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Republicans struggle with Trump’s mixed signals on ‘big, beautiful bill’
It’s hard enough to know what you want. It’s even harder to know what others want. But what if what you want hinges on what somebody else wants…and they aren’t sure what they want?
Hence the conundrum now facing Congressional Republicans as they try to approve the «big, beautiful bill.»
GOPers are waiting for President Trump to push for very specific items to be in the bill – or fall by the wayside.
Congressional Republicans are aligned closely with the President and willing to bend to his wishes. But it complicates things when Trump calls for what he termed a «tiny» tax increase for the super wealthy.
TRUMP SAYS TAX RAISES ARE ‘GOOD POLITICS,’ DISMISSING GOP CRITICS
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee participate a markup hearing in the Longworth House Building on Capitol Hill on May 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«People would love to do it. Rich people. I would love to do it, frankly. Giving us something up top in order to make people in the middle income and the lower income brackets [have] more. So, it’s really a redistribution,» said the president.
First, President Trump suggested a form of rations, limiting how many pencils kids need or how many dolls a little girl should have. That puzzled free marketeers in the GOP.
Now, to use his phrase, «redistribution.»
You understand how much heartburn this gives capitalists in Congress. But what’s worse is the mixed messaging.
When writing on Truth Social about creating a higher tax bracket for the wealthy, the president muddled his instructions for lawmakers:
«Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!» declared President Trump.
CIVIL WAR THREATENS GOP OVER MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKES IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’
This exasperated Congressional Republicans who oppose raising any taxes – a long-held tenet of the Republican Party.
In another political universe, taxing the wealthy would be – at best – a trial balloon. So, most Congressional Republicans decided it was time for this to pop.
«No, we are not going to do tax increases,» said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., on Fox Business.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., attends the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«We don’t want to raise taxes on anybody. I mean, we’re about lowering taxes on Americans,» said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Fox.
But President Trump’s Republican Party is very different from the Reagan Republican Party. The GOP shifts to where Trump wants it. Just consider the approach to tariffs compared to free trade.
TRUMP PUSHES TAX HIKES FOR WEALTHY AS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ DEADLINE LOOMS
President Trump broadened the party’s base in the last election. The GOP is no longer dominated by big business, titans of commerce and the well-to-do. Part of the president’s appeal was the blue-collar coalition he cobbled together. And his fundamental economic message on taxes resonated with millions of voters. That’s why his top advisers say Trump is sticking to campaign promises.
«President Trump has made it clear that he has his priorities, like no tax on tips. No tax on overtime. No tax on Social Security,» said National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Fox.
However, revenue generated from new taxes on the wealthy could help cover the cost of spending cuts.
«We need to see what we need to do with the math to make sure that we are doing the country well fiscally and that we don’t just add to the debt,» said Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.
But Republicans are frustrated after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., shrank the size of the tax cuts and spending reductions.
The tax breaks were supposed to be around $4.5 trillion at one point. They dwindled to $4 trillion. They were angling to lock in $2 trillion in tax cuts. They’re scaled back to $1.5 trillion.
‘HARD NO’: MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE PROPOSAL HAS HOUSE REPUBLICANS DIVIDED
«Republicans talk a big game in campaigns,» lamented House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. «If we’re not able to bend the curve on mandatory spending, then we will send a very bad signal to the bond markets.»
But regardless of what’s in the package, the White House is expecting Congressional Republicans to ultimately vote yes on the «big, beautiful bill.»
«The president has great political instincts. That’s why he’s back in the Oval Office,» said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
But that’s what Congressional Republicans found so vexing. The president may have great political instincts. But the marching orders were far from clear.
Trump conceded that a tax hike may be controversial politically.
Congressional Republicans suffer from political PTSD. They remember another Republican President who made one of the most famous political promises of all time. And then broke it.
On the White House’s South Lawn, U.S. President George H.W. Bush speaks prior to the signing ceremony of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (or ADA), Washington DC, July 26, 1990. (Ron Sachs/CNP/Getty Images)
«No new taxes,» intoned the late President George H.W. Bush in his address to a Joint Session of Congress in 1989.
But Bush famously reversed himself as part of a 1990 budget pact. That was not necessarily the reason «Bush 41» lost reelection in 1992 to former President Clinton. And President Trump was sure enough to point that out on social media.
TRUMP SLAMS REPUBLICAN ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ OPPOSING BUDGET BILL, PREDICTS MASSIVE US TAX INCREASES IF IT FAILS
«The Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election!» wrote Trump.
Presidential candidate Ross Perot speaks during the 1992 Presidential Debates. (Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
The «Perot Effect» certainly deprived George H.W. Bush of a second term more than breaking the «no new taxes» promise. But that doesn’t mean that Republicans aren’t skittish about voting for tax increases.
And regardless, the legislative product that emerged from the Ways and Means Committee markup this week lacked the type of tax hike dangled by President Trump.
That said, Congressional Republicans certainly have their opinions about what they think of the developing «big, beautiful bill.»
«A growing number of us, we don’t want smoke and mirrors. We want real cuts,» said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. «$2 trillion (in cuts) is really a teardrop in the ocean.»
«You’ve got front-loaded tax [cuts]. Backloaded spending restraint,» groused Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. «Medicaid reforms and work requirements don’t kick in for four years.»
«It’ll be ironic and sad in a way that conservatives will be voting for the largest increase in the debt ceiling,» mused Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. «I have a feeling it’s going to be wimpy on the spending cuts and maybe a little wimpy on the taxes, too.»
So, at least some Republicans grasp what they want in the bill. And they’re willing to take direction from the president. That’s why clear direction from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. will be key next week as the House tries to pass the measure.
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Members will say they can’t vote for the bill because it has this or excludes that. But they just might be able to vote yea if President Trump knows what he wants – and makes that clear to lawmakers.
Politics,Republicans,Taxes,Economic Policy,Donald Trump
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Tailandia advirtió que los enfrentamientos armados con Camboya podrían derivar en una guerra “a gran escala”
Tailandia advirtió este viernes que los enfrentamientos armados con Camboya podrían escalar a una guerra a gran escala, en el segundo día consecutivo de hostilidades que ha dejado al menos 16 muertos y obligado a evacuar a más de 138.000 personas en ambos lados de la frontera.
“Si la situación se agrava podría derivar en una guerra, aunque por ahora sigue limitada a enfrentamientos”, declaró el primer ministro interino tailandés, Phumtham Wechayachai, ante la prensa en Bangkok.
La tensión se disparó el jueves debido a una disputa territorial de décadas entre los dos países del sudeste asiático, con combates que incluyeron el uso de tanques, aviones de combate, artillería y cohetes BM-21.
Se trata de la escalada militar más grave desde 2011 en una zona de 800 kilómetros de frontera, donde persisten áreas no delimitadas oficialmente, salpicadas de templos antiguos.
Según el Ministerio del Interior tailandés, las autoridades evacuaron a 138.000 civiles, incluidos 428 pacientes hospitalarios, desde cuatro provincias limítrofes con Camboya.
El balance oficial en Tailandia ascendió a 15 muertos —un soldado y 14 civiles— y 46 heridos. Por su parte, Camboya reportó un muerto y cinco heridos, en su primer informe oficial desde el inicio del conflicto.
Los enfrentamientos se reanudaron en la madrugada del viernes en tres puntos distintos, de acuerdo con el ejército tailandés. Según su versión, las fuerzas camboyanas lanzaron fuego con armas pesadas, artillería y cohetes múltiples, a lo que las tropas tailandesas respondieron con “fuego de apoyo apropiado”. El ejército agregó que los choques incluyeron seis zonas de combate el jueves, entre ellas dos antiguos templos.
En el municipio camboyano de Samraong, a 20 kilómetros de la frontera, periodistas de la agencia AFP registraron disparos lejanos de artillería durante la mañana. “Vivo muy cerca de la frontera. Tenemos miedo porque empezaron a disparar de nuevo sobre las 6 de la madrugada”, relató Pro Bak, un residente de 41 años que huía con su familia hacia un templo budista. “No sé cuándo podremos volver a casa”, añadió.
La crisis diplomática también se agravó. Tailandia expulsó al embajador camboyano y llamó a consultas a su representante en Phnom Penh, luego de que una mina terrestre hiriera a cinco soldados tailandeses. Camboya respondió retirando a todos sus diplomáticos en Bangkok, excepto uno, y degradando las relaciones al nivel más bajo.
El Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU se reunirá de urgencia y a puerta cerrada este viernes, tras una solicitud del primer ministro camboyano, Hun Manet.
En paralelo, Estados Unidos y Francia instaron al cese inmediato de las hostilidades, mientras que la Unión Europea y China expresaron una profunda preocupación y pidieron diálogo entre las partes.
Desde 2008 hasta 2011, los dos países ya libraron enfrentamientos en la zona, que dejaron 28 muertos y decenas de miles de desplazados. Una decisión de la Corte Internacional de Justicia en favor de Camboya calmó las tensiones durante una década. Sin embargo, la situación volvió a deteriorarse en mayo de este año, tras la muerte de un soldado camboyano en un nuevo choque fronterizo.
Los combates actuales reflejan la fragilidad de la paz en la región y han despertado la preocupación de la Asociación de Naciones del Sudeste Asiático (ASEAN).
El primer ministro de Malasia, Anwar Ibrahim, quien ocupa la presidencia rotativa del bloque, declaró haber hablado con sus homólogos de Camboya y Tailandia, a quienes pidió diálogo inmediato. Según dijo, ambos mostraron “señales positivas y predisposición” a buscar una salida pacífica.
(Con información de AFP)
Asia / Pacific,Defense,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,SINGAPORE
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With the 2026 midterm elections more than a year away, a new Fox News survey finds that while the Republican Party has lost some ground to the Democratic Party on handling key issues, voters are more likely to think the GOP has a clear plan for dealing with the country’s problems.
The survey, released Thursday, finds that by a 10-point margin, more voters think the Republicans have a clear plan for the U.S. than the Democrats: 43% vs. 33%. Still, majorities feel neither the GOP (54%) or the Democrats (64%) have a plan. This is about where sentiment was three years ago, the last time the question was asked.
FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP FACING HEADWINDS AT SIX-MONTH MARK
Far more Republicans (79%) than Democrats (51%) are confident their party has a clear plan, and that’s what hurts the Democrats. While at least two-thirds of independents feel neither party has a plan, more trust the GOP (30% vs. 25%).
At the same time, the survey shows some significant erosion in the GOP’s handling of key issues compared to the last time Fox asked in 2023, including in areas where they are traditionally preferred.
Voters view the Republican Party as better able to handle national security (by 14 points), immigration (+6R), and government spending (+5R) while the Democratic Party is favored on climate change (by 23 points), health care (+19D), social security (+17D), education (+15D), and energy policies (+6D).
The parties are rated about equally on inflation (+1D), gun policy (even), the economy (+1R), and foreign policy (+3R).
Compared to 2023, support for the GOP is down on immigration by 4 points, national security by 6, government spending by 6, foreign policy by 9, and the economy by 14. Plus, the Republicans’ 12-point advantage on inflation has disappeared, as Democrats have a 1-point edge today.
While the Democrats have largely maintained support on their best issues, it’s noteworthy they saw a 12-point increase on education, as voters have been split on who would better handle the issue for the last few years.
FOX NEWS POLL: APPROVAL OF SCOTUS AT 5-YEAR HIGH, REBOUNDING FROM RECORD LOW IN 2024
These shifts can mostly be attributed to self-identified Democrats solidifying their preference for their own party’s handling of the issues, as well as independents lessening their support for Republicans or switching to Democrats.
Self-identified Republicans continue to express high levels of support for their party on the issues.
«Independents and even some Democrats had soured on President Biden and the Democratic Congress by 2023 and 2024, but they have shifted to the left a bit in 2025 in response to the policies of President Trump and the Republicans,» says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. «An appreciable part of this is performance related. Without obvious economic and foreign policy victories, independents and soft Democrats could drift to the left, which could scramble the electoral dynamic heading into 2026.»
Overall, views of both major political parties are underwater. By 2 points, the Republican Party has a slightly better favorable rating (44% favorable) than the Democratic Party (42%), but more than half view both parties negatively (56% and 57% unfavorable, respectively). That’s relatively unchanged since April.
Positive views of the Republican Party have shown steady growth since October 2019, while the Democratic Party has been on a downward trajectory, reaching a record low in April (41% favorable).
The Republican Party enjoys more support among their party faithful (83% have a favorable view) than the Democratic Party (78% favorable). Seven in 10 independents have a negative view of both.
CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE
Conducted July 18-21, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,000 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (114) and cellphones (636) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (250). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.
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«Fake news»: la Casa Blanca trata despegar a Donald Trump del caso Epstein y frenar la tormenta política
La ofensiva contra Barack Obama
La jefa de Inteligencia de EE.UU., Tulsi Gabbard, en una rueda de prensa en la Casa Blanca donde apuntó contra Barack Obama. Foto: EFE Donald Trump,Jeffrey Epstein,Estados Unidos
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