'This is infuriating': Online debate erupts as Jesse Watters blames baby boomers for student debt crisis

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: On April 9, Fox News host Jesse Watters attributed the student debt crisis to "the boomers," asserting that they encouraged their children to pursue college education, resulting in an oversupply of white-collar workers.

In a segment on 'The Five' regarding the Biden administration's proposed plan for student debt forgiveness, Watters remarked, "I've figured out the reason why we're in this situation. It's all the baby boomers' fault."

Jesse Watters criticizes baby boomers plus advocates for blue-collar jobs

Watters elaborated, saying, "So, in the late 1960s, they’re the biggest generation ever and the only way you could get ahead was to go to college. You wanted to be a white-collar worker. You didn’t want to have to have a job in a factory."

He further remarked, "So, when the baby boomers started families, the millennial generation was pushed into attending college, whether they desired to or not."

"Let's be honest, Little Johnny probably isn't the most academically inclined student," Watters remarked, underscoring the challenge faced by individuals pressured into pursuing higher education despite potential mismatches in academic abilities.

"But he was forced to go to college, and even if the parents, the boomers, couldn’t afford to send him to college, he was forced to take out loans to go to college so he could be a liberal arts major and get a white-collar job," he added. 

"Then what happened?" Watters asked hypothetically. 

Answering his own question, he said, "We have this overabundance of white-collar workers and all we need are blue-collar workers. We are reindustrializing this country and we’re doing chips manufacturing, all of this construction, and there’s just not enough blue-collar jobs out there."

"So now you have a bunch of people in debt complaining that they can’t find work, and so instead of Joe Biden encouraging people maybe don’t take $500,000 in loans out to get a useless degree when we need something for, maybe, the Chips Act or the Inflation Reduction Act. He’s still just bribing them," he added. 

Watters concluded, "That's where we are right now. Again, it's the fault of the boomers."

"Okay. Alright, Jesse," replied co-host Jeanine Pirro, a baby boomer herself, before swiftly transitioning to the next topic.

Debate sparks over student loan debt cancelation

After these recent events, social media users swiftly criticized Watters' comments, pointing out his perceived bias and questioning his credibility.

A user said, "Cancelling student loan debt is unconstitutional. They took out those loans, they NEED to pay that debt." [sic]

"No one has to go to college, no one told these brats to take out these loans," another noted.

"Debt cannot get canceled, it just gets moved over to the taxpayers dime. FJB," said one more viewer. [sic]

A user also said, "It's NOT loan forgiveness. The debt is passed on to ALL tax payers. Its NOT my responsability to pay YOUR bills." [sic]

"I refuse to pay for someone else’s loan! These people are nuts and they care nothing about teaching young people about personal responsibility! Gail," said a user.

"This is infuriating," commented another.

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.