Here’s an assignment for the conservative politicians and activists who keep telling us that President Trump and his sidekick Elon Musk’s massive federal budget cuts are quote “making American great again”: take a few minutes to check out the history of the federal budget deficit.

The deficit for the first five months of fiscal 2025 came to $1.147 trillion, up 38%, or $318 billion, from a year earlier.

While the government did cut its outlays in February, the budget deficit for the month more than doubled compared to January due to a drop in income.

The U.S. budget deficit for the first five months of fiscal 2025 hit a record $1.147 trillion, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday, including a $307 billion February deficit for President Donald Trump's first full month in office that was up 4% from a year earlier.