Fact Check: The national debt of the United States exceeds 36 trillion dollars.

Fact Check: "The national debt of the United States exceeds 36 trillion dollars."

What We Know

As of June 4, 2025, the total gross national debt of the United States is reported to be approximately $36.21 trillion. This figure represents a significant increase from previous years, with an increase of $1.56 trillion over the past year alone (Joint Economic Committee). The U.S. Treasury's "Debt to the Penny" dataset also confirms that the total public debt outstanding has been consistently updated and is currently over $36 trillion (U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data).

Analysis

The claim that the national debt exceeds $36 trillion is supported by multiple reliable sources. The Joint Economic Committee provides a clear and recent figure of $36.21 trillion as of June 2025, which aligns with the ongoing trend of increasing national debt (Joint Economic Committee).

Additionally, the U.S. Treasury maintains a dataset called "Debt to the Penny," which tracks the total outstanding public debt and is updated daily. This dataset confirms that the national debt has surpassed the $36 trillion mark (U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data).

The Congress.gov report also reinforces this information, noting that the federal debt limit was reinstated at $36.1 trillion in January 2025, indicating that the debt has indeed reached and exceeded this threshold (Congress.gov).

The sources cited are credible, as they come from official government datasets and reports. The U.S. Treasury is the authoritative body for financial data related to federal debt, and the Joint Economic Committee is a bipartisan committee that provides economic analysis.

Conclusion

Verdict: True
The claim that the national debt of the United States exceeds $36 trillion is accurate. Multiple reliable sources confirm that the total gross national debt is approximately $36.21 trillion as of June 2025, validating the claim.

Sources

1. Debt to the Penny | U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data
2. Monthly-Debt-Update-website.knit - Joint Economic Committee
3. PDF Federal Debt and the Debt Limit in 2025 - Congress.gov
4. Debt Dashboard - U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee
5. U.S. Treasury Monthly Statement of the Public Debt (MSPD)
6. Historical Debt Outstanding | U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data
7. Federal Debt and the Debt Limit in 2025
8. National debt of the United States