• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Finance

I Played the National Debt Game as Donald Trump and Here’s What I Learned

By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 29, 2016, 6:00 AM ET
Donald Trump Addresses GOP Lincoln Day Event In Michigan
Photograph by Bill Pugliano — Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This week, the Brookings Institute released a video game called “The Fiscal Ship,” in which players try to figure out how to bring down the United States’ long-term debt while remaining true to their values.

The game is a slightly fun way for regular folks to understand the hard decisions that will face the American government as it contends with the rising costs of caring for an aging nation at the same time that demographic forces cause a reduction in the overall workforce. It’s a worthwhile exercise that should be taken seriously.

That’s why I played the game as Donald Trump.

Or at least imagined I was Donald Trump. The Fiscal Ship itself is the classic product of a rich-guy funded think tankery that the American people are increasingly ignoring as background noise. The game allows you to choose three different “values,” like “tax cutter,” or “fight climate change.” These values give you parameters and goals to meet as you work toward the explicit goal of the game, which is to reduce the projected 2041 ratio of debt-to-gdp from a projected 130% to today’s level of around 75% of GDP.

But here’s the problem: Such level headed goals couldn’t be further from the id or even ego of today’s American electorate. Just take a look at Donald Trump’s campaign. In March, Trump said in a March interview that he would eliminate the national debt in 8 years, which is virtually impossible. Indeed, in a recent interview with Fortune, Trump flip flopped on his pledge to eliminate the debt, saying instead that it is possible to “pay down a percentage” of the national debt during a two-term Trump Administration, but that he’d “rather not be so aggressive.”

Nonetheless, whether it’s eliminating the debt or “paying down a portion of it” while “not being so aggressive,” Trump hasn’t exactly said how he would do either. What’s more, imaging what Trump would do as president to difficult given the GOP frontrunner’s penchant for pledging to do opposing things while in office. But that didn’t stop me. I pulled on my golden wig thinking cap, and I tried to steer the Fiscal Ship best I could with Donald Trump’s public statements and promises in mind.

To start, one must choose three priorities out of the following 9: tax cutter, reduce inequality, shrink government, strengthen national defense, strengthen social safety net, fight climate change, invest in the future, protect the elderly, and rein in entitlements. Since Trump has outlined the what would be the largest tax cut in U.S. history by a wide margin, it seemed right to say that he’s a tax cutter. But he has also pledged to build up the military, a promise that is not only central to his foreign policy, but also his trade policy, as he hopes to use a built-up military to cow China into accepting trade conditions they otherwise wouldn’t. Finally, I chose “protect the elderly” as the final Trump value, given his consistent assertion that we shouldn’t solve the nation’s budget problems by cutting entitlement programs.

Even before I was able to start choosing policies in order to right America’s fiscal ship, the game issued the following warning:

Screen Shot 2016-04-26 at 4.27.44 PM

This did not bode well, but I soldiered on, I was playing as Trump afterall. So I was sure I still would be able to come up with the most beautiful debt solution ever. I tried my best to choose policies that fulfilled Trump’s values, while still trying to cut federal debt as much as possible. But in the end, the game warned me correctly. By combining Trump’s priorities, not only was I unable to reduce the United States’ long-term debt load, I actually made the problem worse, reducing revenue 11.2% by 2041, while cutting spending just 1% overall. And that’s after I chose to eliminate the EPA, the Department of Education, cut Pell Grants, eliminate subsidies for student loans, cut the mortgage interest tax deduction, and eliminate deductions for state and local taxes.

But the Trump federal budget would actually be even more radical than this game allows. According to the Tax Policy Center, Trump’s tax cuts would cost the federal government $9.5 trillion over 10 years, and that’s even before you take into account the problem Brookings is trying to solve: That government deficits are soon set to rise automatically mostly because of entitlement spending.

To make up that $9.5 trillion, you’d have to radically reimagine the federal government’s purpose. On average, the Trump tax cut will reduce federal tax revenue by $950 billion per year. Let’s take a look at some annual federal government expenditures to put that in context. Here’s what we spend roughly a year in one chart:

In other words, even if Donald Trump were to eliminate the social security program altogether—but keep the social security taxes that come out of your paycheck—we’d still be left with more debt at the end of a Trump Administration than we had when it began. Of course, Trump has specifically promised to leave Medicare and Social Security alone, so he’d probably have to resort to just eliminating the military and the entire federal safety net instead. Of course, he also promised a big military build up to in order to scare China into accepting different terms of trade, and so on.

Trump has put this budget wonk in an impossible situation. There’s just no way to make the math add up, especially if he thinks that he’s going to reduce the national debt rather than increase it a whole bunch.

Of course, for many voters this cycle, all this green eyeshade nitpicking is totally beside the point. A huge chunk of the primary electorate wants radical change that leverages the very obvious fact (to these people at least) that America’s problems are the result of stupid and corrupt leadership who have screwed America at every turn. These voters don’t seem to care that, in reality, many of America’s most pressing problems are simply the result of scarce resources and lack of political will.

 

 

 

About the Author
By Chris Matthews
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

t
AIMarkets
Billionaire Mike Bloomberg warns Trump’s AI ownership plan would make ‘George Orwell blush’
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sits and speaks at a Senate Committee Hearing
PoliticsDonald Trump
‘Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls’: Hegseth on additional defense spending following $37.5B Iran War price tag
By The Associated Press and Lisa MascaroJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
A ski worker in winter skiing gear strikes a pose in front of a ski slope in Lesotho.
Travel & LeisureDonald Trump
In Lesotho, the country’s only fully operational ski resort offers snowy slopes for Africa’s ski enthusiasts
By The Associated Press and Mogomotsi MagomeJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
Moldova’s parliament elects 44-year-old businessman investor Vasile Tofan as prime minister
PoliticsEuropean Union
Moldova’s parliament elects 44-year-old businessman investor Vasile Tofan as prime minister
By The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
UN’s worst-case scenario: Energy and fertilizer shock from Iran war could push nearly 19 million more into chronic hunger by 2030
EconomyUnited Nations
UN’s worst-case scenario: Energy and fertilizer shock from Iran war could push nearly 19 million more into chronic hunger by 2030
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
holland
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
‘The audience is telling the industry something’: even IMAX is stunned by Christopher Nolan’s runaway ‘Odyssey’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 21, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
7 hours ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
11 hours ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.