US National Debt Surpasses $40 Trillion Threshold
19 sources across 17 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- Der Spiegel
- Frankfurter Allgemeine
- CNN
- Associated Press
- The Daily Star
- Folha de S.Paulo
- El Espectador
- France 24
- South China Morning Post
- The Indian Express
- The Jerusalem Post
- The Japan Times
- Aftenposten
- Al Jazeera
- Daily Maverick
- El Pais
- Taipei Times
- Bangkok Post
- Reuters
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
Total US public debt has exceeded $40 trillion for the first time, according to data released by the Treasury Department on Wednesday. The total public debt outstanding was $40.047 trillion as of Tuesday, which includes $32.266 trillion in Treasury securities held by the public and $7.782 trillion in intra-governmental debt holdings. This figure surpasses previous projections from the Congressional Budget Office, which had estimated borrowing would reach $39.4 trillion by the end of fiscal year 2026.
The national debt has more than doubled in less than a decade, rising from $19.95 trillion in January 2017. Approximately one third of this increase occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic response under both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden. Other contributing factors include costs for Social Security and Medicare, rising interest payments, and tax cuts. The Treasury reported a monthly deficit of $432 billion for July, the fourth highest in US history, partly due to tariff refunds that turned customs receipts negative for three consecutive months.
Market reactions have been volatile. Yields on long term Treasury bonds hit their highest levels in nearly two decades on Tuesday, reflecting investor anxiety over the deficit and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. In response, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a doubling of buyback sizes for 10 to 30 year Treasuries to at least $4 billion per operation to help lower yields. President Trump has dismissed concerns about bond market volatility, stating that the country is strong and that interest rates should go down.
Economists and budget watchdogs have warned that the current fiscal trajectory is unsustainable. Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget stated that the debt exacerbates inflation and leaves the US vulnerable to emergencies. Some analysts note that foreign demand for Treasuries has declined over the past year, which may increase market volatility.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the risk of a fiscal crisis and the unsustainable nature of the deficit during times of peace and prosperity.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the factual milestone and the shared responsibility of both the Trump and Biden administrations for the debt increase.
- Centre-right
- These outlets highlighted the specific impact of President Trump's tariff policies and the resulting pressure on the national debt.
Sources
- Centre-right Aftenposten: USA's national debt exceeds 40,000 billion dollars
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: US national debt passes record $40 trillion
- Centre Associated Press: The US national debt now stands at $40 trillion - AP News
- Centre Bangkok Post: US national debt exceeds $40 trillion for first time
- Centre-left CNN: National debt reaches grim $40 trillion milestone. Here’s why that matters
- Centre-left CNN: US debt reaches grim $40T milestone sooner than expected
- Centre-left CNN: US debt tops $40 trillion under Trump’s second term
- Centre-left Daily Maverick: US debt crosses $40-trillion threshold after doubling under Trump and Biden
- Centre-left Der Spiegel: USA: National debt jumps over 40 trillion US dollars for the first time
- Centre-left El Espectador: US debt exceeds USD 40 trillion for the first time
- Centre-left El Pais: United States debt exceeds the 40 trillion barrier amid concerns over the cost of debt
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: US debt exceeds US$ 40 trillion for the 1st time after doubling under Trump and Biden
- Centre France 24: US debt exceeds, for the first time, 40,000 billion dollars
- Centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine: USA under Trump: US national debt now more than 40 trillion dollars
- Centre Reuters: US debt crosses $40 trillion threshold after doubling under Trump and Biden - Reuters
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: US debt hits US$40 trillion high, raising ‘doom loop’ risk
- Centre-left Taipei Times: US national debt exceeds US$40tn for the first time
- Centre The Daily Star: US debt crosses $40 trillion threshold after doubling under Trump and Biden
- Centre The Indian Express: World News Today Live Updates: US debt crosses $40 trillion threshold after doubling across Trump and Biden administrations
- Centre The Japan Times: U.S. debt exceeds $40 trillion for first time amid warnings of fiscal crisis
- Centre-right The Jerusalem Post: US national debt tops $40 trillion for first time, doubled under presidents Trump, Biden
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.