FACTS:
- Daily cash and debt balances statement on August 18, 2026 showed a total public debt outstanding at $40.047 trillion dollars.
- The $40.047 trillion dollar debt includes $32.266 trillion in Treasury securities held by the US taxpayer.
- The U.S. government borrows approximately $2 trillion in fiscal year 2026 to cover its budget deficit, a sum that includes the $1 trillion to $1.05 trillion required solely to service interest on the national debt.
- The National debt has more than doubled in less than decade from $19.95 trillion in January 2017.
- Public Debt rose by $7.8 trillion during Trump’s first term and $8.4 trillion during Biden’s term.
- The Treasury reported a $432 billion deficit for July and another $1.1 trillion just to pay the interest on the debt.
- The largest contributors to federal spending and debt growth are Social Security benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, and net interest on the debt.
