US debt hits $67 trillion as America’s borrowing binge continues

Alan RappeportNew York Times·19 Aug, 2026 11:17 PM6 mins to readUS national debt has topped US$40 trillion ($67t) as borrowing and interest costs rise. Photo / Getty ImagesUS national debt has topped US$40 trillion ($67t) as borrowing and interest costs rise. Photo / Getty ImagesAmerica’s gross national debt has topped US$40 trillion for the first time, an ominous milestone for an economy that sits on a shaky fiscal foundation after decades of borrowing to pay for the rising costs of the military, social safety net programmes and President Donald Trump’s tax cuts. The shortfall