• Jimmy Carter added $25 billion to the deficit.
• Ronald Reagan added $74 billion. That seemed bad at the time; just you wait.
• George H.W. Bush added $102 billion.
• Bill Clinton reduced the deficit by $383 billion, leaving the budget in surplus when he left office.
• George W. Bush added $1.54 trillion to the deficit.
• Barack Obama got the deficit down to $585 billion; that is, he reduced it by $825 billion.
• Donald Trump added $2.1 trillion to the deficit.
• Joe Biden reduced the deficit by about $942 billion.
I’ve been a financial planner for over 20 years – and a registered Republican since I gleefully filled out my voter registration card at 18 in the early 90s – and this has always been true. Why do people still say that Republicans are interested in lowering the deficit? Why do people still say that Republicans are good for Economy? What am I missing?
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I have deep problems with the modern GOP when it comes to this and on one is taking it seriously, but the last line that Biden reduced the deficit by 942 Billion is incredibly dishonest. Outside of coming down from the insane covid year, he increased the deficit incredibly fast. Factoring in 2020 and 21 for both Trump and Biden last and first years is just lies damn lies and statistics.
Obama was however the actual last person to make a meaningful impact on reducing the deficit and is worth noting. At this point we need to raise taxes and cut spending and medicare and social security at this point.
It’s hard to conflate MAGA with previous Republican administrations. But I don’t think that Republicans have a great reputation for cutting spending.
Trump’s solution to the deficit is to have economic growth outpace the debt.
You are ignoring control of congress – crediting Clinton with deficit reduction when the GOP congress was responsible is why the left is confused about deficit reduction.
Also, the GOP has tried multiple times under recent presidents to reduce the deficit, and each time the left pillories the right for “austerity”.
Fundamentally, the left wants to spend more money – raising taxes to pay for new spending without addressing the deficit doesn’t help either.
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It’s actually laughable that either party claims to give a shit about the deficit. Each just uses it as campaign ammo during election cycles. If either cared about it, they would legislate to reduce spending.
Congress makes the budget, not the President.
Trump voter. I voted for Perot
Republicans are not better than democrats when it comes to deficit spending. I do not think Regan was correct (the numbers don’t make sense to me). Republicans borrow and spend, while democrats have the reputation of wanting to raise taxes to spend.
Why am I a Trump voter? I am pro life, I want a strong border. I hated NAFTA and GATT. I want DOGE and Trump to cut government spending with an ax, jackhammer, and wrecking ball (I hope the savings will reduce deficit spending). I believe that tariffs in the long run will bring manufacturing back to the U.S. (along with corporate tax cuts when goods are manufactured in the U.S.). I agree that tariffs may raise prices in the U.S. (it does fit logic). I believe lower gas prices will eventually come, which in control inflation.
You think presidents are responsible for the budget or the deficit? You have the flair Fiscal Conservatism and you honestly made that attribution in earnest?
Biden didn’t reduce the deficit
None of those presidents did what you claim.
Congress, not the president, makes the budget.