The U.S. debt tops a record-shattering $40 trillion. Yes, with a T

Photo: The first National Debt Clock on Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets, one block away from Times Square – March 1989. The National Debt was $2,741,441,072,800. Image credit: Oscar Grooters via Wikimedia Commons [photo of a self-shot analog photograph]. CC BY-SA 4.0 (no modifications). Article by Scott Horsley. NPR – August 19, 2026.

The federal debt topped $40 trillion Wednesday, a new high-water mark for red ink that shows no sign of receding. The news, reported by the Treasury Department in its daily financial update, comes just five months after the debt surpassed $39 trillion. The government continues to pile up debt at a rapid clip, as spending outstrips revenue by more than $2 trillion a year. […]

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