The United States’ gross national debt crosses $40 trillion for the first time, according to U.S. Treasury data reported on Wednesday. France 24 and other outlets say the figure reached about $40.05 trillion on Tuesday, exceeding earlier projections for the end of the fiscal period.

Several reports link the acceleration to higher federal borrowing and rising costs, including interest expenses and long-term obligations. PBS NewsHour notes that defense spending and major social programs such as Social Security and Medicare, along with interest on the growing deficit, take up a large share of federal spending. Al Jazeera frames the milestone as an obligation faced by Americans.

Some outlets add political context: France 24 and RTE say the increase is partly associated with President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have been invalidated, while Times of India also references Trump’s defense-budget proposals. Other coverage stays more focused on the fiscal arithmetic, emphasizing the speed of growth and that debt is rising faster than earlier forecasts.