Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the United States can address its national debt without treating the $40 trillion figure as a fixed problem. Speaking on CNBC and “Squawk on the Street,” he argues that “there’s nothing magic about the $40 trillion number” and that the country can “grow our way out of that.”
Both outlets frame the comments around a debt milestone reached this week. The discussion centers on the idea that economic growth could help reduce the debt burden over time, rather than relying on a specific view that hitting $40 trillion automatically creates an unavoidable crisis. Neither source provides detailed policy steps in the excerpts, but both emphasize Bessent’s stance that growth is a key part of the solution.
The outlets differ only in wording and the specific program on which the remarks are made, with Fortune highlighting the broader theme and The Hill quoting the line more directly.
