#USNationalDebt Here's the current picture:

According to official U.S. Treasury data, the total gross national debt currently stands at approximately $36.21 trillion as of early June 2025 . This includes:

**$28.9 trillion** held by the public (outside investors, institutions, foreign governments), and

**$7.3 trillion** held internally (intragovernmental, e.g., Social Security trust funds) .

That equates to roughly 121% of U.S. GDP .

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Key implications & recent updates 📰

Rising interest burden: Annual interest payments are now approaching or exceeding $1 trillion, overtaking budgets for defense or Medicare .

Credit rating concerns: Moody’s has downgraded the U.S. credit rating (now Aa1), joining Fitch and S&P, citing fiscal trajectory issues .

New debt legislation flight risk: The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed in May could add around $2.6 trillion to the debt over the next decade .

Expert warnings: Economists like Ray Dalio, Ken Rogoff, and Niall Ferguson caution that the unchecked rise could trigger a "debt crisis" or economic downturn if interest costs and deficits aren’t controlled .

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What this means

Crowding out effect: High debt may limit investment in infrastructure, education, or R&D, as more revenue is spent servicing debt rather than funding growth .

Refinancing concerns: Around one-third (≈$11 trillion) of the debt matures within the next year and must be refinanced, making it vulnerable to changes in interest rates .

Political pressure: Calls for deeper cuts or new taxes are growing, though any fiscal action faces strong partisan and ideological resistance.

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In summary

The U.S. national debt is currently around $36.2 trillion—nearly 1.2× GDP—with hefty interest payments nearing $1 trillion per year. Economists, credit agencies, and financial authorities are all flagging it as a serious long-term risk, urging action to curb deficits and stabilize public finances