Photo by Gage Skidmore

As people all over the United States send their forms into the IRS, they’re probably seething over President Joe Biden’s repeated assertions that Americans are willing to pay more in taxes. In a recent interview with ABC News this week, he predicted that he would get Democrats in Congress to vote for what would be the first major federal tax increase since 1993.

Biden’s view is no doubt shaped by cognitive dissonance. He wants to raise taxes, so he believes the American people are behind him. His opinion on the subject is likely reinforced by the oft-repeated observation coming from thought leaders and other political influencers that the pandemic has created conditions favorable for passing a tax hike. 


Part of this is a question of who’d pay for it. Everyone is always for a tax increase if it means lower debt or higher spending so long as they’re not the ones whose taxes go up. Few people think of themselves as “rich,” so calls for higher taxes on the wealthy don’t bother them. Everyone is generally happy when someone else pays the bill.

Pollster David Winston looked at the issue in early April and found, by a margin of 2 to 1, “voters do not believe the statement that because of what happened with Covid, I am willing to pay more in taxes.” Consider that carefully. Federal spending to fight Covid and blunt the impact of the lockdowns imposed by the states has added well over $4 trillion to the national debt – some say it’s more like $6 trillion – yet most voters are unwilling to fork over their dough to close the gap between what went out and what’s coming in. (By the way, that “gap” isn’t nearly as big as people have been made to think. A lot of states are ending the year in the black even without the money from Washington and, in D.C., federal revenues are just about what they were projected to be before Covid hit).

In the Winston survey, the biggest supporters of a tax hike are, no surprise, liberal Democrats – but they are willing to see their tax bill go up by what he calls “a very weak margin” of 43 to 36 percent. Only a third of moderate Democrats go along with the idea while 47 percent say they don’t. Interestingly suburban women, a targeted group for both Democrats and Republicans in the next election, say they disagree with the statement 20 percent to 55 percent as do most Republicans (70 percent) and most independents (53 percent).

A newly released Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey generally backed up the Winston Group findings. Its poll had 64 percent of likely U.S. voters saying they oppose increasing taxes while just 22 percent supported the idea and 14 percent said they were not sure. 

The Rasmussen reports data also showed 45 percent of voters saying the current level of federal taxes “is already too high” while just 13 percent said they were “too low.” Another third – 33 percent – aligned themselves with the mythical Goldilocks saying, after the Trump tax cuts of 2017 that the current level of taxation is just “about right.”

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. President Biden has taken to saying Republican voters support his plans for the country even if GOP members of Congress reject it. Maybe – but what he doesn’t say is that – at least as far as taxes are concerned – members of his own party aren’t getting in line behind him.

“Whether or not congressional Democrats go along with Biden’s plan,” Rasmussen Reports said, “Democratic voters appear to feel differently. Only 19 percent of Democratic voters say the current level of federal taxes is too low, while 34 percent of Democrats say taxes are too high and 38 percent say the level of federal taxes is about right.”

Unsurprisingly, Biden’s wrong about the GOP voters too, at least on taxes. “Among GOP voters 56 percent say the current level of federal taxes is too high,” the survey found with, “just 9 percent say they’re too low and 29 percent say the level of federal taxation is about right. Unaffiliated voters are nearly five times more likely to say current federal taxes are too high (48 percent) than too low (10 percent).”

Despite what the New York Times lets prominent leftwing Keynesian economists write on its op-ed pages, there isn’t a lot of sentiment for raising taxes in America on anyone. The people are opposed to higher taxes on income, on gasoline, and just about everything else he’s proposed raising taxes on – tax hikes that would all break his campaign pledge that anyone making less than $400,000 per year wouldn’t see their taxes go up by “one thin dime.”

Peter Roff is a former U.S. News & World Report contributing editor now affiliated with several Washington, D.C. public policy organizations. He appears regularly as a commentator on the One America News network. Reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PeterRoff.



Peter Roff is affiliated with several Washington, D.C. public policy organizations and is a former U.S. News and World Report contributing editor who appears regularly as a commentator on the One America News network. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PeterRoff.

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susan dudak
susan dudak
2 years ago

I would to know the names of the Americans who say they would not mind paying more taxes. Is Joe hallucinating now on top of his senility. I don’t know of one person who wants or is willing to pay higher taxes. What a fruitcake we have for a president. God help us!

David Baker
David Baker
2 years ago
Reply to  susan dudak

Maybe he was wearing a pair of spiraling lenses glasses when he made this statement.

Dan Tyree
Dan Tyree
2 years ago
Reply to  David Baker

Who’s that retarded motherf—ker been talking too?

David Baker
David Baker
2 years ago
Reply to  Dan Tyree

Probably to himself. I guess he’s convinced that we’re all similarly deluded.

maxibaby
maxibaby
2 years ago
Reply to  Dan Tyree

The voices in his demented brain!

Michael
Michael
2 years ago
Reply to  Dan Tyree

RINO’S

Michael
Michael
2 years ago
Reply to  David Baker

So biden says we American’s WANT to pay higher taxes!?!? Look how deluded biden is, NO WAY any Americans want to pay higher taxes. Just like he said MANY REPUBLICANS, are on his side. IMPEACH THIS JERK, along with harris,pelosi, schumer, aoc, swalwell, mayorkas, nadler, ALL OF THE LYING DECEITFUL COMMIE PEOPLE!!! If something doesn’t happen to UNITE AMERICANS & SOON, WAR WILL COME!!!

David Baker
David Baker
2 years ago
Reply to  susan dudak

…and speaking in a soft voice.

Cashoffer9
Cashoffer9
2 years ago
Reply to  susan dudak

i am making a good salary from home 1200 to 2500 Dollars per week.which is amazing, under a year back I was jobless in a horrible economy. I thank God every day I was blessed with these instructions and now it’s my duty to pay it forward and share it with Everyone,
 …..> Cashoffer9.Com

Pissed Off American
Pissed Off American
2 years ago
Reply to  Cashoffer9

THEN DO IT! and go AWAY!. FU*K OFF! NOBODY CARES

maxibaby
maxibaby
2 years ago
Reply to  susan dudak

Every person who voted for Jo-Jo Biden/Comrade Kamala, I am sure would love to step up and volunteer to pay huge increases in their personal taxes for those of us who supported and still support the DJT tax decreases!
If the Republicans don’t win the majority in Congress next year I am afraid America is doomed to become another third world communist country in financial ruin under control of big government until…….Jesus comes back! The Lord will definitely take care of the evil Dems who are laying our country to waste and devastation!

Pissed Off American
Pissed Off American
2 years ago
Reply to  maxibaby

TOO LATE! We are already there, just look behind the door of the stuff where Clinton sold us to China for money to get elected the first time 28 years ago. It’s been going on behind the curtain since. Look how many times Commie Joe Panty Sniffer has voted to tax social Security in his life time of government theft. Lying MF as usual, democrap’s think if you have any income your rich and they want it. I don’t think there will ever be fair election ever again. Democraps rigged this one and took fours years to get the system in place. why would they ever let another fair one happen? GOD is allowing this BS to happen for all the evil that’s went on in America. Abortions, Elite / Corporations stealing everything. Etc. I’m afraid it about to hit the fan.

Country Girl
Country Girl
2 years ago
Reply to  susan dudak

Agreed an I’m a little embarrassed to say that I am a person from the state of Delaware. He really gives us a bad representation of what a lot of us believe in and I am ashamed to call him our “leader”.

Nonnn
Nonnn
2 years ago
Reply to  susan dudak

We should put taxes back to the rates we had during the Clinton Administration. We had a strong economy and a balanced budget.

David Baker
David Baker
2 years ago

You means those Dead, Quadruped, Voting Machine Converted, Non-Citizen, Felony-Convicted Americans who voted for this clown?

maxibaby
maxibaby
2 years ago
Reply to  David Baker

Those would be the ones! 😳💥🤯

fred Tran
fred Tran
2 years ago
Reply to  David Baker

The votes that put Faux Biden over the top were printed in China, why do you think they had to stop counting at midnight, it gave them time to print up enough new ballots to put Creepy Joe over the top.

Bobby
Bobby
2 years ago

Impeach Joe Biden now he is not qualified to be in charge of anything

Pissed Off American
Pissed Off American
2 years ago
Reply to  Bobby

I doubt he can wipe his ass right. Toes up Harris isn’t any better. Look at her response to the BORDER NON-CRISIS. She HAS NO CLUE of what to do with it. Somebody has to tell her to squat so she don’t pee in her shoes. Sorry to say it’s about to get a LOT WORSE and Snowflakes are about to die. YOU WANTED IT, YOU GOT IT!, DEAL WITH IT! GOOD LUCK!