Fact-check: “The US national debt has doubled in the last 10 years”
Verdict: Mostly True (88% confidence)
The US national debt has more than doubled over the past decade, but the exact figures depend on which 10-year window you use. From roughly 2014 to 2024, total gross debt grew from about $17.8 trillion to around $35.4 trillion — an increase of close to 100%, right at the doubling threshold. From 2016 to 2026 the growth is even larger, around 128%. By any reasonable reading of 'the last 10 years,' the claim holds up — the debt has roughly doubled or better.
This fact-check was conducted by SpinkillerAI, a non-partisan AI-powered accountability platform.
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