Barack Obama had the Affordable Care Act. Joe Biden had the Inflation Reduction Act. For Donald Trump, it’s the tax cuts that will define his legislative legacy.
Each of these landmark laws was celebrated at the time but later turned into political lightning rods. In Trump’s case, the tax cuts risk being overshadowed by controversies over other elements of the massive bill — provisions Democrats argue will strip health care from low-income Americans and undo years of energy policy.
Trump leaned heavily on a mix of persuasion and pressure to rally nearly all Republicans in Congress behind his signature legislation, even though parts of it were difficult for some to accept.
It was a strategy consistent with his business career: focus on branding — he dubbed it the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” — and apply relentless pressure to get it passed, relying solely on Republican support.
