President Obama has almost doubled our national debt to more than

Host: The dusk had fallen over the city, the flickering lights of passing cars casting long shadows against the cracked pavement. The air was thick with the hum of the city — a restless pulse, as though the streets themselves were waiting for something. Jack and Jeeny sat in the corner of an old café, the steam from their coffee cups swirling in the air, mingling with the scent of the rain-soaked earth outside. There was an uneasy silence between them, a tension that had been building for days. Jack, with his arms crossed, stared at the menu as if he were trying to read something beyond it. Jeeny, slightly tilted toward him, was the first to speak.

Jeeny: “You know, Jack, I’ve been hearing more and more about what Trump said recently about the national debt. Do you think he has a point? Is our country really on the brink of collapse?” Her voice was soft, almost cautious, as if she didn’t want to stir the anger she knew could be coming.

Jack: “Oh, you mean the tweet that’s going around? About Obama doubling the national debt to $19 trillion?” Jack’s voice was sharp, cutting through the air. He set the menu down, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not sure I buy that. Numbers don’t mean a damn thing when you don’t consider the context. You can’t just throw around a number like that and act like it explains everything. Just look at the priorities. Roads are falling apart? Sure. Airports are in bad shape? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean it’s Obama’s fault. It’s the system.”

Jeeny: She leaned in, her eyes widening slightly, a quiet anger beginning to rise in her chest. “But how can you ignore the fact that the debt is out of control? We’re talking about $19 trillion! Trillions, Jack! If the system is broken, then who’s to blame for letting it get this far? The government can’t just keep spending and borrowing without consequences. People are suffering. Forty-three million Americans on food stamps — that’s real. How do you explain that?”

Jack: He let out a deep, exasperated sigh, rubbing his temple. “Do you honestly think that cutting the debt is going to fix anything? You think that slashing spending on programs that keep people alive, or tearing down everything just to ‘balance the budget’ — that’s the answer? Politics isn’t that simple, Jeeny. There’s always a trade-off. We’re not living in some utopia where you can magically make everything perfect. Debt doesn’t just disappear. It’s a symptom, not the cause.”

Host: The air in the café felt suddenly heavier, the conversation shifting in waves, each word causing ripples. The soft clink of a coffee cup was heard as Jeeny placed hers down, her hands trembling slightly. Jack’s eyes were firm, but his voice held a tension beneath it.

Jeeny: “But Jack, that’s the problem! It’s been years of sinking deeper and deeper into this hole. The roads, the bridges, the infrastructure — it’s all falling apart! It’s like we’re spending so much on things that aren’t even working. What do we have to show for all that debt? What’s being done to fix the real issues? The middle-class is struggling, the poor are falling further behind, and all we’re doing is borrowing more and more, while the rich get richer. Is this the world you want to live in?”

Jack: He gritted his teeth, clearly frustrated. “I get it. The system’s messed up. But trickle-down economics doesn’t work. Cutting taxes for the wealthy, slashing social programs, all of that — it only makes things worse for everyone else. We’ve tried it. Over and over. All it does is shift the burden onto people who can’t carry it.” He leaned forward, his voice intensifying. “The truth is, it’s not about the debt. It’s about the power. The people who make the rules don’t give a damn about the roads or the food stamps. They care about protecting their own interests.”

Jeeny: “But don’t you think Trump’s right about one thing? That we’ve been spending recklessly? That leadership should have done something about this debt years ago? Obama might not be the only one to blame, but he certainly had his hand in it. People are suffering because of it. We can’t just keep making excuses for the system. We need change.”

Host: The rain outside had started again, but this time it was heavier, its sound almost deafening as it pounded against the windows. The tension between them had become palpable, like a storm waiting to break. Jack’s fingers drummed nervously on the table, while Jeeny’s hands were still clenched into tight fists. Their eyes never left each other, a silent battle waging between them.

Jack: “Change. You want change, Jeeny? Let’s be real — everyone wants change. But how do we get it? By throwing a billionaire into office who’s going to cut all the programs that help people, who’s going to keep playing this game of divide and conquer? Trump talks a big game about draining the swamp, but all I see is more political theater. More of the same old tricks. The debt isn’t the problem, Jeeny. The problem is that we’re not addressing the root cause. We’re stuck in a cycle of greed and mismanagement, and until we break that cycle, the debt is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Jeeny: “So you’re saying we’re stuck then? That nothing can be done?” Her voice cracked, just a little. “What about the people who need help now? Millions of people. What about them?”

Host: The clatter of the café’s door opening and closing seemed like a distant sound, as the room was filled with the heavy silence of their thoughts. Jack’s gaze softened, just slightly, as he looked at Jeeny. There was confusion in his eyes, a glimmer of uncertainty breaking through the armor he’d worn all night.

Jack: “No, Jeeny… I’m not saying that nothing can be done. I just… I don’t know if the answers are as simple as they seem. Cutting the debt, sure, we could do that. But what does it leave behind? What are we really going to do to fix things? People want quick fixes, but the real change has to come from the inside. Leadership has to stop thinking about power and start thinking about the people. That’s the only way we get out of this mess.”

Jeeny: She sighed, the frustration in her chest lifting, but only slightly. “I wish it were that easy. I really do. But if we don’t start facing the reality of the debt, and the consequences of our actions, I don’t know how much longer we can pretend everything’s fine.”

Host: The rain outside had stopped again, and the city lights reflected off the damp streets, glowing like the edges of a dream. Jack and Jeeny sat in the quiet, their hands resting on the table, the tension between them now muted, but still there. They were two people trying to find a way through a world full of compromise and conflict, each with their own truth, both wondering what it would take to move beyond the noise.