--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I found this national debt, doubled…" description: "\"I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval Office.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/barack-obama-17_debt_i-found-this-national-debt-doubled-wrapp_947289.jpg" --- # I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow… ![“I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval Office.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/barack-obama-17_debt_i-found-this-national-debt-doubled-wrapp_947289.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/barack-obama-17_debt_i-found-this-national-debt-doubled-wrapp_947289.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b34/barack-obama-17_debt_i-found-this-national-debt-doubled-wrapp_947289.jpg) > “I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval Office.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The national debt has grown dramatically, presented as a burden that the nation must address responsibly. **In simple terms:** Debt is huge and needs careful handling. Key Takeaway Prioritize fiscal responsibility and balanced budgeting. Themes economics government debt policy Mood concerned serious informative Type political policy economic When to use this quote - national budgeting - policy reform - public discourse - financial planning Key Concepts fiscal sustainability public finance budgetary constraints Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence debt reduction? - What policies best balance growth and debt control? A Different Perspective Addressing debt requires political compromise and public support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Debt Doubled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-doubled-1662270/) [Doubled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubled/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [National debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-debt/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Oval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oval/) [Oval office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oval-office/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [We inherited a national debt that has doubled in eight years. Think of it - $20 trillion. It's doubled. And we inherited a foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-inherited-a-national-debt-that-has-doubled-in-eight-years-think-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [When you look at our trade deals that are so bad. Our debt has doubled in seven and a half years to almost $20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/when-you-look-at-our-trade-deals-that-are-so-bad-our-debt-has-doubled/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ There's something about these steps \[in Oval Office\] and thinking about everybody who's walked here and all the business that's been done here. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-s-something-about-these-steps-in-oval-office-and-thinking-about/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally . Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/increasing-america-s-debt-weakens-us-domestically-and-internationally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Some days, I'd feel better with Punxsutawney Phil in the Oval Office - at least he doesn't lie about the weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/some-days-i-d-feel-better-with-punxsutawney-phil-in-the-oval-office/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I don't understand why, to rise to the level of being president of my country, one has to be a monster. I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-don-t-understand-why-to-rise-to-the-level-of-being-president-of-my/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Neil and Buzz, I am talking to you by telephone from the Oval Office at the White House, and this certainly has to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/neil-and-buzz-i-am-talking-to-you-by-telephone-from-the-oval-office/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [The president and I sat down in the Oval Office, and he expressed very clearly that what he wants from me is my best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/the-president-and-i-sat-down-in-the-oval-office-and-he-expressed-very/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [Bush made a point of emphasizing to me that unlike his father's administration, his was one of significant "walk-in access" to the Oval Office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-draper/bush-made-a-point-of-emphasizing-to-me-that-unlike-his-father-s/) [Robert Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-draper/) > [The seemingly omnipresent storm clouds hanging over the Constitution often make it hard to find a silver lining. Every day, the front page of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/the-seemingly-omnipresent-storm-clouds-hanging-over-the-constitution/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [The Oval Office is a place where there's been, obviously, a lot of amazing experiences over a seven-and-a-half year period. My presidency is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-oval-office-is-a-place-where-there-s-been-obviously-a-lot-of/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The walk-in privilege, to walk into the Oval Office and have a conversation with the president, is not something that everybody gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-earnest/the-walk-in-privilege-to-walk-into-the-oval-office-and-have-a/) [Josh Earnest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-earnest/) > [This morning President Obama met with Britain's Prince William in the Oval Office. It was a meeting between a symbolic ruler with no real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/this-morning-president-obama-met-with-britain-s-prince-william-in-the/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [War is party-blind. It doesn't care who is in the Oval Office. The forces that drive us to war don't care whether it's Republican,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/war-is-party-blind-it-doesn-t-care-who-is-in-the-oval-office-the/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [ Soon the Oval Office will be his \[ Donald Trump\] office, his home. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephanopoulos/soon-the-oval-office-will-be-his-donald-trump-office-his-home/) [George Stephanopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephanopoulos/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Debt quotes > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Praise will come to those whose kindness leaves you without debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/praise-will-come-to-those-whose-kindness-leaves-you-without-debt/) [Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/) > [“Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/most-people-given-more-money-only-get-into-more-debt/) [Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/) > [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. 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