US national debt hits $21 trillion

The United States national debt exceeded $21 trillion for the first time, a little more than six months after it hit first $20 trillion on September 8, 2017.

The national debt was $21.031 trillion on Thursday. The government releases total debt figures each business day, but it lags by one day, the Washington Examiner reported.

When Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2017, the national debt was $19.9 trillion, according to U.S. Treasury data. About a year ago, Trump pledged to eliminate the national debt "over a period of eight years".