WINDSOR HEIGHTS, Iowa (AP) — It is big and it is beautiful, President Donald Trump says. But for many Democratic leaders, the tax break and spending cut package…
It is big and it is beautiful, President Donald Trump says.
But for many Democratic leaders, the tax break and spending cut package passed by Trump’s Republican allies in Congress on Thursday represents the key to the Democratic Party’s resurgence.
Even before the final vote, Democratic officials were finalizing ambitious plans for rallies, voter registration drives, attack ads, bus tours and even a multiday vigil, all intended to highlight the most controversial elements of Trump’s “big beautiful” bill: deep cuts to the nation’s safety net that will leave nearly 12 million more people without health coverage and millions of others without food assistance, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
In political battlegrounds across Alaska and Iowa, Pennsylvania and California, Democrats have begun to use the bill against Republicans. Democrats are promising that the Republican president’s domestic policy achievement to date will be the defining issue of every major election between now and next fall’s midterms.
“One thing is abundantly clear: Republicans own this mess and it’s an albatross around their necks heading into the midterms,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin told The Associated Press. “This is the least popular legislation in modern history, and the more voters learn about it, the more they hate it. That’s a clear directive for Democrats — we’re going to make sure every single voter knows who is responsible.”
Even with early public opinion on their side, however, it’s far from certain that the legislation will be the political winner Democrats hope.
The Democratic brand remains deeply unpopular, the party has no clear leader, its message is muddled and core elements of the Democratic base are frustrated and drifting. Some of the bill’s provisions will not take effect until after the 2026 election, so voters may not have felt the full impact by the time they vote. At the same time, it’s unclear how many voters are paying attention to the Washington-based debate.
The Democratic super political action committee Priorities USA warned this week that Democrats must work harder if they want their message to break through.
“We can’t just assume that because we’re angry that the voters that we need to communicate with are angry.
