Fact-check: “The US national debt has doubled in the last 10 years”
Verdict: Mostly True (85% confidence)
The accuracy of this claim depends on which measure of federal debt is used. Debt held by the public rose from approximately $13.1 trillion at the end of FY2015 to roughly $28–29 trillion by FY2025, a ratio of approximately 2.1x, meaning it has more than doubled. Gross federal debt (the broader measure often called the 'national debt') rose from about $18.1 trillion in FY2015 to roughly $34+ trillion in early 2026, a ratio of approximately 1.88x — a very large increase but not a literal doublin…
This fact-check was conducted by SpinkillerAI, a non-partisan AI-powered accountability platform.
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