Unable to formulate and execute real policies to reduce the national debt, Donald Trump claims economic growth will “very easily” solve the shortfall. John Tsitrian recognizes that airy wish as more Trump bullshit:
Soon after the recent announcement that the U.S. national debt topped $40 trillion, President Trump was asked by reporters what he was going to do about it.
The president’s dismissive answer? “The way you take care of debt is with growth … we’ve never had growth like we have right now … the growth will take care of that very easily.”
No one challenged him, but the fact is that Trump’s response began with a lie.
At 2.2%, our current economic growth rate is about average, not nearly as strong as Trump makes it out to be. More relevant — and what Trump failed to mention —is the fact that our debt has been increasing faster than our growth rate [John Tsitrian, “Trump: Growth Will Fix National Debt. Reality: In Your Dreams, Mr. Prez,” South Dakota Standard, 2026.09.28].
Tsitrian cites experts at the Wharton School, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Government Accountability Office who say growth won’t take the place of real fiscal discipline. Add J. H. Cullum Clark of the George W. Bush Institute:
Can’t America grow its way out of the national debt?
Very likely no. We estimate America’s economy would have to grow roughly between 5% and 6% per year for the rest of this century – compared with about 2% per year over the past three decades – to stabilize the nation’s debt-to-GDP ratio at something like today’s 100% level, based on a simple model using standard federal government assumptions regarding spending, tax revenues, and interest rates. While it’s possible that AI and other significant innovations will boost economic growth to rates faster than we’ve experienced in the 21st century, it’s far too early to project rates as high as 5%. Most economists expect a positive but much more modest acceleration as a result of AI [J.H. Cullum Clark, “Lessons from History on America’s National Debt: Frequently Asked Questions,” George W. Bush Presidential Center, 2026.09.25].
You won’t get fiscal discipline or better economic growth out of Trump. It’s time to lame that duck, retake Congress, and rein in the bad decisions and corruption that are imperiling America’s fiscal health.