The US deficit does not include off budget items like the Post Office and Social Security. So if you increase Social Security taxes and steal the surpluses temporarily for a short time and fund some on budget items you can cook the books and balance the budget for one year. But it is the end of your 8 year term limit and the newly elected admin must replace SS trust fund bonds with newly borrowed money which explodes the new debt.
Off budget smoke and mirrors is of course why the National Debt increased by $18 Billion and Clinton had a balanced budget.