Legendary journalist Dan Rather threw President Donald Trump's words back in his face in a new Substack essay.
On Tuesday, the U.S. national debt surpassed $40 trillion, a level that has alarmed economists. Rather argued in a new article for his Substack, "Steady," that Trump once promised to eliminate the national debt during his first term. However, that appears to be just another unfulfilled promise.
"You may remember back in 2016 when Trump proclaimed himself the 'king of debt,' promising to eliminate it in eight years," Rather wrote. "Forty trillion dollars later, that was just another grift. Meanwhile, he is treating the U.S. Treasury like his own personal piggy bank, gleefully spending close to a billion dollars in taxpayer dollars to glorify himself with gilded pieces of junk, mega-ballrooms, and monuments for which no one asked."
The national debt crossed the $40 trillion mark at a time when many Americans are most concerned about affordability ahead of the midterm elections. Rising debt levels will likely increase the cost for Americans to borrow money to buy goods like cars and appliances, according to some experts.