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Americans despise Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' - even MAGA hates it when they find out what's in it [1]
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Date: 2025-06-17
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" — John 8:32
The Democrats can win
Democrats have a straight, six-lane highway to winning the midterms — if they choose to take it. The good news is that even as the deeply unpopular national party flounders in DC, Democratic candidates are winning elections in toss-up districts and narrowing margins in red zones.
Why? Because if you ask Americans what their politics are in general, they will say, on average, 'center-right.' However, if you ask them for their opinion on the issues, it turns out they are 'center-left.'
How Americans feel about Trump's MAGA legislation
KFF asked Americans how they felt about Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), better known as the Big Bucket of Bullshit Bill (BBBB). They didn't like it. Predictably, opinions on BBBB varied from "It's a crock" on the left - to "We agree it's a crock" in the center - to "When I know what's in it, it's a crock" on the right.
The top line makes clear that not only is the BBBB a budget-busting bomb, it is deeply unpopular everywhere, except among the 'Trump walks on water' zealots.
KFF reports the news thus:
The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that was passed by House Republicans and is currently being discussed by the U.S. Senate is viewed unfavorably by a majority of adults (64%), including large majorities of independents and Democrats. Six in ten Republicans have a favorable opinion of the bill, but this support is largely driven by supporters of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, while two-thirds of non-MAGA Republicans view the bill unfavorably.
When people know, they know
Thanks to KFF, we discover why Trump and his Congressional knob polishers love the poorly educated. Once people know something, it is hard for them to unknow it. And when a MAGA understands what's in Trump's plutocrat pandering, support for Trump's "No Billionaire Left Behind" legislation plummets. KFF writes:
Among both Republicans and MAGA supporters, support drops at least 20 percentage points, with less than half of each group viewing the law favorably after hearing it would increase the country's uninsured rate and decrease funding for local hospitals.
If the Democrats can't win the House with this level of loathing for the BBBB, then I want my money back.
Note: Much has been made of the Democratic Party's dismal polling, internal strife, and lack of charismatic, effective leadership. However, that hasn't stopped individual Democratic candidates from outperforming expectations in both toss-up and deep-red districts .
The 'No Kings" rallies were local. Let the elections be local. If the DNC can raise money — fabulous. But liberals are winning despite the disorder in DC.
Americans want universal healthcare
KFF highlights the public's opinion on universal healthcare. (Spoiler alert: They love it)
Overall favorability of Medicaid, the health care program for low-income adults and children is now at 83%, including majorities of Democrats (93%), independents (83%), and Republicans (74%). This is an uptick in favorability from January 2025 of six percentage points overall and an 11-point increase among Republicans. In addition, two-thirds of the public now view the ACA [Obamacare] favorably. On one provision, the public supports the Republican side of the issue — the work requirement for Medicaid — at least initially. A majority of the public (68%), including nine in ten Republicans and MAGA supporters, as well as half of Democrats support Medicaid work requirements as described in the House bill.
Knowledge is kryptonite to GOP politicians
However, when the respondents looked beyond the MAGA framing of the issue and understood the reality, their feelings changed.
Yet, most people are not aware that the majority of Medicaid recipients are already working, and attitudes can change once people are provided with additional information. For example, support for Medicaid work requirements drops as low as 35% (a 33-point decrease in support) when proponents hear that most people on Medicaid are already working and that many would be at risk of losing coverage because of difficulty completing paperwork to prove their eligibility.
Americans on Medicaid (including Republicans) prefer it to the alternative
Medicaid is not a fringe issue. One in five Americans ( 21% ) are enrolled in the program. It has a higher enrollment than Medicare ( 19.4% ) Nor does it favor Democratic voters. Some of the most heavily reliant congressional districts, like California's Central Valley — or states, like Louisiana — are ruby red.
Unsurprisingly, Medicaid recipients would be hurt if they lost their health insurance. KFF reports:
Adults who currently are insured through Medicaid describe a variety of ways they would be affected if they lost Medicaid coverage. More than half say that it would be "very difficult " to afford their prescription medications (68%)
afford to see a health care provider (59%)
get and pay for another form of coverage insurance coverage (56%) In addition, most Medicaid enrollees say losing Medicaid coverage would have a "major impact" on their financial well-being (75%)
overall quality of life (69%)
their mental health (66%)
their physical health (60%).
Last Saturday, in a show of righteous defiance, millions of Americans in communities across the nation took to the streets to tell their fellow Americans that they are as mad as hell and are not going to take it anymore. The even better news is that the majority of Americans who did not protest agreed with the protestors.
If the Democrats can ride that wave in the 2026 midterms, even the Senate will be in play.
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