evidence: WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government’s gross national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, a record high that foreshadows the coming political and economic challenges to improve America’s balance sheet in the coming years. [...] But the debt grew faster than expected because of a multi-year pandemic starting in 2020 that shut down much of the U.S. economy. The government borrowed heavily under then President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden to stabilize the economy and support a recovery. But the rebound came with a surge of inflation that pushed up interest rates and made it more expensive for the government to service its debts. [...] White House spokesman Michael Kikukawa put the blame on the GOP, saying in a statement that the steady accrual over years was "trickle-down debt — driven overwhelmingly by repeated Republican giveaways skewed to big corporations and the wealthy."