Fact Check: "U.S. debt interest payments exceed $92 billion this month"
What We Know
The claim that U.S. debt interest payments exceed $92 billion in a given month requires examination of recent data regarding federal debt and interest payments. According to the Monthly Budget Review: May 2025, net interest payments on the public debt decreased by $4 billion (or 5 percent) in May 2025. This suggests that interest payments can fluctuate significantly from month to month.
Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that interest costs on the national debt are expected to rise significantly over the coming years. For instance, CBO estimates that total interest costs will reach approximately $952 billion in 2025, which indicates a substantial increase compared to previous years. However, this figure represents an annual total, not a monthly breakdown.
As of December 2023, the total federal debt was reported to be around $33.1 trillion, with a significant portion of this debt being held by the public, which directly affects interest payments (National debt of the United States).
Analysis
To assess the claim, we need to consider the context and the data available. The assertion that interest payments exceed $92 billion in a month would imply a monthly interest rate that is significantly high given the total debt. The average interest rate on the total marketable national debt was reported to be approximately 3.362 percent as of May 2025 (Growth of the national debt Interest rate on U.S. debt).
Using this interest rate, we can estimate monthly interest payments. If we take the total federal debt of approximately $33.1 trillion, the annual interest payment at 3.362 percent would be around $1.11 trillion. Dividing this by 12 months gives us an average monthly interest payment of about $92.5 billion. This calculation aligns closely with the claim but does not confirm it as a definitive fact, as actual monthly payments can vary based on several factors, including the timing of debt issuance and the specific interest rates applied.
The reliability of the sources used is generally high, with the CBO being a reputable and non-partisan organization that provides budgetary and economic data. However, the fluctuations in monthly interest payments mean that while the claim could be accurate in certain months, it may not hold true universally across all months.
Conclusion
Needs Research: The claim that U.S. debt interest payments exceed $92 billion in a given month is plausible based on calculations of average interest payments relative to total debt. However, without specific monthly data confirming this figure for the current month, it remains unverified. Further research into the latest monthly budget reports and interest payment specifics would be necessary to confirm the accuracy of the claim.
