President Trump's Second Term Sees U.S. National Debt Exceed $40 Trillion Amid Fiscal Pressure
During the first 19 months of President Trump's second term, the U.S. national debt has surpassed $40 trillion. This increase occurred despite his initial promises to reduce the federal government's size and contain the budget deficit. Federal spending did not decline but instead increased, partly due to a six-month war with Iran that evolved into a costly war of attrition. Additionally, debt-servicing costs rose as yields on U.S. bonds reached nearly two-decade highs for some securities. Fiscal policy experts are warning that the United States is approaching a fiscal crisis, necessitating difficult decisions regarding tax increases or cuts to social programs like Social Security benefits. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget indicates that tax cuts enacted during President Trump's first term added $8.4 trillion to the debt, with an additional $4.7 trillion projected from tax and immigration laws passed in his second term, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 
