Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said the U.S. government's rising interest burden reflects policies he opposed in Congress and contributed to his loss in Kentucky's May primary. In a post on X dated August 19, 2026, Massie said interest payments amount to $4,000 per American each year, or $16,000 for a family of four. The national debt crossed $40.05 trillion this week, while interest costs approached $1.2 trillion and became the federal government's largest expense after Social Security and Medicare. The 30-year Treasury yield reached a 19-year high, July's deficit totaled $432.3 billion and the year-to-date shortfall moved toward $1.8 trillion. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley warned that Social Security could go bankrupt within five years, affecting 75 million Americans. The Treasury Department doubled long-dated bond buybacks to help stabilize yields, while economist Mohamed El-Erian said the figures were "stunning."