Did the 2025 federal budget signed by Trump cut overall discretionary spending?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
President Trump’s FY2026 discretionary budget request sought an overall discretionary topline of about $1.75 trillion while proposing to cut non‑defense discretionary (NDD) spending by roughly $163 billion — a 22–23% reduction relative to 2025 levels — and to increase defense and homeland security lines [1] [2] [3]. That request is an administration proposal to Congress, not an enacted federal budget; sources show debate about counting and classification of some items and note Congress has final say [3] [4].
1. What the White House requested — big NDD cuts, higher defense
The White House’s FY2026 discretionary funding request presented in May 2025 asks for about $1.75 trillion in total discretionary appropriations while explicitly reducing non‑defense discretionary spending by $163 billion, or about 22.6–23%, and reallocating resources toward defense, homeland security and border enforcement [1] [3] [2]. The administration framed the package as holding “the topline” while prioritizing national security and trimming domestic program lines [3].
2. But a request is not a signed budget — Congress decides appropriations
Multiple sources underline that the president’s document is an annual request — a blueprint for Congress — and not itself law. Congressional appropriators write the actual appropriations bills that set enacted discretionary spending; therefore proposed cuts in the White House request do not equal cuts in law [4] [1]. House Democrats publicly disputed parts of the administration’s accounting and warned the request mixes discretionary and other measures [4].
3. Disagreement over counting and “gimmicks” — why percentages vary
Opponents in Congress and Democratic House sources argue the administration miscounts some items — for example treating certain reconciliation or mandatory changes as discretionary — which alters headline cuts [4]. That dispute explains why some outlets report a near‑23% NDD cut while others, or the administration in different summaries, present smaller percentage figures once alternative counts are applied [4] [3].
4. Independent estimates and official comparisons — CBO and others
The Congressional Budget Office analyzed the President’s discretionary proposals and compared the administration’s requested discretionary obligations with CBO’s baseline, noting the administration requested about $1.75 trillion in discretionary appropriations for 2025 (used in the CBO comparison) and providing context for year‑to‑year comparisons [1]. CBO’s role is to benchmark the request against a statutory baseline, helping illustrate the gap between the request and current‑law projections [1].
5. What the cuts would mean in practice — targeted agencies and programs
Press and policy summaries of the White House request itemize steep proposed reductions for civilian agencies and sharp increases for defense and homeland security: examples cited include tens of billions taken from HUD and large proposed increases for DHS and Defense. Advocacy groups and industry writers note proposed cuts to housing, education and medical research among others [5] [2] [6]. The White House document itself lists program eliminations and rescissions to justify the NDD reduction [3].
6. Political framing and agendas — who benefits from the narrative
The administration frames the request as prioritizing veterans, seniors and national security while eliminating duplicative or low‑impact programs [3]. Critics — notably House Democrats — frame the proposal as extreme and as an attempt to shift spending via reconciliation gimmicks or misclassification [4]. Both positions reflect political objectives: the White House to press a policy agenda and Congress members to defend or attack domestic programs ahead of appropriations fights [3] [4].
7. Bottom line for the original question — did the signed 2025 federal budget cut discretionary spending?
Available sources document the Trump administration’s FY2026 discretionary request proposing a large cut to non‑defense discretionary spending (about $163 billion, ~22–23%), but these materials are budget requests and analyses — not enacted law. Sources do not show that a final, signed FY2026 appropriations package matching the White House’s proposed NDD cuts had been enacted; Congress retains the power to accept, modify or reject those proposals [3] [4] [1]. Sources do not mention a completed, signed federal budget that definitively implemented the full scope of the administration’s requested cuts [4].
Limitations: this piece relies only on the White House request, CBO analysis, and public reactions in the sources provided; it does not include later congressional enactments or post‑May 2025 appropriations outcomes not contained in those documents [1] [3] [4].