Trump said tariffs slashed the deficit, but the federal numbers tell a different story

As President Donald Trump faced questions about the economic impact of his trade policy, a White House social media post framed tariffs as essential for tackling federal deficits.

A Nov. 12 X Post from the White House included Trump’s Nov. 5 remarks to a business forum when he touted his administration’s efforts to reduce government and target “waste, fraud and abuse.” He said the economy has been creating jobs in the private sector rather than in the government.

“My tariffs are bringing in hundreds of billions of dollars, and are helping to slash the deficit this year by more than 25%,” the X post quoted Trump as saying.