> It's not like lenders won't notice if the USA tried to print its way out of debt.

For historical context, this is exactly what happened when the US was on the brink of leaving the gold standard.

> From 1963 to 1966, France secretly implemented Operation Vide-Gousset to repatriate 3,313 tons of gold reserves from the Bank of England and the New York Federal Reserve. It took over 44 boat trips and 129 flights to export the gold back to the Banque de France. Since France converted its dollar holdings into gold, the French made out well when the dollar fell during the Bretton Woods period and lost 96% of its value against gold. France then withdrew from the London Gold Pool in 1966 after recovering its gold holdings to force the US to endure heavier losses.

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/markets-by-sector/preciou...