Popularity of Trump Tax Reform Skyrockets as More Americans Realize It Cut Their Taxes

The public’s perception of the Trump administration’s landmark tax overhaul is rapidly becoming more positive and more realistic.

Americans are now evenly divided over tax reform, with 44 percent saying they approve and 44 percent saying they disapprove, according to the latest Monmouth University Poll. In December, just 25 percent approved and 47 percent disapproved.

The improvement is not surprising given that the December poll numbers were based on a widespread myth that tax reform would raise taxes on many Americans, cutting them only for the wealthy and businesses. In fact, most Americans will see their tax bills fall under the law and very few will pay more in taxes.

Breitbart predicted tax reform’s popularity would rise as this reality set in.

There may be a silver lining for Republican politicians. The fact that so many more taxpayers will get a tax cut than expect it could mean that the public would be far more supportive if the plan was understood. And that could translate into support for Republicans once the effects of the tax plan are tangible to Americans in the form of higher paychecks due to lower amounts withheld. The public could experience a rare joy in American politics, where reality actually outshines expectations.

Back in December, half of the public predicted that the bill would raise their taxes. Just 14% said their taxes would go down. Another 25% believed they would see no change.

The recent poll shows that the number of Americans expecting higher taxes has fallen to 36 percent. The number expecting a tax cut has risen to 24%. Those expecting no change is also up, to 32 percent.

Those numbers suggest that tax reform could become even more popular in months ahead. According to the estimate of the Joint Committee on Taxation, Congress’s nonpartisan scorekeeper for tax bills, less than ten percent of Americans will see their taxes rise and more than 60 percent will see taxes fall. So as a rising number of Americans learn that their earlier assessments of the tax bill were wrong, it is likely to become more popular.