Fact-check: “The US national debt has doubled in the last 10 years”
Verdict: Mostly True (85% confidence)
The US national debt has actually more than doubled over the most recent 10-year windows, not just doubled. Treasury and Federal Reserve data show debt rose from roughly $18.3 trillion in mid-2016 to about $38 trillion by late 2025 — a factor of about 2.07, which exceeds doubling. The claim is directionally accurate but slightly understates the increase, and the exact multiplier shifts modestly depending on which start and end dates you use.
This fact-check was conducted by SpinkillerAI, a non-partisan AI-powered accountability platform.
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