6 ways Trump’s tax bill could shape the battle for control of Congress

The bill is deeply unpopular, but Republicans still have an opportunity to influence public perception because many Americans know little about it.

8 min
The Capitol dome as a storm approaches Tuesday. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

History and dismal public polling suggest President Donald Trump’s $3.3 trillion tax bill, approved by Congress on Thursday, could help Democrats win back the House in the 2026 midterm elections.

The bill is deeply unpopular — with nearly 2-to-1 opposition, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted in June. But Republicans still have an opportunity to shape public perception of the bill because more than a third of Americans had no opinion of it and two-thirds said they had heard either little or nothing about it.

Trump presidency

Follow live updates on the Trump administration. We’re tracking President Donald Trump’s progress on campaign promises and legal challenges to his executive orders and actions.

Tariffs and the economy: China and the United States agreed to lower tariffs on goods from each other’s countries for 90 days. Trump’s 10 percent “universal” tariff on all imports is still in place. Here’s what led to the decision to ease tariffs on China.

First 100 days: Trump is facing growing opposition to his ambitious and controversial agenda, with his approval rating in decline, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. But inside the White House, Trump’s team isn’t dissuaded. Here’s a look at Trump’s first 100 days in 10 charts.

Harvard feud: The Trump administration terminated $450 million in federal funding to Harvard University, the latest round in the battle between the administration and the Ivy League university. Harvard sued the Trump administration after it froze more than $2 billion in federal funding after the school refused to make sweeping changes to its governance, admissions and hiring practices.

Federal workers: The Trump administration continues to work to downsize the federal government, eliminating thousands of jobs at agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, USAID, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the Education Department, the Defense Department, the National Weather Service, and the National Park Service.

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What readers are saying

The comments reflect significant dissatisfaction with the tax bill and its potential impact on the Democrats' chances in the 2026 midterm elections. Many commenters express concern that the bill's negative effects, such as cuts to Medicaid, are delayed until after the midterms,... Show more
This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.
Maeve Reston is a national political reporter for The Washington Post. You can contact her on Signal at MaeveReston.22@MaeveReston
Theodoric Meyer covers the Senate for The Washington Post.@theodoricmeyer
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