Trump’s High-Stakes Bid to Dole Out More in Tax Refunds

Wall Street Journal: “The annual tax-filing season that opened Monday will produce a cash surge estimated at $100 billion beyond last year’s $329 billion total, and it is engineered to buoy Republicans’ sagging voter approval. Public confidence in Trump’s economic leadership has slumped, and better-than-expected growth hasn’t overcome Americans’ anxiety about the cost of living and a slowed job market.”

“At stake is whether Republicans can retain narrow House and Senate majorities that give them the authority to control the federal agenda and prevent investigations of Trump.”

“The tax-policy strategy is simple: Put money in voters’ wallets and get rewarded at the polls. In reality, it is a double-bank shot with little guarantee of success.”