Ah, the Trump tax cuts—the golden ticket for the rich to get richer, and the middle class? Well, they were left holding the damn bag. Back in 2017, Donald Trump and his Republican buddies passed what they called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (TCJA). Sounds nice, right? Jobs, growth, prosperity? Yeah, about that. It was essentially Christmas morning for corporations and the wealthy, and for the rest of us? Just another day of trying to figure out how to pay the bills while Jeff Bezos shot himself into space. And now, here we are in 2025, and Trump, with Mike Johnson doing his dirty work in Congress, wants to run that same damn play again. But this time? It’s a bit messier.
Let’s Take a Quick Look Back at the 2017 Tax Cuts
Remember the 2017 tax cuts? If you don’t, it’s because they didn’t do a hell of a lot for you unless you were sitting on a yacht sipping champagne. Here’s the deal:
• Corporate tax rate slashed: Trump’s tax plan dropped the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. That’s a huge fucking cut. For context, that’s like taking your monthly rent and slashing it in half while your landlord builds another mansion.
• Rich folks made bank: The top 1% got the bulk of the benefits. According to the Tax Policy Center, by 2027 (when many of the individual tax cuts expire), about 83% of the benefits were projected to go to the richest Americans. Eighty-fucking-three percent!
• Trickle-down? My ass. Trump’s team sold this shit like it was going to lead to massive economic growth. Spoiler alert: It didn’t. Sure, the stock market looked pretty, but wages for working people barely budged. Meanwhile, corporate profits soared.
• Ballooning the deficit: The tax cuts added $1.9 trillion to the national debt over a decade. Let me say that again—$1.9 TRILLION. And this was coming from the same Republicans who love to cry about the deficit whenever a Democrat is in office.
But hey, rich people gotta eat too, right? Oh wait, they already have private chefs.
Fast Forward to 2025: Trump’s Back, and Mike Johnson’s Got His Back
Now it’s 2025, and Trump’s back in the Oval Office (ugh). He’s got this new Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who’s basically the yes-man Trump has always dreamed of. Johnson’s all in on pushing for a sequel to the 2017 tax cuts, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Why? Because the economy’s still recovering from all the shit that went down in the early 2020s, and the national debt is already looking like a bloated credit card statement.
House Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), have made it crystal fucking clear they’re not lifting a damn finger to help Trump push through another giveaway to the wealthy. Jeffries straight-up said, “House Democrats will not be complicit in carrying out Trump’s agenda.” And honestly? Good. Somebody’s gotta put their foot down.
Why Trump Needs to Raise the Debt Ceiling to Do This
Here’s where it gets even juicier. Trump’s big tax cut dreams are expensive as hell. Like, stupid expensive. And to pull it off, he’s gotta raise the debt ceiling in 2025. Why? Because without more borrowing, there’s no way to fund the government, let alone pay for more tax breaks for billionaires.
A Quick Debt Ceiling 101
The debt ceiling is basically the country’s credit limit. It’s the maximum amount of money the federal government can borrow to cover things like Social Security, Medicare, military salaries, and—you guessed it—tax cuts. If the ceiling isn’t raised, the U.S. risks defaulting on its debt, which would trigger economic chaos.
Normally, raising the debt ceiling is a shitshow of partisan bickering, but it gets done because the alternative is a complete economic meltdown. But now Trump needs to convince enough people to raise it not just to keep the lights on but to fund his tax cut dreams. And honestly? That’s a hard sell when you’re trying to hand out more goodies to your rich buddies.
What Does This Mean for the Rest of Us?
Let’s be real: if Trump and Johnson manage to pull this off, it’s going to suck for regular people. Here’s why:
1. More debt, less help: Adding another trillion or two to the national debt means more pressure to cut spending on things that actually help people, like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. You think they’re going to tax the rich later to pay for this? Hell no. It’ll be programs for the middle and working class that get axed first.
2. The wealth gap grows: The 2017 tax cuts already widened the gap between the rich and everyone else. Doing it again in 2025 is just going to make it worse. The rich will get richer, and the rest of us will keep fighting over the scraps.
3. Economic instability: Ballooning debt without a plan to pay it down eventually leads to higher interest rates and less investment in things that actually grow the economy. It’s like maxing out your credit cards and then wondering why you can’t afford groceries.
Why Mike Johnson Matters
Mike Johnson, the new Speaker, is a key player in all this. He’s got a reputation as a far-right conservative who’s all about small government—except, apparently, when it comes to tax cuts for the wealthy. Johnson’s job is to rally the House Republicans to get Trump’s agenda passed, and he’s already shown he’s willing to go to bat for Trump no matter how bad the idea.
The problem? Johnson doesn’t just have to deal with Democrats. He’s got his own party to worry about, too. The Republican caucus is a hot mess these days, with moderates and far-right extremists constantly at each other’s throats. Getting them all on the same page for a tax cut AND a debt ceiling hike? Good luck with that.
Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats: Holding the Line
Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries and the House Democrats are standing firm. They know exactly what Trump and Johnson are trying to do, and they’re not having it. Jeffries has made it clear that Democrats won’t play ball when it comes to another round of tax cuts for the wealthy.
And honestly? That’s the right move. If Democrats cave, they’ll just be enabling Trump’s bullshit. But if they hold firm, they can at least make it harder for him to pull this off.
The Bottom Line
Trump’s tax cuts in 2017 were a disaster for anyone who wasn’t already rich, and his new plan in 2025 is shaping up to be more of the same. With Mike Johnson leading the charge in the House and Democrats refusing to help, this is going to be one hell of a fight. The question is, will Trump be able to raise the debt ceiling and get his tax cuts passed? Or will Democrats and even some Republicans finally say, “Enough is enough”?
One thing’s for sure: if you’re not in the top 1%, don’t hold your breath waiting for this to work out in your favor. Because when it comes to Trump’s tax plans, the rich always win, and the rest of us are left cleaning up the mess.
Citations
1. Tax Policy Center. (2017). Analysis of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/
2. Congressional Budget Office. (2023). Long-Term Budget Outlook. https://www.cbo.gov/
3. U.S. Department of Treasury. (2025). Debt Ceiling FAQ. https://www.treasury.gov/
4. New York Times. (2017). Winners and Losers of the Trump Tax Cuts. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/
5. CNN Politics. (2025). Hakeem Jeffries Rejects Trump’s Tax Cut Agenda. https://www.cnn.com/politics
Wasserman (2025). “Tax cuts for the rich” [Political cartoon]. Boston Globe https://www.bostonglobe.com