Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the Trump administration is weighing plans to apply part of the tariff revenue toward lowering the national debt.

"I think at a point we're going to be able to do it," Bessent said during an interview with CNBC, adding that he and President Donald Trump were "laser-focused on paying down the debt."

"I think that we're going to bring down the deficit-to-GDP, we will start paying down debt, and then at a point that can be used as an offset for the American people," he said.

The nation's debt, which is the amount of money the U.S. owes its creditors, is nearing $37.2 trillion as of Aug. 18, according to the Treasury Department.

The staggering figure has intensified the long-standing debate in Washington over government spending, t

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