Originally Posted: January 21, 2018
President Trump’s major policy moves over the course of his first year in office have had a common denominator: They either overtly favor his base of support — the roughly one-third of voters who solidly back him — or they appear to penalize those states that vote Democratic.
The most striking example is tax reform, which struck a blow against blue-state Americans who tend to pay high state and local taxes, or SALT. These are residents of states that did not vote for Mr. Trump in 2016, and beginning this year, SALT deductibility on federal taxes is curtailed.
Other recent policy moves also appear to have an anti-blue tilt. Soon after the Trump administration announced a plan to expand offshore drilling in federal waters, it granted a waiver to Florida — a crucial Trump state in 2016. Blue states are also eager for waivers, but they’re still waiting.
Disaster relief funding has also sparked accusations of partisanship. Democratic politicians in heavily blue California were outraged in November when a Trump administration disaster aid request to Congress did not specifically mention their state, following devastating wildfires. A December aid request, which does mention California (as well as Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico), passed the House but languished in the Senate.
Puerto Rico, too, a Democrat-dominant US territory (albeit with a Republican governor) has also complained bitterly about its treatment by Washington following hurricane Maria.
Marijuana is another case in point. A recent Justice Department memo freed prosecutors to enforce federal law more aggressively in states that have decriminalized marijuana’s production and sale — mostly blue states, including California.
Even the Trump administration’s recent letter casting doubt on federal funding for a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey has political overtones. Both states are solid blue.
Trump’s base-oriented approach to policymaking and messaging could make future collaboration with Democrats all the more difficult as soon as Friday, when the government will shut down if a funding deal in Congress can’t be reached. The clock is ticking, too, on the young illegal immigrants who face deportation if Congress can’t agree on a plan by March 5.
And the November midterms are fast approaching. Trump’s appeals to the base may get his own supporters fired up, but they’re also a rallying cry for Democrats, who have a shot at retaking the House and possibly even the Senate. If Republicans lose either house, Trump’s ability to get anything through Congress will be severely curtailed. READ MORE