That’s no idle existential musing. The answer may determine whether President Trump’s tax plan ever becomes non-toxic to the Republican Party.
Right now the public hates, hates, hates the tax bill. It’s less popular than any major piece of legislation of the past several decades, less popular even than tax hikes passed under Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. Only about a third of Americans view it favorably, based on an average of nine polls this month.
Republicans are hoping that once the public sees their plan in action, though, everyone will be pleasantly surprised.