Budget Fact Check

There are so many nonsense numbers being thrown around in Washington these days, our substack column, Trillions, will each week include a new feature: Budget Fact Check.


Other Fact Checkers:  WashPostFactChecker  | FactCheck.org |  ReutersFactCheck  | APFactCheck | Politifact


Fri, March 21, 2025:
Trump’s flimsy list claiming VOA distributed “radical propoganda”WP

Fri, March 14, 2025:
Trump’s fantastical claim of a $200 billion ‘subsidy’ to Canada: No matter how we do the math, the numbers don’t add up. – WP

Wed, March 5, 2025:
Fact-checking 26 suspect claims in Trump’s address to Congress–false claims about border crossings, regulations, the economy, inflation and many other issuesWP

Fri, Feb 28, 2025:
Fact-checking Trump’s claims on amount of US aid to UkraineABC
Golden visa math doesn’t add up to trillions – AXIOS

Wed, Feb 26, 2025:
Trump decries a “scam” USAID contract. It supports a program he started in his first term.WP

Mon, Feb 24, 2025:
Compensation for federal civilian employees cost about $271 billion in FY 2022 — less than 5 percent of the $6.3 trillion the government spent that year. About 3/5 of compensation was for civilians at DOD, VA, and Homeland Security. – WP & CBO

Sun, Feb 23, 2025:
Budget Fact Check: The imaginary “DOGE Dividend”FedBudgetGuy.Substack.com

Sat, Feb 22, 2025:
Musk’s DOGE says it has saved $55 billion. Not so fast. A Washington Post analysis found that hundreds of the canceled contracts DOGE listed represent savings of $0 each. – WP

Fri, Feb 21, 2025:
Trump, Musk exaggerate scale of improper social security payments to the deadFactCheck.org
“Although the (DOGE) website claims the…estimated savings is $55 billion, the reported savings from the ‘wall of receipts’ on the page total about $8.6 billion….More than one-third of the contracts DOGE lists as canceled report $0 in savings…We asked the White House for details about how DOGE reached the $55 billion estimate, but received no additional details.” PolitiFact.com 

Thurs, Feb 13, 2025:
Musk misleads on FEMA’s migrant-related payments to New York City – FactCheck.org

Wed, Feb 12, 2025:
Trump says DOGE found tens of billions in savings. Not even close. – WP 

Sat, Feb 8, 2025:
Sorting out the Facts on “Waste and Abuse” at USAIDFactCheck.org

Fri, Feb 7, 2025:
The White House’s wildly inaccurate claims about USAID spendingWP 

Fri, Jan 24, 2025:
Trump’s gusher of misleading economic statistics at DavosWP

Mon, Jan 20, 2025:
Fact-checking Trump’s inaugural addressWP
Fact-checking Trumps inaugural address – FactCheck.org