For a long, long-time conservatives around the world have railed at progressives as dangerous radicals who drive their country into massive debts and deficits.

Donald Trump has gone beyond that in his unceasing hyperbole about his supposed achievements and economic successes.

“When will I ever get credit for having created, with No inflation, perhaps the Greatest Economy in the History of our country, “he has said.

Recently Teresa Hanafin of The Boston Globe decided to test the claim – not that it needed to be tested amongst the general public – but definitely within his insane, hallucinatory view of the US economy.

Hanafin begins by outlining the current situation with the US federal government budget deficit and the national debt situation.

Trump probably is unaware of the situation but perhaps someone on his staff will have the courage to explain that the deficit, federal budget and debt are now out of control.

Hanafin writes that “the last time the government had a surplus was 2001, when Bill Clinton left office after delivering four consecutive surpluses. In January 2001, he handed George W. Bush a budget surplus of $128 billion, which good ol’ Georgie turned into a $1.4 trillion deficit in eight years, saddling Barack Obama with the Great Recession.”

Unlike the conventional wisdom on the source of deficits and debt Hanafin said: “The pattern is clear: Republicans plunge us into debt with wars and tax cuts for the rich that never pay for themselves, let alone boost the economy. Then a Democrat steps into the Oval Office and works mightily to clean up the GOP’s messes. Both of Trump’s terms have followed the same pattern.”

Hanafin then created a chart which tracked what the deficit was when a president started his term and what it was when he left office. It demonstrates that in the past 45 years, every Republican has increased the deficit, and every Democrat has decreased it.

Her chart is as follows: Ronald Reagan – Republican, entered office in 198 with a $79 billion deficit and left office in 1989 with a $153 billion deficit. All in all he increased the deficit by $74 billion, or 94% in 8 years

When it came to George H.W. Bush – Republican he entered office in 1989 with a $153 billion deficit. He left office in 1993 with a $255 billion deficit increasing the deficit by $102 billion, or 67% in 4 years

Bill Clinton – Democrat entered office in 1993 with a $255 billion deficit and left office in 2001 with a $128 billion surplus. He decreased the deficit by $383 billion, or 150% in 8 years

George W. Bush – Republican entered office in 2001 with a $128 billion surplus and left office in 2009 with a $1.4 trillion deficit. He increased the deficit by $1,541 trillion, or 1,204% in 8 years

Barack Obama – Democrat entered office in 2009 with $1.4 trillion deficit and left office in 2017with a $665 billion deficit. He decreased the deficit by $748 billion, or 53% in 8 years

Donald Trump – he of the self-proclaimed unparalleled political and economic wisdom entered office in 2017 with a $655 billion deficit and let office in 2021 with a $2.78 trillion deficit. He increased the deficit by $2,107 trillion, or 317% in 4 years

The much-maligned Joe Biden – Democrat – entered office in 2021 and had $2.78 trillion deficit. He left office in 2025 with a $1.85 trillion deficit decreasing the deficit by $93 trillion, or 33% in four years

And then the Donald came back. He entered office in 2025 with $1.85 trillion deficit.

At the time of Hanafin’s research the deficit was $2 trillion. Trump had increased the deficit by $150 billion in 20 months.

Hanafin also compared a number of other indicators about the relative performance of the Biden and Trump years. Unemployment was lower when Biden left office than it is in the US today. GDP growth was higher in the Biden year while Trump said “we could have a GDP or 14,15,16, and 10.” As Hanafin says: “I have no idea what he’s talking about here.”  Probably nobody else does either.

Consumer spending growth was higher under Biden while Trump riffed about how many dolls or pencils kids might have.

Industrial production under Biden was flat but under Trump it has gone backwards. Housing starts were stronger under Biden. Consumer confidence was higher under Biden although the stock market is higher in a fragile boom vulnerable to the AI investment and spiralling debt.

Biden, his family and his staff had much to answer for. He should have stepped down well before his cognitive problems got worse and the Democrats should have had the opportunity to get a better candidate than Kamala Harris.

But Biden still had a better record than Trump.