Richard Haass Warns $40 Trillion Debt Threatens National Security

Former diplomat Richard Haass warned that the United States national public debt, which has surpassed $40 trillion, now constitutes a national security issue. He argued that this fiscal trajectory risks eroding global confidence in the U.S. economy, which could prompt international actors to abandon the dollar and cease financing the debt.

Haass noted that the cost of servicing the national debt has grown to exceed the amount the government spends on national defense. He stated that this situation forces the government to raise interest rates to attract necessary financing rather than using those rates to manage economic overheating.

According to Haass, this shift in fiscal priority diverts essential funds away from productive investments in education, infrastructure, and high-speed rail.