The amount of money the government is taking in is outstripped by federal outlays. Fixing this won't be easy, especially in this political environment, Jon Talton writes.

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.

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.

The U.S. budget deficit totaled $307 billion for President Donald Trump's first full month in office, up 4%, or $11 billion, from a year ago, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday, even as growth in receipts outpaced that of spending.

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

Data disclosed by the Treasury Department showed an adjusted gap between federal spending and revenue of $1.063 trillion for October through February.