U.S. national debt tops 40 trillion USD for first time in history

What the report says

WASHINGTON — The U.S. national debt has crossed 40 trillion dollars for the first time, according to Treasury Department data cited in The Independent Uganda’s report, which in turn attributed the figures to Xinhua. The total debt stood at about 40.047 trillion dollars as of Tuesday, with roughly 32.266 trillion dollars held by the public and 7.782 trillion dollars in intragovernmental holdings.

The milestone came earlier than many observers had expected and underscores the pressure from persistent federal budget deficits, where government spending continues to outpace revenue. The article said recent years of pandemic-related spending, tax cuts and higher military outlays helped drive debt higher, while rising interest costs have added further weight to the federal balance sheet.

The report also pointed to the scale of the government’s recent financing burden. It cited a Treasury monthly update showing a 1.367 trillion dollar fiscal deficit in the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, and said net interest payments of 827 billion dollars exceeded defense spending during that period. The debt had previously topped 30 trillion dollars in January 2022 and 39 trillion dollars in March 2026.

Several policy experts quoted in the piece described the figure as a warning sign for the U.S. economy. Separately, the White House said President Donald Trump’s administration was trying to rein in spending and improve the debt-to-GDP outlook. More generally, high U.S. debt levels matter because they can affect borrowing costs, fiscal flexibility and investor confidence.