Trump also championed Social Security in his 2016 campaign.
But this year he cut the tax that pays for Social Security - the FICA tax (so-called “payroll tax”). Although it’s a temporary cut, it allowed Biden to tell seniors that Trump was threatening Social Security. It was a tactical error, and Trumps share of seniors in the middle west did go down from 2016 accord to exit polls
Bottom line: Trump won as a populist, not a Romney/Ryan tax cutter. But he let Ryan and Mitch blunt a lot of his populism
I don’t disagree. And I’ll add that in my opinion the only viable path forward as a national party with any realistic shot at the Presidency, the GOP must embrace populist conservatism.
I see no other path. Those wanting to return to the Bush model have to face the fact that the Bush path to 270 electoral votes closed and there is no reason to think states like Virginia and Colorado are retrievable.
But I wonder if there are any Republicans waiting in the wings who can deliver the goods as a conservative populist. Even among those I think have some potential (Senator Cotton, Governor DeSantis, Senator Cruz, Governor Noem) I don’t see any combining Trump’s populist positions on immigration, trade, and foreign policy, nor do I see any improving on Trump regarding taxes.
I know that down ballot the GOP did much better than expected last week, but I can’t help but feel bleak about prospects for winning back the White House.