Economist Steve Hanke Sounds Alarm As US Debt Tops 100% of GDP, Calls For Constitutional Fix

Professor Steve Hanke, an economist at Johns Hopkins University, called for a constitutional debt brake in the U.S. in an X post on Thursday.
He shared a post citing Bureau of Economic Analysis data showing U.S. national debt has crossed 100% of GDP for the first time since World War II.


THE U.S. NEEDS TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO INCLUDE A DEBT BRAKE.https://t.co/2vXkZbBaAG
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) May 1, 2026


Numbers Behind The Milestone
The U.S. national debt reached 100.2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the end of March, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, marking the first time it has exceeded the size of the economy since World War II. Debt held by the public stood at $31.27 trillion, compared with nominal GDP of $31.22 trillion over the prior 12-month