New CBO report shows national debt spiraling into uncharted territory by 2035—and Trump’s tariff defeat will make the picture even worse

Fortune
by Shawn Tully
February 21, 2026
By 2035, the CBO expects the deficit to reach $2.96 trillion or 6.2% of GDP versus 5.8% today, and almost double the multi-decade, pre-pandemic average.
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Originally published on Fortune on 2/21/2026