America's national debt is now larger than the entire economy

The US national debt passed another grim milestone Thursday when the latest data showed that government debt held by the public — the most conservative way to measure what is owed — has surpassed America’s total annual economic output. As of Tuesday, government debt held by the public is about $31.27 trillion, according to the US Treasury. Meanwhile, the US nominal gross domestic product (GDP) from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, was an estimated $31.22 trillion, according to new Commerce Department data released Thursday. That imbalance is expected to worsen in the years ahead, with the US firmly on track to ...