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Yes.
The national debt on Jan. 19, 2017, the day before Donald Trump was inaugurated president, was $19,944,429,217,107.
On Jan. 19, 2021, the day before Joe Biden was inaugurated, the debt was: $27,752,835,868,445 — about $7.8 trillion higher.
As of July 14, 2023, more than halfway through Biden’s term, the debt had risen by another roughly $4.7 trillion, to $32,542,410,783,067.
When the government spends more than it takes in, it borrows to make up the deficit. The outstanding debt is the accumulated deficits from previous years.
The debt is a result of decisions made by a president and Congress during a president’s term, but also by decisions made by previous presidents and Congresses.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, made the statement about Trump and the debt during a July 11, 2023, interview with the website Wisconsin Right Now. Trump is also a candidate.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
FiscalData Debt to the Penny (custom date range search)
Pew Research 5 facts about the U.S. national debt
FiscalData Debt to the Penny (as of July 14, 2023)
FiscalData Understanding the National Debt
Wisconsin Right Now Florida Gov Ron DeSantis interview (3:10)
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