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ANALYSIS 1H AGO YAHOO FINANCE

America now pays more in interest than it does for defense

14 SEP 2026 · 11:00 ET·23:55·137 VIEWS·1.5× USUAL PACE

Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein states that the United States now spends more on interest payments for its national debt than it does on national defense, a financial crossroad he identifies with declining world powers over the last four centuries. This situation has significant implications for individual financial instruments like mortgages and credit cards.

WHY IT MATTERS

This shift indicates a substantial portion of the national budget is diverted to debt servicing rather than other priorities, potentially impacting economic stability and increasing borrowing costs for consumers through higher mortgage and credit card rates.

ALSO DISCUSSED

The episode also covers why many members of Congress sleep in their offices, the issue of aliteracy in America, David Rubenstein's collection of historical documents, and the communication styles of Federal Reserve chairs.

NATIONAL DEBT INTEREST RATES NATIONAL DEFENSE DAVID RUBENSTEIN GOVERNMENT SPENDING

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