Perception is everything.
As President Donald Trump sees it, the GOP tax plan is growing in popularity. But public opinion polls don’t necessarily back that up.
Trump told reporters Tuesday that he views the tax plan as a “tremendous bill for jobs and for the middle class.” He continued, “And I think people see that and they’re seeing it more and more, and the more they learn about, the more popular it becomes. And I think the end result will be even better.”
But citing several polls, CNBC notes that the plan “remains deeply unpopular as the House and Senate move closer to passing a joint bill.”
Read: The Republican Tax Bill Is Unpopular With Voters. But Here’s Who Loves It
A Gallup poll completed on Friday and Saturday as the Senate rushed to pass its version of the bill found that 29% of American adults approved of the proposed plan. Fifty-six percent, meanwhile, disapproved.
Quinnipiac University polled a sample of Americans from November 29 to December 4 and similarly found a 29% approval rating, with 53% disapproving. A full 61% of respondents felt that the bill “favors the rich at the expense of the middle class.”
Both polls broke along party lines, with the bill gaining higher approval from Republicans and higher disapproval from Democrats. Independents overwhelmingly disapproved of the proposed legislation in both polls.
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CNBC also cited a Reuters/Ipsos poll from late November that similarly saw a 29% approval rating versus a 49% disapproval rating. CNBC did concede, however, that one recent survey has “shown a slight improvement in the plan’s approval rating.”
The House and Senate are going to conference to unify their bills and hope to have a plan approved by Christmas.