President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk have sent shock waves through the federal government by attempting to take a hatchet to certain agencies in the name of reducing the federal deficit.

But the reality is far more complex. Budget experts say that even if Trump succeeds in slashing the spending that the Department of Government Efficiency is targeting — like the U.S. Agency for International Development and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives governmentwide — his policies would still substantially add to the deficit if they come to fruition.