GOP tax plan fails to crack a majority in new poll

Support for the Republican tax plan has ticked up slightly since President Donald Trump signed it into law, but it still hasn’t drawn the backing of a majority of voters, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.

The GOP’s top selling point for the tax plan recently — a spate of employee bonuses and wage increases — was a wash in the poll. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan are pictured during a celebration of the plan. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

The GOP’s top selling point for the plan recently — a spate of employee bonuses and wage increases — was a wash in the poll.

The Jan. 11-16 tracking poll found that a 45 percent plurality of voters backed the plan based on what they knew about it, up from 42 percent in a similar poll before the legislation was enacted on Dec. 22. Opposition in the new poll came in at 34 percent, down from 39 percent. Twenty percent of respondents were undecided, up from 18 percent.

After respondents were told about the major provisions of the bill, support rose to 47 percent, opposition remained at 34 percent.

Since the bill was enacted, major corporations like Walmart, AT&T and American Airlines and smaller companies have announced employee bonuses or pay raises, something publicized almost daily by t

The White House, GOP lawmakers and groups that back the plan. Americans for Tax Reform puts the number of workers benefiting at two million so far.

When asked about the bonuses and raises, 46 percent of the 1,993 registered voters surveyed said that made them feel somewhat or much more favorable toward the plan. Forty-two percent said it either didn’t change their minds or gave them a less favorable view.

Republicans have been banking on the tax plan to lift their fortunes this election year. Trump, congressional Republicans and conservative groups have been barnstorming the country and advertising to talk up its benefits.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Morning Consult is a nonpartisan media and technology company that provides data-driven research and insights on politics, policy and business strategy.

More details on the poll and its methodology can be found in these two documents — Toplines and Crosstabs.

Source:politico.com