Trump says he won't actually cut taxes after all


One day after saying the White House was considering new tax cuts to boost the economy, President Trump reversed course, telling reporters he isn't contemplating reducing capital gains or payroll taxes.
"I just don't see any reason to," he said Wednesday. "We don't need it. We have a strong economy." Trump and his aides have been pushing this narrative, saying there is no recession in sight and dismissing warning signs like an inverted yield curve last week and the growth in economic output dropping to a 2.1 percent annual rate in the second quarter, well below the 3.1 percent growth rate in the first three months of 2019.
Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he was interested in tax cuts came as a surprise to several White House staffers who told The Wall Street Journal they haven't been considering any of Trump's ideas. "The president threw it out ... but he was just throwing things out," one official said regarding payroll tax cuts.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump has been urging the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates quickly, which the Journal notes is usually done when the economy is struggling. He's bashed Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on several occasions, accusing him of holding U.S. growth back, and on Wednesday, the president compared Powell to "a golfer who can't putt."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Labubu: the 'creepy' dolls sparking brawls in the shops
In the Spotlight Craze for the pint-sized soft toys has reached fever pitch among devotees
-
The top period dramas to stream now
The Week Recommends Heaving bosoms and billowing shirts are standard fare in these historical TV classics
-
Women need more pain management during gynecological procedures
Under the radar Pain should no longer be ignored
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect