“Why is the GOP Tax Bill So Unpopular?” asked one headline over at Politico back in December of 2017. The article made note that at the time, the recently passed tax reform package was unpopular, with a majority disapproving of it. In fact, the bill was so unpopular that it was “considerably less popular than previous tax cuts overseen by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Americans generally despise paying taxes—we literally had a revolution about it—so this is quite a neat trick.”
The headline over at Politico can be answered in a single sentence: Because the tax cut hadn’t showed up in people’s paychecks yet. The media pushed the narrative that Trump’s tax bill would only help the rich, and most believed them. That is, until the tax cuts kicked in.
According to the Daily Caller,
A majority of Americans now support Republican-led tax reform, according to a new poll from The New York Times.
The poll, done in conjunction with Survey Monkey, says that 51 percent of Americans approve of tax reform, while just 46 percent disapprove. Republicans have enjoyed a steep rise in support for their tax reform plan, climbing from just 37 percent approval in December and then 46 percent approval in January.
The bill has managed its increase in popularity despite the wealth of misinformation spread to voters about what benefits, if any, they would receive after its passage. Only one in three respondents believed they would see a tax cut because of the bill, even though the Tax Policy Center estimates that four in five Americans will actually receive a cut.
Republicans are heading into a solid midterm election season if current polls hold. The reversal in popularity for tax reform comes in addition to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll that found that, for what seems like the first time in ages, a generic Republican is polling above a generic Democrat. According to the poll, 39 percent of registered voters say they would support the Republican candidate for Congress in their district, while 38 percent would back the Democrat candidate.
Do you support President Trump’s tax reform measure? Tell us your thoughts below and share this story over Facebook now!
