FACT CHECK: MSNBC Says The Deficit Hit The Highest Ever Last Month – Is It True?

MSNBC economic analyst Steven Rattner claimed on Twitter March 22 that February was a record-breaking month for the federal deficit.

From Check Your Fact:

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“Just in from the Treasury Dept: The largest ever deficit for a Feb bringing the 12-month tally to $932bn (32% wider Y/Y),” he tweeted.

Verdict: True

The $234 billion deficit reported this February is the largest monthly deficit on record, including all other February deficits, according to data from the Treasury Department.

Fact Check:

The day of Rattner’s tweet, the Treasury Department published a report calculating the federal budget deficit for the fiscal year to date, including the month of February. The federal government collected $167 billion in receipts that month and spent $401 billion, resulting in a $234 billion deficit, the largest monthly deficit on record, according to Treasury Department data dating back to fiscal year 1981.

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