I've seen it several times on this thread, and I just want to point out that anyone discussing the so-called "national debt" needs to realize that it is a Republican/conservative talking point, and there is no need to buy in to it or concede it. Even those who point to federal debt versus GDP are still losing an important dimension.
I wouldn't present a case study here without details of my assets, my liabilities, my income, and my expenses. Also, federal debt doesn't account for other forms of debt, exceed the federal debt, and definitely doesn't take into account the Federal assets or national assets.
As of 2017 Q2 and as reported in the September 2017 Federal Reserve Z.1,
Household/nonprofit assets total $111,415 billion, and liabilities total $15,219 billion, for a net value of $96,195 billion.
Corporate nonfinancial business assets $42,447 billion, liabilities of $19,153, net value of $23,293 billion.
Noncorporate nonfinancial business assets $19,226 billion, liabilities of $7,373, net value of $11,853 billion
Financial busines assets $95,485 billion, liabilities $87,150 billion, net value $8,335 billion
Federal government assets $5,481 billion, liabilities $18,650 billion, net value $(13,169) billion
State and Local governments assets $13,658 billion, liabilities $5,768 billion, net value $7,890 billion
Rest of the world assets $24,222 billion, liabilities $17.941 billion, net value $6,281 billion
Total assets = $311,934 billion
Total liabilities = $171,254 billion
Net worth = $140,680 billion
GDP $18.624 billion (2016)
You're going to have to show me that these number are out of line in some objective way before I'm going to care about one small aspect of them enough to wreak the havoc that Republicans and frankly some Democrats want to cause by slashing Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, welfare, research grants, etc.