National Debt Since Trump Took Office
At first, it seemed Trump was lowering the debt. It fell $102 billion in the first six months after Trump took office.19 On January 20th, the day Trump was inaugurated, the debt was $19.9 trillion. On July 30, it was $19.8 trillion. But it was not because of anything he did. Instead, it was because of the federal debt ceiling.
On September 8, 2017, Trump signed a bill increasing the debt ceiling.20 Later that day, the debt exceeded $20 trillion for the first time in U.S. history. On February 9, 2018, Trump signed a bill suspending the debt ceiling until March 1, 2019.21 It leapt to $22 trillion. In July 2019, Trump suspended the debt ceiling until after the 2020 presidential election.22 The debt soon rose to $23 trillion. Trump has overseen the fastest increase in the debt of any president.
Trump's Fiscal Year 2021 budget projects the debt would increase $4.8 trillion during his first term.23
That's as much as Obama added while fighting a recession. Trump has not fulfilled his campaign promise to cut the debt. Instead, he's done the opposite.
https://www.thebalance.com/us-debt-by-president-by-dollar-and-percent-3306296
https://www.thebalance.com/trump-plans-to-reduce-national-debt-4114401
