Key Takeaways

  • Spending priorities are shifting, not shrinking.
  • Debt continues to grow as military and ICE budgets expand.
  • Claims of deficit reduction conflict with published budget totals.

AI Summary

Key takeaways highlight Spending priorities are shifting, not shrinking. Debt continues to grow as military and ICE budgets expand. Claims of deficit reduction conflict with published budget totals.

Government

Federal Budget Cuts and National Debt Increases

April 13, 2026

The Trump administration has been heavily promoting the idea that they are cutting the budget and reducing the national debt, but neither of those statistics can be faked. From all available data, we can clearly see that the total budget is increasing, as is the national debt.

First of all, the "wall of receipts" regarding DOGE savings is very suspicious. For example, they claimed millions of people over 150 years old are collecting Social Security benefits; in reality, this is just a coding issue because many older Americans simply do not know their actual birthdates.

Second, even as various agencies reduce headcounts and trim budgets, we are spending significantly more on ICE and the military. Therefore, the Trump 2.0 administration cannot accurately describe its actions as "reducing the budget deficit"; they are simply redirecting money to different priorities. Just as President Biden reduced the budget for the border wall but redirected that funding toward green energy, he was not reducing the deficit, but simply focusing on a different priority.

Furthermore, the proposed military budget for 2027 could reach $1.5 trillion, and even that might not be enough given that we are engaged in conflicts or tensions with Iran, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, and Greenland. These are all confirmed targets, and we may still potentially be protecting Taiwan and fighting against China.

Additionally, the ICE budget is increasing and is now already half the size of the Marine Corps budget. Consequently, the federal budget is growing, and the national debt is increasing at a faster rate than during the Biden era. This trend seems to be accelerating due to the tax cuts from the "Big Beautiful Bill."

While this administration may move statistics around and cherry-pick favorable data, the budget deficit and national debt levels are clearly visible to the public. They cannot claim to be cutting the federal budget when they are instead just shifting priorities from green energy and social services to the ICE and military budgets.

FAQ

What is Federal Budget Cuts and National Debt Increases?

The budget is expanding while debt rises, despite claims of deficit reduction.

Why does Federal Budget Cuts and National Debt Increases matter?

This government analysis explains the stakes and likely impacts for citizens and decision-makers.

What should readers watch next?

Track policy signals and updates in Government. This page will be updated as new evidence emerges.