President Trump’s economic adviser Gary Cohn was supposed to help sell the president’s tax plan Thursday, but his sales pitch seemed a little off, at least to reporters in the room.
For one, Cohn said he couldn’t guarantee that every middle class family would see a tax cut: “You can always find a unique family somewhere,” he explained.
Gary Cohn to @marykbruce: "Our tax plan is aimed at making sure we give middle class Americans a tax cut." https://t.co/RxuIKZ7bLu pic.twitter.com/AaD7DGG3H3
— ABC News (@ABC) September 28, 2017
The numbers didn’t seem to add up for some, though, when Cohn estimated that a two-child family earning $100,000 annually could save about $1,000 under the president’s proposal — enough for them to renovate their kitchen or buy a new car.
Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler had a field day with that one.
I want Gary Cohn's home designer — he says a family can "renovate a kitchen" with a $1,000 from the tax cut
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) September 28, 2017
and I want Cohn's car dealer — he says people "can buy a NEW car" with that $1,000…
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) September 28, 2017
and I want Cohn's travel agent! He says a "family vacation" can be had for $1,000.
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) September 28, 2017
As Cohn put it, with that $1,000, the family "can increase their lifestyle." I am beginning to understand why the numbers don't add up!
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) September 28, 2017
We get it, but hey … more would be better, but we’d take the thousand dollars. Even though we learned from the media Wednesday that “saving $1,000 a year on taxes is nothing.”
https://twitter.com/mckaycoppins/status/913519967898828800
He means ‘paint.' https://t.co/5aoL5vSUUt
— Chris Matyszczyk (@ChrisMatyszczyk) September 28, 2017
So his numbers are off for sure — but then again, there are plenty of Americans for whom a “new” car means one different from the one they’re driving now, and a family vacation could be a weekend in a motel near a beach or a national park. Again, we’ll take the thousand bucks.
The fact that a so-called "fact-checker" is mocking $1,000 in tax relief again shows how out of touch the media is. https://t.co/dTaMEJAICv
— Aaron Bandler (@bandlersbanter) September 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/Mhockey1505/status/913501455826538498
Glenn, get out of DC and come to flyover.
We renovate things ourselves.
Just because you get fleeced doesn't mean the rest of us do.
— Chibi William Henry Harrison? (@TobytheBeagle1) September 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/SeanJBillings/status/913496680015810561
The average family would never dream of the kind of renovation you could afford. They'd probably be thrilled with a new fridge.
— BayAreaFrau (@bayareahausfrau) September 28, 2017
It might just be possible that for people for whom $1,000 is a decent sum, that "renovate" has a slightly different meaning. https://t.co/Rsq2cyxzZA
— Farmer Joe (@FrmerJoe) September 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/ed_grimly/status/913502873157169152
U just identified the problem with liberal elites. In UR house, UR Kitchen, UR community, 1K is a wine budget. Not in America.
— Rich Kelsey (@RichKelsey) September 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/dmkchf/status/913500297993052162
I just want to keep my own damn money.
— AttackPilotTrader (@BenAltitude) September 28, 2017
What we’d really like, though, is that promised $2,500 reduction in our health insurance premiums. Hey, fact checker, could you check on that? PolitiFact doesn’t seem to think that grand promise came through, and Obamacare is still the law of the land (thanks, Maverick).
I'd like a piece of the asshole that said I was going to save $2400 on my health insurance, instead of the beating I take with 25% increase. https://t.co/HyiprVzylt
— BayAreaFrau (@bayareahausfrau) September 28, 2017
You can either find him giving a $400,000 speech to a Wall Street firm, or on a Lefty's private island.
— Zombie Dachshund (@ZombieDachshund) September 28, 2017
I could do much with an extra $1000 year, but it certainly doesn't contribute much to my family's increased healthcare cost due to #ACA.
— Susan Reif (@susanmreif) September 28, 2017
How about I can just keep my hard earned money? That OK by you?
— JD1367 (@JD1367a) September 28, 2017
Amen.
* * *
Related:
'Elitism is OFF THE CHARTS'! This journo just wrote off a HUGE chunk of America https://t.co/bqcjrTW604
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 27, 2017
Join the conversation as a VIP Member