The Republican Party’s Populist Betrayal

Andrew Egger: “In one sense, it’s no surprise that the Big Beautiful Bill, which the House passed this morning by a 215–214 vote, slashes taxes primarily for the wealthy while cutting spending on entitlement programs geared toward the poor. That’s been GOP SOP for ages.”

“But even as the package was being hammered out, MAGA’s populist wing was clanging a bell asking Donald Trump to intervene. After all, many of the Americans who stand to be harmed by this bill were the very voters who had migrated into the GOP in recent years. Was Donald Trump really going to let GOP lawmakers slip back into their old plutocratic ways?”

“Answer: You bet he was.”

For members: A Few Thoughts on the Bill Republicans Just Passed