In 2017, after the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare failed, we personally told President Donald Trump that it was a mistake to try to do healthcare before tax cuts.
But Trump told us that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told him they needed the “savings” from repealing Obamacare to “pay for” the Trump tax cuts.
Only in Washington do you have to “pay for” tax cuts. Where does the money come from anyway?
We warned Republicans that they needed to pass the Trump tax cuts in time to grow the economy to save the Republican House and Senate majorities.
The Trump tax cuts passed in December 2017. Too late to impact November 2018.
For us old-timers, the 1981 Reagan tax cuts were too slowly phased in. The economy did not grow until 1983. Too late to avert the 1982 mid-term loss of 26 Republican House seats.
The 2018 midterms saw Democrats make a net gain of 41 House seats and seven in the Senate.
By the time the Trump tax cuts went into effect in 2019, creating economic growth, creating millions of jobs and real wage increases, Trump was headed for re-election.
At an Oval Office meeting March 11, 2020, we told Trump our new battleground state polls said he was headed for re-election thanks to the tax cuts and booming economy. Unfortunately, Trump replied he had to shut down travel to Europe and the economy due to COVID-19. The rest is history.
But have we learned anything from history?
As Yogi Berra said: “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
Washington once more is arguing we can’t make the Trump tax cuts permanent or add Trump’s new ideas for more tax cuts.
Ironically, since the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2018, federal revenue has not shrunk, it has increased nearly 50%. Why? Because whether it was under John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich/Bill Clinton or Trump, tax cuts create more jobs, more taxpayers, and more economic growth.
In order to tackle the reckless debt and deficits created by the failed Biden policies, we need economic growth and spending cuts.
The D.C. elites (who naturally opposed Trump) are saying tax cuts can wait. That’s not what the voters say.
Our latest national poll of 1,000 likely voters (plus or minus 3.1% at the 95% confidence interval), modeled after the November election turnout and surveyed Dec. 11-16 tells a different story.
Despite Trump’s historic election victory winning the popular vote and sweeping the battleground states with a tax cutting, pro-growth platform, Washington says the country’s problems can wait to be solved.
The voters know better.
* Only 24% of all voters say that the United States is headed in the right direction. Sixty-six percent say we are still on the wrong track.
* The issues that concern the voter the most are economic (44%, including 27% specifically mentioning inflation,) followed by social issues (27%: Social Security and Medicare (11%), healthcare (5%), abortion (4%). Next is security issues (16%, like securing the border (10%.)
* Forty-three percent % of all voters think that we are still in a recession. The majority, 55%, says that the economy is getting worse. Only 37% say the economy is getting better.
* Eighty-four percent of all voters say that they have been negatively impacted by inflation. Forty-eight percent say they are so badly impacted that they cannot afford necessities.
* Thirty-five percent of all voters say it’s most important for Trump to secure the border and right behind, 26%, say continuing growth by making the Trump tax cuts permanent.
In this context the Trump tax cuts are very popular.
* Eighty-two percent % favor ending federal taxes on Social Security income. Only 11% oppose.
* Seventy-one percent favor ending federal taxes on tips for service workers. Only 21% oppose.
* Seventy percent favor making the tax cuts permanent in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, otherwise taxes will go more than $2,500 a year for the average American. Only 17% oppose.
* Sixty-six percent favor ending federal taxes on overtime pay for workers. Only 25% oppose.
* Sixty-three percent of all voters prefer free market capitalism over big government socialism (12%).
The political capital is there. Republicans lead Democrats in the generic ballot for Congress 47% to 42%. We have less than two years to keep that lead.
President Joe Biden’s job approval is only 40%; 57% disapprove. Pardoning his son Hunter appears to have increased Biden’s disapproval by 11% since election day.
Regardless, Trump and Republicans should NOT let Biden fade out of the picture. Americans need to be reminded every day of the wrong track, high inflation, and worsening economy that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are leaving for Trump and the Republicans to solve.
Trump maintains a net positive job rating approval: 51%-44%. Cleaning up Biden’s mess will further improve that rating.
Smart and proven tax cutting, pro-growth architects like Larry Kudlow, Art Laffer, Steve Forbes and Steve Moore are telling us America needs to make the Trump tax cuts permanent as soon as possible. History tells us that Trump should listen to them and not the D.C. insiders who want to continue to suck our tax dollars like a vampire sucks the blood of their victim.
Our polls, which correctly predicted Trump’s comeback and historic election, are telling us the American people need the Trump tax cuts now! Otherwise after the midterm, our new Republican congressional leaders will be minority leaders.
Please access the link below for poll results:
M&A Poll: National Monthly –December 2024 | McLaughlin & Associates
John McLaughlin has worked professionally as a strategic consultant and pollster for over 40 years. Jim McLaughlin is a nationally recognized public opinion expert, strategic consultant and political strategist who has helped to elect a U.S. president, prime ministers, a Senate majority leader, and a speaker of the House. Read John and Jim McLaughlin's Reports — More Here.