Trump Defends Idea Of Raising Taxes On Wealthiest Americans: 'it's Good Politics'

As Republicans hunt for avenues to widen President Donald Trump's 2017 taxation cuts, immoderate Republican lawmakers progressive successful nan process person floated nan thought that nan nation's highest earners could spot a taxation summation successful bid to usher successful cuts for lower-earners. 

For his part, nan president is sending signals he tends to agree.

"You know, they'll spell astir saying, ‘Oh, this is truthful terrible.’ What you're doing is you're giving up thing up apical successful bid to make group successful nan mediate income and nan little income brackets prevention more. So it's really a redistribution," Trump told reporters erstwhile asked what his consequence would beryllium to those Republicans opposed to tax increases connected nan wealthy.

"I would emotion to beryllium capable to springiness group successful a little bracket a large break by giving up immoderate of what I have," nan president added.

TRUMP'S TAX HIKE PROPOSAL IS 'DÉJÀ VU' OF GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S ‘READ MY LIPS’ MOMENT, EXPERTS SAY

President Donald Trump speaks pinch reporters arsenic he signs an executive bid successful nan Oval Office of nan White House, Friday, May 9, 2025, successful Washington.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

He besides noted that nan move is conscionable "good politics," dismissing comparisons immoderate governmental experts person made to one-term Republican President George H.W. Bush, whose surgery committedness to Republicans that location would beryllium "no caller taxes" pursuing his 1988 predetermination triumph has been blamed Bush's grounded re-election efforts. 

"Read my lips: No caller taxes," Bush Sr. said during his acceptance reside astatine nan 1988 Republican National Convention. Subsequently, successful nan look of a ballooning deficit, Bush Sr. yet trim a woody pinch Democrats that raised taxes.

"A batch of group say, don't do it because of nan truth that you person nan Bush connection astir ‘Read my lips.’ But he mislaid because of Ross Perot, he didn't suffer because of that statement," Trump said. "I really deliberation it's bully authorities to do it wherever richer group springiness up. And it's a very mini – it's for illustration a constituent – but they springiness it up to use nan group connected little income."

TRUMP PUSHES TAX HIKES FOR WEALTHY AS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ DEADLINE LOOMS

In a station connected his Truth Social level earlier Friday, Trump struck a somewhat much cautious reside astir nan alleged interest that his willingness to summation taxes connected nan highest earners could spell problem for him electorally nan measurement it did for Bush Sr. 

He complained that Democrats would constituent to it many times successful an effort to discredit him. However, Trump still contended that nan elder President Bush mislaid because of much than conscionable his surgery taxation promises, and added that while Republicans should astir apt not summation taxes connected nan wealthy, he would beryllium okay pinch it if they were to do so.

Political experts compared President George H.W. Bush to President Donald Trump aft Trump signaled his support for a mini taxation hike for those astatine nan top.  (Pool/Getty Images)

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"The problem pinch moreover a ‘TINY’ taxation summation for nan RICH, which I and each others would graciously judge successful bid to thief nan little and mediate income workers, is that nan Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would spell astir screaming, ‘Read my lips,' nan fabled Quote by George Bush nan Elder that is said to person costs him nan Election," Trump wrote Friday connected Truth Social. 

"NO, Ross Perot costs him nan Election! In immoderate event, Republicans should astir apt not do it, but I'm OK if they do!!"