Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse Bitcoin, XRP or another digital asset as a direct solution to the U.S. national debt after it surpassed $40 trillion. In a Newsmax interview with host Carl Higbie on August 20, 2026, Vance instead pointed to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s plan to make the economy grow faster than debt, supported by GDP growth, tariff revenue and nearly $19 trillion in projected foreign investment over the next decade. President Donald Trump said the long-standing debt problem could be resolved through very strong growth, while Bessent said there was nothing magic about the $40 trillion figure and that the United States could grow its way out of elevated debt. Vance also cited Trump’s interest in a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, a state-managed investment fund that could hold domestic equities, energy and other strategic assets alongside any potential crypto exposure. Trump said a Bitcoin reserve had been discussed and had taken pressure off the dollar, while directing final structural decisions to SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig. The administration’s digital-asset focus also includes the CLARITY Act, which aims to establish clearer rules for digital assets and blockchain projects.