US deficit climbs to $307 billion in Trump's first full month

The U.S. budget deficit reached $307 billion during President Donald Trump’s first full month in office, marking a 4% increase—an additional $11 billion—over the same period last year, according to the Treasury Department.

Record receipts bolstered the figures in February, with federal income totaling $296 billion—a 9% rise or an extra $25 billion compared with the previous year. However, government spending surged even more, with outlays reaching a record $603 billion in February, up 6% or $36 billion year over year.

After calendar adjustments for both receipts and expenditures, the adjusted deficit would have stood at $311 billion, representing a 3% increase over February 2024.

For the first five months of fiscal 2025, the overall deficit ballooned to $1.147 trillion, up 38%—or $318 billion—from a year earlier. Fiscal year-to-date receipts increased by 2%, or $37 billion, to a record $1.893 trillion, while outlays climbed 13%, or $355 billion, to a record $3.039 trillion.

Driving the spending growth were higher costs associated with Treasury’s interest on the public debt, increased outlays for Child Tax Credit payments, and elevated Social Security payments—partly due to a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for 2025.

The steep rise in both spending and the overall deficit highlights the fiscal challenges facing the administration as it navigates a period marked by record revenues alongside rapidly escalating expenditures.

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