Trump Went To The House To Close The Reconciliation Deal— But Muddied The Waters Even Further

Thomas Massey, the only Republican not afraid to stand up to Trump

Yesterday Trump went to meet with House Republicans about his “big beautiful bill,” which, as it turns out, is very different from the “big beautiful bill” the House is putting together in his name. He was demanding the Republicans pass a bill that is considerably different from the one they crafted and are fighting about. For example, he told them “Don’t fuck around with Medicaid.” Yeah, that’s what Trump wants his supporters to think is the way he feels. House Republicans on the other hand, have a bill that would kick between 10 and 14 million people off Medicaid, defunding it by over $700 billion, perhaps— to placate the Freedom Caucus extremists— even more. 

Señor Trumpnzee’s job was “to rally the troops,” reported NOTUS.  “He needed to instill confidence in the reconciliation bill, pressure the holdouts and reassure Republicans that this was a politically smart leap of faith. Instead, he seems to have cast more doubt on a bill that GOP leaders are rushing to get over the finish line this week. And he may have given the opposition more ammunition for their push to delay consideration. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris— who described himself as a ‘hard no’ on Monday— was unconvinced by Trump’s visit. ‘The President, I don’t think, convinced enough people that the bill is adequate the way it is,’”

After the shitshow they that “He told Republicans the bill was a choice between ‘the biggest tax cut in the history of our country’ or ‘a 68% tax increase.’ Neither claim is remotely true. The bill would largely extend current individual tax rates, and if the rates expired, most people would see a 2% or 3% increase in their taxes.” He seemed to think he was lying his ass off to an airplane hanger filled with MAGA rubes who swallow any bullshit to dishes out, instead of a Congress with at least a few dozen members who can distinguish between his lies and objective reality.

Reporting on the same clown show, a quartet of NBC News writers noted that Trump botched up whatever progress MAGA Mike has made with the SALT Caucus. “The package currently boosts the SALT cap to $30,000, up from the current $10,000 deduction. But pro-SALT Republicans have dismissed that figure as far too low. ‘Let it go,’ Trump told members of the so-called SALT Caucus,” singling out Mike Lawler (R-NY). “‘End it, Mike, just end it’ … But after the meeting, SALT Caucus members said they still were not on board. ‘We need a little more salt on the table to get to yes,’ said Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY). I hope the president's presence motivates my leadership to give us a number that we can go sell back home.’”

They have a history of always backing down in the end and no one expects them to sink the bill. Same for the Freedom Caucus, who Trump refers to as “grandstanders.” They make a lot of noise but they back down too in the end, even though “A handful of [them] are threatening to vote against the measure unless they secure deeper spending cuts. They've been pushing for new work requirements for Medicaid recipients to kick in sooner than the 2029 start date written in the current legislation. And conservatives are demanding a lower federal match to states for recipients added under the Obamacare expansion.”

Punchbowl reported that Trump left both caucuses “more dug in than ever… It’s too early to tell definitively, but we are hearing that this is backfiring. Several GOP members of the SALT Caucus texted Johnson and told him they would vote against the bill after the presentation. One member of the SALT Caucus feels as if Johnson ambushed them.”

One Republican who follows through on his threats and has proven he will defy Trump is Thomas Massie of Kentucky who Trump has unsuccessfully tried to have primaried in the past and pledges to do so again— probably with Musk’s money. Massie said he’s not scared and is still a “no” on the bill. As of now, MAGA Mike doesn’t have the votes to pass the budget but he knows that in the end, the SALT Caucus will all fold and, in all likelihood, so will enough Freedom Caucus members to allow the bill to dramatically cross the finish line… where the Senate might not be as likely to let it proceed without changes the House may not be willing to accept. MAGA Mike warned Thune over lunch not to allow any changes.