Back in 2017, Democrats aggressively and hyperbolically opposed the Trump-GOP tax reform law. They lied about many of its components, framing it as a nightmarish 'Armageddon' that would decimate federal revenues, lining the pockets of billionaires and corporate fat cats while harming virtually everyone else. In reality, the new tax law cut taxes across every single income group, benefiting tens of millions of families and individuals. It helped businesses large and small, resulting in hiring and investments that helped the US economy take off. Unemployment plunged to the lowest levels ever recorded for various demographic groups. Wages finally surged, after years of stagnation. Revenues taken in by the government increased, thanks to a growing economy. Nearly every attack line and prediction by the Democrats was disproven by reality.
And now, we we've discussed previously, all that tax relief is on the brink of expiring. Unless Congress acts, the Trump-GOP tax cuts, which every last Democrat opposed at the time, will sunset at the end of the year. That would automatically trigger the largest tax hike in American history. Families and earners across the entire income spectrum -- as well as businesses large and small -- would get battered by a collective four-trillion-plus-dollar tax increase. That would be crushing, especially on top of the Biden-era inflation Americans suffered through for years, as well as tariff and trade-related uncertainty introduced by Trump. People want stability and certainty. Business owners and job-creators require it. Preventing the existing tax cuts from expiring is economically vital.
Yet, once again, every Democrat in Congress is expected to oppose this essential move to avert a painful and avoidable calamity. They will undoubtedly revert back to their stale, inaccurate 'tax cuts for the rich' demagoguery, railing against 'millionaires and billionaires.' But if they get their way, millions of working and middle-class Americans will get blasted with tax hikes. So will small businesses, which make up the backbone of the US economy. Republicans will likely have to take on this task entirely on their own, with zero Democratic help or support. But in their reflexive opposition to all things Trump, including saving the tax cuts, Democrats are once again staking out an extremely unpopular position. From standing in solidarity with violent illegal immigrants and Hamas supporters, to demanding biological males compete against females in sports, the opposition has been doing itself few favors. Spitefully loathing Trump, to the point of deeply alienating voters by choosing the toxic end of 80/20 issues, is an odd choice. And they appear to be making another one in this fight:
If the 2017 Trump-GOP tax cuts aren't extended by the end of 2025, Americans across every income group (plus businesses large & small) will get slammed with the biggest tax hike in US history. A new poll shows large majorities of voters foresee widespread harm if that happens: pic.twitter.com/JLAWFeIfzw
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 6, 2025
More than 8 in 10 likely voters want President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts extended before they expire at the end of this year, according to a new poll released as Congress rushes to finalize a “big, beautiful” bill making those provisions permanent. A Public Opinion Strategies survey exclusively obtained by The Post found 84% of possible US voters would back keeping the current tax rates if they were in Congress — while just 16% would favor a tax increase. By party affiliation, 95% of Republicans, 81% of independents and 74% of Democrats prefer the status quo in terms of taxation. Likely senior voters, moderates and suburbanites — key demographics for next year’s midterms — were all in favor of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by margins of more than 60% each...At the same time, 80% of potential voters said it was not ideal to increase taxes — up four percentage points from September — and a mere 3% said it was a good time for an increase, with 17% saying they were indifferent...Roughly three-quarters also said that not keeping the Trump tax cuts would hurt middle-class families, small business owners and consumers the most.
That's a vast coalition in favor of extending the Trump tax cuts, which Democrats adamantly oppose. It's not even an 80-20 breakdown in this survey; it's 84-16. Democrats are taking the side of imposing the largest tax increase in the history of the country on the American people, across the board. Republicans shouldn't just have the confidence to get this done because it's crucial for the economy; they should also recognize that their opponents have adopted a wildly unpopular stance by fighting against this. The GOP shouldn't just get this done, they should be on offense while doing so. And unlike in 2017, when the inertia of the status quo worked against them, this time around Republicans have the political advantage of being the party that's protecting lower tax rates that Americans like and want to keep.
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