Did the US debt increase by $7.8 trillion during Donald Trump’s presidency?

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Reading Time: < 1 minute Yes.

The national debt as of January 19, 2017, the day before Donald Trump was inaugurated as president, was $19,944,429,217,107.

In Jan. 19, 2021, the day before Joe Biden was inaugurated, the debt was: $27,752,835,868,445 which is about $7.8 trillion higher.

As of July 14, 2023, more than halfway through Bidens term, the debt has increased by another roughly $4.7 trillion, to $32,542,410,783,067.

When the government spends more than it needs, it borrows to cover the deficit. The remaining debt is the accumulated deficits from previous years.

The debt is the result of decisions made by a president and Congress during a president’s term, but also by decisions made by previous presidents and Congress.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, made a statement about Trump and the debt in a July 11, 2023 interview on the website Wisconsin Right Now. Trump is also a candidate.

This Fact Brief addresses conversations like this one.

Sources

FiscalData Debt in Penny (custom date range search)

Pew Research 5 facts about the US national debt

FiscalData Debt in Penny (as of July 14, 2023)

FiscalData Understanding the National Debt

Wisconsin Right Now Florida Gov Ron DeSantis Interview (3:10)

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