The "Clinton surplus" was an accounting gimmick where money stored in various government "trust funds" was loaned to the Treasury in exchange for Treasuries, bu

The "Clinton surplus" was an accounting gimmick where money stored in various government "trust funds" was loaned to the Treasury in exchange for Treasuries, but was counted as normal revenue. If "intragovernmental debt" were properly accounted for, Clinton never had a surplus (indeed, the national debt increased every year of his presidency, just like his predecessors and successors).