New Poll Reveals Where the Majority of Americans Stand on the Trump Tax Bill
Though initially thought to be a controversial — if not highly polarizing — plan, a recent survey shows a growing number of Americans are beginning to view the GOP tax law in a more favorable light.
The survey, conducted by SurveyMonkey and released by The New York Times on Monday, revealed that nearly 51 percent of U.S. citizens now approve of the tax law.
The recent numbers were compared to those from January and December, which saw only 46 percent and 37 percent support, according to The Hill.
Though a significant portion of Americans still disapproves of the recent law, signed in December by the president, many see the upturn as good news.
“Public opinion is moving in the direction of this bill,” said Jon Cohen, who is the chief research officer for SurveyMonkey. “Considering where it was, it is dramatically different.”
The survey showed that the percentage of Republicans in support of the bill jumped from 80 percent to 89 percent during the short timespan, while support from Democrats has jumped from a mere 8 percent to 19 percent.
And though consumers have seemed to be more confident in the economy as a whole, there are only a few who believe they will personally benefit from the law, which was signed just before Christmas last year.
Only 33 percent expected some sort of tax cut, while 14 percent admitted they expected a salary increase. Only 8 percent said they expected some sort of bonus.
The poll, which was conducted among 10,255 adults, also showed the disparity between the percentage of Republican and Democrat supporters of the bill, with the former more likely to believe they will benefit.
“The results are going to be what sells this bill,” said House Speaker Paul D. Ryan back in December, joining other Republican officials who dismissed the poor poll numbers last fall and reiterated that more Americans will find favor in the newly implemented bill once the numbers come in.
That support from Republicans, suggests The New York Times, also coincides with falling unemployment and economic growth and could be used as a stepping stone to overcome the unpopularity of Trump during the midterm elections.
“There’s help-wanted ads everywhere — you see them on all the stores,” said Michael Moran, a recently retired business executive in Georgia who told The Times that Atlanta was “red hot.”
“In 2010, you could’ve just yelled out the door and had people lining up,” he added, stating that the job market is tight as of right now.
Moran was one among many who had been concerned about Trump’s “shoot-from-the-hip style,” but has come to terms with the economic upturn, adding that the corporate tax system itself was long overdue for an overhaul — including the White House’s efforts to reduce regulations on businesses.
“I won’t say that Trump deserves all the credit for that, but it is true that the economy just really picked up,” said Moran, who also described himself as a political moderate who leans Republican and admitted he didn’t vote for either Trump or Hillary Clinton in 2016.
And though 42 percent of Americans think the economy as a whole is slightly better than it was a year ago, many, such as Pennsylvania retiree Doug Leichliter, believe there is still a long way to go when it comes to policies and the concerns about inflation.
Leichliter is one of many who have voiced their concerns about big tax cuts leading to inflation and benefitting the rich, all the while doubting whether or not the middle class will see as much benefit as originally thought.
“I think everybody’s going to see a little bump, but the vast majority of the money is going to go to the 1 percent,” Leichliter said. “I don’t necessarily think the money’s going to trickle down.”
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