Ankara: The US national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, more than doubling in less than a decade, according to Treasury Department data. Total public debt outstanding reached $40.047 trillion on Tuesday, rising from $39.987 trillion a day earlier, the Treasury's Debt to the Penny dataset showed. The total comprises $32.266 trillion in debt held by the public and $7.782 trillion in intragovernmental holdings.

According to Anadolu Agency, the federal debt stood at approximately $19.95 trillion when President Donald Trump first took office in January 2017 and reached $27.75 trillion by the end of his first term. It then climbed to roughly $36.22 trillion during former President Joe Biden's four-year presidency before increasing by another $3.8 trillion since Trump returned to office.

Debt increased by approximately $11.6 trillion across Trump's two terms and by about $8.5 trillion under Biden. Persistent budget deficits, pandemic-related borrowing, tax cuts, growing social program expenditures, and rising interest costs have contributed to the increase. The milestone is expected to heighten concerns about US fiscal sustainability as debt-servicing costs take up a growing share of federal revenues.