5 high-priced cartoons about the $40 trillion national debt

Artists take on dangerous waters, future generations, and more

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This cartoon is titled "Lake America". It depicts Uncle Sam in a boat that is stuck in a whirlpool. The boat is being pulled down into a black hole labeled "National Debt".

(Image credit: Bill Bramhall / Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency)

This cartoon depicts a garbage truck overloaded with garbage bags that are labeled “$40 trillion national debt.” The truck has a “Baby on Board” sticker in the back and there is an infant peering out from inside the pile of garbage bags with a wide-eyed expression.

(Image credit: Steve Sack / Copyright 2026 Cagle Cartoons, Inc.)

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