Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Sign Up

Sign Up

Please fill this form to create an account.

Already have an account? Login here.

Posted: 2019-02-15T05:38:54Z | Updated: 2019-02-15T05:38:54Z

Donald Trump vowed during his presidential campaign that he would eliminate the nations $19.9 trillion debt in eight years. But the countrys annual deficit just jumped 41.8 percent in the first quarter of this fiscal year over the same period the previous year. And total debt is now the highest it has ever been in U.S. history , according to Treasury Department figures.

The nations debt the accumulation of annual deficits has now ticked up to $22.06 trillion, more than $2 trillion higher than when Trump took office.

Skyrocketing debt can create a crisis for a nation as more of its GDP is devoured by interest costs.

Interest costs on the #NationalDebt will total $383 billion this year and will become the third largest program in the federal budget by 2025. https://t.co/ewE29A7Y4t pic.twitter.com/WkeduMxc4R

Peterson Foundation (@pgpfoundation) February 14, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Peterson Foundation","author_url":"https://twitter.com/pgpfoundation","cache_age":86400,"description":"Interest costs on the #NationalDebt will total $383 billion this year and will become the third largest program in the federal budget by 2025. https://t.co/ewE29A7Y4t pic.twitter.com/WkeduMxc4R Peterson Foundation (@pgpfoundation) February 14, 2019\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":629,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dy6vZ2rXQAQnBRd.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1200,"title":"Peterson Foundation on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/pgpfoundation/status/1096130958695182339","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5c662ccae4b05c889d1d9ea6","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/trump-national-debt-deficit-soars_n_5c662ccae4b05c889d1d9ea6","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,tax-cuts,deficit,national-debt","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":10},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5c662ccae4b05c889d1d9ea6","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"tax cuts","slug":"tax-cuts","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/tax-cuts","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/tax-cuts","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/tax-cuts"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Business","slug":"business"},"topic":{"title":"Taxes","slug":"taxes","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/taxes"},{"name":"Deficit","slug":"deficit","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/deficit","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/deficit","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/deficit"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Business","slug":"business"},"topic":{"title":"Deficit","slug":"deficit","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/deficit"},{"name":" national debt","slug":"national-debt","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/national-debt","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/national-debt","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/national-debt"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/national-debt"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Interest costs on the #NationalDebt will total $383 billion this year and will become the third largest program in the federal budget by 2025. https://t.co/ewE29A7Y4t pic.twitter.com/WkeduMxc4R

Peterson Foundation (@pgpfoundation) February 14, 2019

The budget deficit from October through December the first quarter of the current fiscal year totaled $318.9 billion, up from a deficit of $225 billion for the same quarter the previous year.

The deficit was fueled by the $1.5 trillion tax cut that Trump pushed through Congress in December 2017 which slashed corporate taxes from 35 percent to 21 percent and took effect in January 2018.

Trump insisted the cuts would pay for themselves as the corporate tax windfalls would stimulate business expansion that would refill the tax coffers. But a national business survey released last month concluded that cuts had no significant impact on business investment and hiring.

A large majority of respondents 84 percent indicate that one year after its passage, the corporate tax reform has not caused their firms to change hiring or investment plans, said the president of the National Association of Business Economics.

Trump vowed just months before his election that he would eliminate the entire national debt in two terms as president a claim economists found outlandish. The key, Trump said, would be to renegotiate trade deals the big trade deals that were doing so badly on, including those with China, he told The Washington Post at the time. Trump has yet to reach a deal with China, and his tariffs on Chinese goods have triggered a trade war.

So far this fiscal year, tax revenue is up a mere 0.2 percent, while spending is up 9.6 percent, according to the Treasury Department.

The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that this years deficit will jump to $897 billion, up a total of 15.1 percent over last years deficit of $779 billion the largest since 2012. The annual deficits are expected to top $1 trillion beginning in 2022, according to the CBO.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost

The Daily Beast, citing unnamed sources, reported late last year that Trump pays little attention to aides who sound the alarm about increasing debt, reportedly saying I wont be here when things blow up . Trumps businesses have declared bankruptcy six times , reports The Washington Post.

The nations debt nearly doubled during the Obama administration as the U.S. struggled to emerge from a recession triggered by the subprime mortgage debacle. But debt racked up in hard times is supposed to be addressed during a strong economy like the one Trump inherited.

pic.twitter.com/sHKO5Jkrq9

luca (@luca83840538) February 12, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"luca","author_url":"https://twitter.com/luca83840538","cache_age":86400,"description":" pic.twitter.com/sHKO5Jkrq9 luca (@luca83840538) February 12, 2019\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":346,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1095432928144834562/pu/img/p9aplxt2bNNwd2jy.jpg","thumbnail_width":460,"title":"luca on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/luca83840538/status/1095432955823079427","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5c662ccae4b05c889d1d9ea6","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/trump-national-debt-deficit-soars_n_5c662ccae4b05c889d1d9ea6","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,tax-cuts,deficit,national-debt","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":13},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5c662ccae4b05c889d1d9ea6","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"tax cuts","slug":"tax-cuts","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/tax-cuts","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/tax-cuts","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/tax-cuts"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Business","slug":"business"},"topic":{"title":"Taxes","slug":"taxes","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/taxes"},{"name":"Deficit","slug":"deficit","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/deficit","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/deficit","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/deficit"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Business","slug":"business"},"topic":{"title":"Deficit","slug":"deficit","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/deficit"},{"name":" national debt","slug":"national-debt","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/national-debt","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/national-debt","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/national-debt"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/national-debt"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost