https://ruanofaxas.com/2026/08/21/united-states-the-national-debt-topped-40-trillion-march-31-2016-donald-trump-did-state-that-he-would-get-rid-of-the-national-debt-fairly-quickly-at-the-time-the-u-s-national-debt-stoo/ruanofaxasen2026-08-21T01:08:56+00:00United States. The national debt topped $40 trillion. March 31, 2016: Donald Trump did state that he would “get rid” of the national debt “fairly quickly.” At the time, the U.S. national debt stood at approximately $19 trillion. More than $11.5 trillion of that debt has been added during President Trump’s first term and the opening stretch of his second term, accounting for roughly one-fourth of the current total. The three foreign countries that hold the largest share of United States Treasury debt are Japan (roughly $1.15 trillion), the United Kingdom (roughly $850–900 billion), and China (roughly $700–730 billion). The U.S. economy is currently in a state of chaos in absolutely every respect. The rise of the U.S. national debt past $40 trillion signals a possible and increasingly precarious fiscal crisis.