I asked Grok on the X platform to calculate whether Trump has increased the debt more than any other president (in nominal non-inflation adjusted terms). Grok answered:
Debt Increases by Recent PresidentsHere's a summary of nominal dollar increases in total public debt during each president's tenure, based on available data. Note that these figures can vary slightly across sources due to exact measurement dates or whether they include total public debt vs. debt held by the public. I've used consistent sources where possible, and presidents with multiple terms (like Obama or Trump) have their totals combined.
Of course, Trump is not even a full year into his second term, and the budget to be approved after the shutdown, presumably before his first year ends, will add even more to the debt.
Trump recently announced the production of a Trump commemorative coin. Leaving aside for the moment the 19th century restriction against using living people on commemorative coins - perhaps especially sitting presidents who call for themselves to be featured on them - there are serious positive implications to the U.S. producing a commemorative coin.
A Forbes magazine article says:
Trump bucks may be closer than you think.
The U.S. Treasury Department has taken the next step toward introducing a 2026 commemorative $1 coin featuring President Donald J. Trump.
The Treasury's move is in part due to bipartisan legislation passed by Congress in 2020, and signed by Trump in his first term, that the Treasury Secretary was given authority to issue one-dollar commemorative coins during the 2026 calendar year that would be emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial.
The departments authority to mint collectible coins for special national occasions like this, are part of a long tradition of special-edition currency, ranging from honoring the Constitution to celebrating the U.S. hosted Olympic Games.
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