Liberal Forum

It is worth recalling that in 2016, Trump vowed to eliminate the national debt within eight years. Instead, the gross national debt has approximately doubled since Trump assumed office; it stood at $19.9 trillion in January 2017. The national debt of the United States surpassed $39 trillion for the first time on March 18, 2026, reaching this alarming milestone less than five months after it first exceeded $38 trillion in late October 2025; a rate of increase that is unsustainable.