Trump and Musk ignore the real solution to big budget deficits

NC Newsline

Here’s an assignment for the conservative politicians and activists who keep telling us that President Trump and his sidekick Elon Musk’s massive federal budget cuts are quote “making American great again”: take a few minutes to check out the history of the federal budget deficit.

As a quick review reveals, it was a Democratic administration that last tamed the deficit.

During the last three years of the administration of President Bill Clinton 1998, 99, 2000 –thanks to a healthy economy and slightly higher taxes on the rich– the U.S. actually ran significant budget surpluses.

At the time, the U.S. was even making headway in paying off the national debt.

But you know what happened next. President Bush and a GOP congress commenced a tax slashing binge that Democrats never mustered the guts or votes to reverse in earnest, and it’s been a river of red ink ever since.

The bottom line: Making America great again when it comes to the federal budget deficit is a fine idea, but Trump and Musk are ignoring history and barking up the wrong tree.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.