Fact-check: “The US national debt has doubled in the last 10 years”
Verdict: Mostly True (78% confidence)
The claim is broadly accurate but depends on which 10-year window you use. From early-to-mid 2015 through mid-2025, total US federal debt grew from roughly $18–18.5 trillion to about $35–36 trillion — a near-doubling. A Fortune article from October 2024 explicitly confirmed the debt 'has doubled to a benumbing $35.4 trillion' over 10 years. The claim falls short of strict literal accuracy when measured end-of-fiscal-year to end-of-fiscal-year (FY2015 ~$18.1T to FY2025 ~$36T is roughly 99% growt…
This fact-check was conducted by SpinkillerAI, a non-partisan AI-powered accountability platform.
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