US national debt surges past $39 trillion just weeks into war in Iran
Source: AP
Updated 7:47 PM EDT, March 18, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt surpassed a record $39 trillion on Wednesday, a milestone that comes just weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
The unprecedented figure highlights competing administration priorities, from passing a massive tax law and boosting defense spending and immigration enforcement to chipping away at the debt itself — the latter of which Donald Trump promised to do as both a candidate and as president.
The Government Accountability Office outlines some of the impact of rising government debt on Americans — including higher borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lower wages from businesses having less money available to invest, and more expensive goods and services. Advocates for a balanced budget also warn that the long-term trend of borrowing more and paying more in interest will force Americans to face tougher fiscal tradeoffs ahead.
Michael Peterson, chair and CEO of the nonprofit Peter G. Peterson Foundation, created to raise awareness of America’s long-term fiscal challenges, said in a statement that “we must recognize this alarming rate of growth and the significant financial burden we are putting on the next generation.”
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/us-national-deficit-hits-39-million-6ff73495bae701b5c009d3da5515ca3a
They continue to slash the revenue by removing taxes from the billionaires and keep trying to make up for it by destroying actual initiatives that help people, while spending countless billions on things that kill people.
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Who'd a thunk it?
The top 1% in the U.S. in terms of wealth is worth a cumulative $52-54 trillion. Allow that to sink in. You could pay off the entire national debt and still leave the top 1% an estimated $13-15 trillion to somehow make ends meet. 