Donald Trump reportedly bragged about how much money his new tax overhaul will save the ultra-wealthy members at his Mar-a-Lago resort, telling the crowd that “you all got a lot richer” thanks to the bill’s passage.
Trump headed to his luxury Florida resort for an extended Christmas vacation, but not before passing what is the first major piece of legislation of his tenure, a tax overhaul that offers deep cuts to corporations and the highest wage earners. While the legislation does offer tax cuts at all income levels, experts noted that the vast majority of savings go to the nation’s most wealthy individuals.
That was a point Republicans purposely avoided in selling the bill, instead painting it as a mostly middle-class tax cut. But Trump appeared to blow that message up on Friday, telling Mar-a-Lago members in private that they stand to make a great deal of money from it.
“You all just got a lot richer,” Trump said Friday at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, those at a nearby table told CBS News .
The remark caused outrage among many who believe that Trump is failing to look out for the average Americans. Some Democrats have also rallied around Trump’s comments, hoping to use it as a wedge point in the critical 2018 mid-term elections.
Do you want to stick it to the greedy, selfish members of Mar-a-Lago and other private clubs for the wealthiest 1%? REGISTER, ORGANIZE and VOTE for Democrats up & down the ticket in the 2018 elections! Let’s take back Congress and RAISE taxes on the rich!! https://t.co/GVurzITAuD
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) December 24, 2017
This is not the first time that Donald Trump has moved off Republican talking points for the tax overhaul, the Washington Post noted. When celebrating the bill this week, Trump deviated from the message that it is a tax cut for the middle class and instead focused on erasing the major accomplishment of his White House predecessor.
“I shouldn’t say this,” Trump said, “but we essentially repealed Obamacare.”
As the Washington Post noted, the slow dismantling of Obamacare all but ensures that health insurance premiums will rise and likely wipe out any savings they may find in the tax bill.
Trump told friends at Mar-a-Lago “you all just got a lot richer” after tax bill: report https://t.co/QCCtOvKayK pic.twitter.com/5821Aka9sQ
— The Hill (@thehill) December 24, 2017
Others noted that Trump did not actually repeal Obamacare, as he bragged this week. Instead, taking out the individual mandate of Obamacare is expected to destabilize the health care system while not offering a solution for those priced out of insurance, experts warned.
Donald Trump will be staying at Mar-a-Lago through the Christmas holiday and afterward.
