President Donald Trump and multibillionaire Elon Musk have justified the chaotic and cruel federal cuts by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency by claiming that they’re saving taxpayers money.
“We’ve taken back the money and reduced our debt to fight inflation and other things,” Trump said during his rambling address to a joint session of Congress earlier this month.
And in February, he even claimed that he would send checks to taxpayers worth 20% of DOGE’s savings.
However, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s February Monthly Budget Review found that spending is actually higher than it was last year, with the federal government spending $605 billion in February 2025 compared to about $567 billion in February 2024.
“The federal government incurred a deficit of $308 billion in February 2025, CBO estimates—$11 billion more than the deficit recorded last February,” the report said.
