Stef Kight and Hans Nichols
The White House provided Senate Republicans with raw numbers on how different elements of the “one big, beautiful bill” are playing with the public, insisting many of the proposals are 80-20 issues.
Why it matters: The detailed polling amounted to an argument for why senators should pass the bill — and then a roadmap on how to sell it.
- But some proposals are massively more popular than others, it showed.
Between the lines: The poll largely focused on topics Republicans want to discuss, such as taxes and immigration.
- Democrats will focus on the bill’s other elements, like its deep cuts to Medicaid.
- White House deputy chief of staff James Blair presented on the polling, as Punchbowl News first tweeted about on X.
✈️ 🍼 By the numbers: The most popular parts polled at more than 80% approval, according to an image of one of the presentation slidesobtained by Axios.
- Modernizing air traffic control: 82% in favor to 10% opposed
- Providing a 15% tax cut to working families: 82% — 10%
- Increasing the child tax credit to $2,500: 81% — 12%
- Ending taxes on tips polled 77% — 18%
- Cutting taxes on overtime pay: 74% — 18%
💰🚔 The least popular elements still polled at more than 50% support:
- Making Trump’s tax cuts permanent to avoid a 22% tax increase: 53% to 34% opposed
- Hiring more ICE/border patrol officers: 55% — 40%
- Ending federal coverage of gender-affirming care: 54% — 39%
- Ending Medicaid benefits for unauthorized immigrants: 52% — 39%
Zoom out: Fundraising, and the Republicans challenges in keeping pace with Democrats, was also discussed.
- Despite the NRSC breaking records, its Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) also warned that senators’ fundraising — for the committee and their own campaigns — remained behind Democrats, according to sources familiar with what was said.
- He pointed out how GOP committees are being outraised by their Democratic counterparts at the House, Senate and national level.
- “We’ve always been behind the Democrats,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) told us, adding: “If you look at the numbers, Tim has been doing a great job.”
