Fool, U.S. Treasury bonds are not debts at all; they are used by other countries to shop around the world, which is why they purchase Treasury bonds.

U.S. President Trump stated last Sunday that his administration is reviewing whether there is fraud in U.S. Treasury payments and suggested that the $36 trillion in national debt may be exaggerated.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that government officials have been sorting through payment records to identify wasteful spending, and they have turned their attention to U.S. debt, which plays a central role in the global financial system.

"We are even looking at the situation with the national debt," Trump said, "There could be a problem, and there may be many things that should not be counted in (the national debt). In other words, some of the things we have found are very fraudulent, so our debt may be less than we imagine."