In the wake of a fierce battle regarding the passage of President Donald Trump’s extensive tax and policy bill, both Republicans and Democrats are now engaged in a different skirmish: how to effectively market the bill to the American public.
Trump celebrated the successful passage of the bill during a rally in Iowa, declaring, “Every major promise I made to the people of Iowa in 2024 became a promise kept.”
The Republican Party is expressing pride in the accomplishment, especially after weeks of intricate negotiations that steered the bill through both chambers of Congress with minimal margin for error.
This newly passed package features a staggering $4.5 trillion in tax reductions, which would solidify the tax changes that Trump enacted during his first term. The legislation also introduces fresh campaign promises that include no taxes on tips for select workers and a ‘senior deduction’ of $6,000 for seniors earning up to $75,000 a year.
Additionally, the bill allocates billions toward new defense spending and designates $350 billion for border security and immigration enforcement to bolster the administration’s mass deportation initiatives.
Republican strategist Mark Bednar emphasized the significance of the bill’s passage, noting, “Republicans should be proud of passing this bill, because it delivers on a lot of the things that they ran on, and that the president ran on. That’s what Republicans would be very wise to lean in on, going into this recess, going into August and the following year.”
In contrast, Democrats are scrambling to craft a compelling counter-narrative following their setbacks in the previous November elections. They have highlighted the bill’s gradual alterations to safety net programs, specifically Medicaid and food assistance programs like SNAP, which they argue could adversely affect millions of Americans.
Preliminary estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office indicate that nearly 12 million individuals could lose health coverage, while an additional 3 million would lose SNAP benefits due to the changes proposed in the legislation.
Moreover, the CBO projects that the bill would add $3.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, further fueling Democratic criticism.
Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., voiced his opposition during an extended speech on the House floor, shedding light on stories of individuals who may suffer as a result of the proposed cuts to safety net programs.
“Shame on the people who’ve decided to launch that kind of all-out assault on the health and the well-being of everyday Americans,” Jeffries stated passionately.
On the Republican side, leaders have challenged the CBO’s deficit estimates and argued that the work requirements included in the legislation would help eliminate abuse in safety net programs, thereby justifying their support for the bill.
Public opinion, however, suggests significant opposition to the bill. A June Quinnipiac University poll revealed that only 29% of voters supported the legislation, while 55% opposed it.
In the same vein, a Fox News poll conducted in mid-June indicated that 59% of registered voters disapproved of the bill, with about half believing it would have a negative impact on their families. Notably, 40% of respondents reported not having a good understanding of the bill’s provisions.
Some Democratic leaders and strategists believe that the combination of tax cuts with the potential risk to health care accessibility could reignite the anti-Trump sentiment that had contributed to their success in reclaiming the House in the 2018 elections.
Dan Sena, a Democratic strategist who previously oversaw the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, emphasized the need for Democrats to clearly communicate to voters who would be most affected by the Medicaid cuts and the long-term implications of accumulating debt.
However, the current political landscape presents different challenges than in previous elections. In 2018, Republicans were defending 25 districts that had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, while today, only 13 Democrats represent constituencies carried by Trump in the last presidential election.
In contrast to 2018, when Democrats were largely united against Trump’s legislative priorities, this time some Democrats have indicated support for aspects of the new tax bill, such as the zero-tax provision on tips.
Democrats are also confronting a transformed Republican Party in 2025, which is more aligned with Trump and showed solidarity on key legislative endeavors despite some policy disagreements.
Nonetheless, dissenting voices exist, exemplified by Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who publicly criticized the Medicaid provisions before ultimately voting against the bill in the Senate. His concerns about the impact on North Carolina led to criticism and looming primary challenges from Trump.
At the Iowa rally, Trump highlighted the potential electoral advantage the bill could provide for Republicans, asserting, “With all of the things we did with the tax cuts and rebuilding our military, not one Democrat voted for us. And I think we use it in the campaign that’s coming up — the midterms, because we’ve got to beat them.”
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