Most Americans Don’t Believe Trump’s Biggest Lie About the Tax Plan

During normal presidencies, this might be problematic.

Dan Anderson/ZUMA

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Less than two weeks before the end of the year, President Donald Trump is set to finally score the first major legislative victory of his presidency, with both the House and Senate planning to pass the Republican tax reform bill on Tuesday. But the long-awaited win comes with a downside for the president: it’s one of the most unpopular bills in recent memory and a majority of the public doesn’t believe Trump’s claims about the bill.

According to a new CNN poll released Tuesday, 55 percent of Americans oppose the bill. Despite the president’s repeated claims that he will be a “big loser” under the bill, 63 percent of Americans believe that the plan will indeed benefit Trump and his wealthy family—as numerous non-partisan analyses have also concluded. 

“We will ensure that the benefits are focused on the middle class, the working men and women, not the highest income earners,” Trump told a crowd in Indianapolis in September. He added: “I’m doing the right thing—and it’s not good for me, believe me.”

On Saturday, he described the bill as a “Christmas gift” for the middle class. 

Despite the tanking support, Congress is set to pass the plan today, with Trump expected to sign it as early as Wednesday.

DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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