why he gave millions of borrowers "false hope," citing his past comments doubting his own authority to enact the order without Congress. 

SUPREME COURT RULES AGAINST BIDEN STUDENT LOAN DEBT HANDOUT

"I didn't give any false hope," Biden sternly responded. "The question was whether or not I would do even more than was requested. What I did I thought it was appropriate and was able to be done and would get done." 

"I didn't give false hope, but the Republicans snatched away the hope that they were given. And it's real, real hope," he added.

President Biden snapped at Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich, who pressed him Friday on why he gave "false hope" to millions of borrowers after the Supreme Court struck down his student loan debt handout. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Biden himself cast doubt on his own ability to implement the student loan debt handout without congressional approval, saying in February 2021, "I don’t think I have the authority to do it by signing [with] the pen."

The Supreme Court appeared to agree with Biden, back then at least. 

WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT SCHEME

"The Secretary’s plan canceled roughly $430 billion of federal student loan balances, completely erasing the debts of 20 million borrowers and lowering the median amount owed by the other 23 million from $29,400 to $13,600," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. "Six States sued, arguing that the HEROES Act does not authorize the loan cancellation plan. We agree."

The Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's student loan handout that would have cost taxpayers over $400 billion.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

The majority opinion also included comments made by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who said in July 2021, "People think that the President of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness. He does not."

The order, dubbed the HEROES Act, involved federal government providing up to $10,000 in debt relief — and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients — for people who make less than $125,000 a year.

BIDEN DOE ALLEGEDLY PLANNING ‘WORKAROUNDS’ IF SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT

Biden made the unprecedented push for debt cancellation in August 2022 over Republican objections, and his administration accepted some 16 million applications before the program was put on hold for judicial review.

Republicans argued Biden lacked the authority to unilaterally forgive student loans. Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office said Biden's plan would cost taxpayers roughly $400 billion. Republicans were outraged at the total, arguing the forgiveness would be unfair to those who either paid their way through college, repaid their loans or never attended college in the first place.

President Biden previously doubted his authority to implement student loan handouts with his "pen" back in February 2021.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucc)

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Biden vowed Friday his administration would keep fighting despite the devastating legal blow. 

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom , Chris Pandolfo, Bill Mears and Shannon Bream contributed to this report.