As of early 2022 -
The national debt is now substantially past the knee of the exponential - and it is starting to soar.
The US national debt is now above $30 trillion - and growing rapidly.
Take a look at how fast the national debt is compounding on itself in the meantime now - usdebtclock.org , the upper left-hand corner.
Yes, the clock is accurate - I have verified that myself many times over the years when checking it, anticipating what is going on in the meantime. The debt even gets paid down a little from time to time when tax collections come in - as reflected on the clock when that happens (yes, it does even go down a little from time to time!). The effect does not last long - the debt is now compounding on itself so quickly that the effect of the paydown is absorbed very quickly and the debt is on to new highs.
I will add that I recently verified the accuracy of the debt clock again. Earlier this year I saw a headline that the US national debt had just crossed $30 trillion. As announced by the Treasury Department of the United States. I then checked the online debt clock - and it had just crossed $30 trillion overnight. I doubt the Treasury Department of the United States was using the online debt clock to come to their conclusion. The Treasury Department of the United States issues the debt. They have the numbers themselves.