Republican lawmakers pushed the president to hit the road to sell the nation on his next big legislative proposal. But, like most things with Donald Trump, it hasn’t gone exactly as they expected.
Trump launched a series of campaign-style rallies last week to urge an update of the U.S. tax code but along the way he’s berating the Democratic lawmakers he needs to woo.
“From day to day he’s on attack, either members of his own party or the other party and I don't think that's necessarily how you build a winning coalition,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. said.
It’s a risky strategy that some senators from both parties find unwelcome, including Republicans who urged him to do more after this summer’s failure to pass a health care law. Republicans know they may not be able to pass any legislation without Democrats, some of whom have suggested they’d be willing to consider working on the thorny tax issue.
“The way Trump’s populist schtick works is to bully people into cooperation and unleash voter anger on anyone who doesn’t go along with him,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican political strategist based in Sacramento. “This may end up being effective but will likely inhibit productive bipartisan processes. The president is clearly going to stay in permanent campaign mode where he needs foils to rally his base against.”
Trump will take two steps Wednesday to attract bipartisan support for his agenda. First he’ll meet at the White House with congressional leaders from both parties.
He met with congressional leaders and tax reform negotiators late Tuesday at the White House to tout a deal that would include making the code “as simple as possible,” providing "tax relief for middle class workers and families," and restoring a “competitive edge.” But he only invited Republicans.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said tax talks were already “off to a very bad start" because Trump invited only Republicans to talk taxes.
“An effort like this requires two parties, and the results for the American people will be better if we all work together,” Schumer said.
After Wednesday’s congressional meeting, Trump heads for North Dakota, the second stop on his tax reform tour.
Trump will continue to chide Democrats, telling them that “if they don't want to bring back your jobs, voters should deliver a clear message: Do your job, deliver for America or find another job,” according to an excerpt of his speech provided by the White House.
Yet Trump will be accompanied by Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who the White House suggested may be willing to work with Trump on tax reform. Heitkamp is up for re-election in a state Trump won by 36 percentage points.
Last week, Trump visited Missouri, home to another vulnerable Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, who wanted to work on tax reform. The president suggested voters might want to replace her. “We must lower our taxes and your senator, Claire McCaskill, she must do this for you, and if she doesn’t, you have to vote her out of office,” he said.
McCaskill's office did not respond to Trump's jab, instead directing reporters to a statement sent before the president's visit. In it, McCaskill called tax reform "an area on which I'm optimistic President Trump and I will find common ground.”