Trump’s Tax Cuts Aren't for You

On a noble quest to find a man who will benefit from the president's tax cuts.

Men were more likely to vote for Trump in the 2024 election, largely due to economic concerns. They didn’t suddenly become diehard conservatives, but many of them felt like their wallets were being squeezed and weren’t hearing answers from Democrats that made them feel confident about the future. So, if Trump’s economic policies are supposedly the answer, I figured I should be able to find men who are actually benefiting from them.

Armed with a tiny microphone and a big dream, I embarked on a noble quest to locate a man who will benefit from the Trump tax cuts.

So I did what any responsible journalist would do: I hit the streets and asked men how much money they make.

feministabulous

A post shared by @feministabulous

The reactions were immediate. Nervous chuckles, side-eyes, a few guys who suddenly remembered they had somewhere very urgent to be. “Oh, I don’t know,” they’d say, suddenly developing acute financial amnesia. “Enough.” “Not enough.” One guy just sighed and whispered, “Man, I wish,” before disappearing into the crowd.

Here’s the thing: while most wouldn’t tell me their salaries, none of them seemed like the kind of people who are going to get a tax cut.

According to The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, if you’re making less than $360,000 a year, your taxes are probably going up. The poorest Americans (those making under $28,600) would see an average tax hike of $800 a year. Middle-class earners (between $55,100 and $94,100) will be giving an extra $1,500 a year straight to the IRS. Meanwhile, the top 1% are getting an average tax break of $36,300.

It’s not exactly a tax cut for the people.

Not the men I talked to. And probably not you either.

If you remember Trump’s last round of tax cuts, they weren’t exactly designed to help regular people. But they did work out really well if you were a massive corporation. Google saved nearly $12 billion, Facebook $6.3 billion, and Amazon walked away with $3.4 billion in tax savings. Walmart, Disney, and JPMorgan made off with even more, thanks to Trump slashing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, a move that was supposed to help the economy but mostly just helped CEOs buy another vacation home.

Despite these massive tax breaks, wages didn’t increase, the cost of living didn’t go down, and companies continued to do what they do best: lay people off and then use their savings for stock buybacks.

Trump’s tax plan is built on a simple trick: he says tax cuts, and people assume they’re getting one. But unless you’re already making serious money, you’re not. In fact, you’re subsidizing tax cuts for people who need it the least.

If you’ve ever been personally victimized by the cost of oat milk, you’re not getting a tax cut. If you think twice before getting extra guac, you’re not getting a tax cut. If you’re a regular American, it’s not a tax cut, it’s a tax hike with deceptive branding.

But if you’re making $10 million a year and debating whether to buy a second yacht or just install a private helipad, congrats!! You’re exactly who Trump had in mind.