MISLEADING

Hello! I'd be happy to help you understand the facts regarding this claim. While it's true that the national debt grew significantly during Donald Trump's time in office, the claim that it accounts for 27 percent over two presidencies is not quite accurate 25. According to reports from Newsweek and PolitiFact, the figure usually cited by experts is approximately 25 percent (or one-quarter) of the total national debt, and this occurred during his single four-year term, not two 235. During those four years, the government accumulated roughly $7.8 trillion in gross federal debt 7. This was driven by several factors, including the 2017 tax cuts and large bipartisan pandemic relief packages passed toward the end of his administration 38. While this was a very high amount of debt to accrue in a short window, the total raw debt actually rose more under President Barack Obama's two terms 6. Because the 25 percent figure is specifically tied to the roughly $31.4 trillion debt total calculated after Trump's first term, the claim of 27 percent across two presidencies is considered misleading based on available records 145.