Question: the federal deficit in FY 2017 was $666 billion, and was $779 billion in FY 2018. So, how'd the national debt grow by $2 trillion over Trump's 1st 2 years in office?
The Treasury Department today released a report showing the official fiscal year 2018 deficit was $779 billion, an increase of $113 billion, or 17 percent, from last year.
FY 2018 Deficit Was $779 Billion
I believe I may found the answer to my own question: the interest paid on the national debt over the past 2 years is somewhere around $573 billion, which I believe when added to Trump's deficits takes you over $2 trillion in new debt. So, when the dishonest Left tries to ***** about the increase in the debt during Trump's time in office, it's partly due to the interest we have to pay on the debt accrued before he even took office.
4 Ways to Reduce the Interest on the Debt
Which BTW IS steadily rising, due to higher interest rates and a bigger principal debt number. At this point, I think it's pointless to point fingers at only one side; the truth is that we are passing on to our kids and grandkids one heckuva problem. The only way out IMHO is both spending cuts and higher revenues, but mostly cuts from reforms to our entitlement programs. I think we may have to go the route that the Europeans are using, a VAT tax.