Federal Budget Balance under every president, month by month
At month 21 in office, Trump II is at −$1,993B: #8 of 8 administrations (average −$767B). Official U.S. Treasury (Monthly Treasury Statement) data.
Every administration at month 21
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 21 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ronald Reagan | −$111B | — | −$184B (month 48) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
| #2 | George W. Bush | −$158B | −158.6% | −$399B (month 48) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
| #3 | Bill Clinton | −$203B | +27.9% | −$111B (month 48) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
| #4 | George H. W. Bush | −$221B | −42.3% | −$327B (month 48) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
| #5 | Donald Trump (first term) | −$779B | −33.4% | −$3,348B (month 48) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
| #6 | Barack Obama | −$1,294B | −69.9% | −$1,061B (month 48) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
| #7 | Joe Biden | −$1,375B | +60.5% | −$2,029B (month 48) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
| #8 | Donald Trump (second term) · in office | −$1,993B | +6.7% | −$1,993B (month 21) | U.S. Treasury · MTSDS133FMS |
Methodology and source verification
Rolling 12-month sum of the monthly federal surplus or deficit (Treasury), in billions. Negative = deficit.
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: U.S. Treasury (Monthly Treasury Statement). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series MTSDS133FMS, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-09-01, first published 2026-10-16. Full methods: methodology.