The $38.5 Trillion Warning: Why the Fed is Sounding the Alarm
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has issued a blunt reminder: the U.S. national debt has hit $38.5 trillion, and the current trajectory is officially "unsustainable." As we kick off 2026, the math is becoming harder to ignore.
The Fast Facts
The Debt Clock: The U.S. is currently adding roughly $8 billion to the national debt every single day.
The Interest Trap: Annual interest payments are projected to surpass $1 trillion this year—meaning the U.S. now spends more on interest than on its entire national defense budget.
The "Sustainability" Gap: Powell’s core concern is that the debt is consistently outgrowing the economy (GDP), leaving the country vulnerable to future shocks.
"We are borrowing from future generations... we’re on an unsustainable fiscal path, and that’s just a statement of fact." — Jerome Powell
Why This Matters Now
While the Fed controls interest rates, they don't control the checkbook—that’s up to Congress. With Powell’s term ending in May 2026, his final warnings highlight a massive challenge for the next Fed Chair: managing an economy where "debt service" is one of the biggest line items in the budget.
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