Senator Rick Scott said Congress is responsible for inflation and high interest rates, not the Federal Reserve or President Trump. In a CNBC interview and on social media, the Florida Republican pointed to $2 trillion annual deficits and a national debt of $39 trillion, arguing that federal overspending is the root cause. Scott's remarks came amid a broader debate over U.S. debt, with economist Steve Hanke calling for a constitutional debt brake after public debt exceeded 100% of GDP for the first time since World War II. Richard Haass of the Council on Foreign Relations warned the debt could become a national security risk, while economist Barry Eichengreen attributed the problem to political polarization.