The former vice president is about to feel Trump’s wrath. What he said could blow everything up.
And Mike Pence just threw gasoline on a fire with what he told Donald Trump.
Pence Calls on Trump to Keep Tax Cuts for High Earners Intact
Former Vice President Mike Pence has a clear message for President Donald Trump: don’t raise taxes on America’s wealthiest citizens. As the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a cornerstone of Trump’s first term, nears its expiration, Pence is sounding the alarm on proposals that could let tax breaks for high earners lapse.
Tax Cuts at a Crossroads
The Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers have been exploring options to let tax reductions for the wealthy expire to fund other tax cuts and ambitious second-term priorities.
Reports confirmed by Fox News Digital reveal that Trump, in a recent call with House Speaker Mike Johnson, pushed for increasing taxes on top earners and closing the carried interest loophole during the reconciliation process. A source close to Trump’s thinking indicated the president is considering a 2.6% tax rate hike for individuals earning $2.5 million or more, raising the rate from 37% to 39.6%.
Pence’s Fiscal Warning
Pence, a steadfast fiscal conservative with a decades-long career in Congress, as Indiana governor, and as vice president, is firmly against such a move. “Any suggestion that I’ve heard among some in and around the administration that we raise the top margin rate, the so-called millionaires tax, would be an enormous tax increase on small business owners across America,” Pence stated. “It needs to be opposed.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Pence elaborated on the impact of such a policy. “The majority of people that file taxes of a million dollars are simply individuals that own businesses, and they file their taxes as an individual, but then plow that money back into their company. If you raise that top margin, it would be an enormous tax increase on small business America,” he explained.
Pence’s solution? “Let’s make all the Trump-Pence tax cuts permanent. That’s a way to really lay a foundation to grow the economy in the days ahead,” he said.
Speaking in Boston after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage award, Pence praised Trump’s recent achievements, giving “President Trump all the credit in the world for an historic victory last November, and for sparing the country one more liberal Democrat administration.”
Praising Trump’s Wins, Urging Caution
He also commended Trump for “not only for his victory, but for securing our southern border, for restoring morale and recruitment in our military, for taking the fight to the Houthis.” However, Pence expressed concern over what he sees as a departure from conservative principles.
“I truly do believe that some of the other steps the president is taking away from that conservative agenda should be a concern that would work against his legacy and ultimately the success of our party or our country. And so we’re going to continue to be a voice against them,” he said.
Championing Conservative Values
Pence emphasized the importance of sticking to core conservative values. “I really do believe that for prosperity … for the success of our country, we need to stick to those time-honored principles of strong defense, American leadership on the world stage, less government, less taxes, traditional moral values and the right to life, and I’m going to be a voice for that,” he said.
As the debate over tax policy heats up, Pence’s call to preserve the Trump-era tax cuts for high earners sets the stage for a critical and tense discussion within the Republican Party about the path forward for America’s economy.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
