Not true.
The National Debt has not decreased year-to-year since 1957.
On June 30, 1957 the debt was about $2 billion less than it was on June 30, 1956.
Here is the historical record.
There were a couple of years in the late 1990s when the debt "only" went up $20 billion or so, but it's been up continuously every single year since 1957.
There were a couple of years in the late 1990s when the debt "only" went up $20 billion
True. But in the public eye it was as good as balanced budget, especially comparing to what we have now.