00:00The U.S. national debt has officially crossed $40 trillion, a historic milestone that comes
00:05less than a decade after the debt stood at roughly $20 trillion. The total now includes about $32.3
00:12trillion held by the public and $7.8 trillion in governmental debt. Rising Social Security and
00:19Medicare costs, pandemic-era spending, tax policies, and growing interest payments have
00:24all contributed to the surge. Interest on the debt has now become one of the federal government's
00:29largest expenses, adding pressure to Washington's already strained finances.
