Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, stated firmly on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he opposes raising taxes on any American, distancing himself from President Trump’s recently floated idea of increasing taxes on the highest income earners as part of upcoming tax legislation.
President Trump had publicly acknowledged the political challenges but suggested he was open to the possibility of raising taxes on individuals making over $2.5 million annually to help balance a potential “big, beautiful bill.”
However, when asked directly if he would support increasing taxes on this high-income bracket, Barrasso offered an unequivocal rejection of any tax increases whatsoever.
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“Well, I’m a conservative, and I don’t want to increase taxes on anybody,” Barrasso said.
Barrasso’s stance aligns with calls from other prominent conservatives urging the Republican party to hold the line against any tax hikes.
In April, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich published commentary strongly urging current Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, to resist any internal pressure to include tax increases within President Trump’s anticipated tax reform.
While acknowledging that the GOP has passed an initial “blueprint,” Gingrich stressed that the crucial battle lies ahead in preventing “misguided members” from adding tax hikes to the final legislation. He argued that succumbing to calls for tax increases, even targeted ones, would be a grave error with potentially severe historical and political consequences.
Gingrich asserted that a faction favoring tax increases has persistently existed within the Republican party, contrasting this with the successful supply-side economic principles championed by President Ronald Reagan, who, influenced by figures like Jack Kemp and Art Laffer, demonstrated that lower taxes could fuel economic growth and job creation. He recalled how even some of Reagan’s aides sought ways to “claw back” money returned to taxpayers via the landmark 1981 tax cuts.
The former Speaker pointed to the presidency of George H.W. Bush as a cautionary tale, describing Bush’s 1990 decision to break his famous “read my lips, no new taxes” pledge as a “catastrophic decision” that he argued weakened the economy, fractured the Republican Party, and contributed directly to his 1992 election defeat.
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Gingrich identified a resurgence of this “pro-tax” thinking among some Republicans today, who suggest raising taxes on higher earners could offset proposed cuts elsewhere and potentially shield Trump from accusations of favoring the wealthy. Gingrich dismissed this strategy outright, calling it “balderdash” and predicting Democrats would criticize Republican tax plans regardless. He invoked Grover Norquist’s “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” as a vital commitment against raising taxes, stating that any budget reconciliation bill including tax hikes would violate the party’s long-held principles.
Returning to the immediate legislative context, Barrasso emphasized the Republican goal for tax policy and contrasted it with Democrats, claiming that failure to pass a Republican tax bill would lead to significant tax hikes under Democratic leadership.
“What you do know is that the Democrats, if we don’t get this bill passed, they’re going to raise taxes by four trillion dollars on the American people,” Barrasso said on Meet the Press. “It will hit every working family in America with higher taxes. And you know, 84 percent of Americans don’t like what the Democrats are proposing?”
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Pressed on if he was definitively ruling out tax increases specifically on the highest earners, Barrasso reiterated his broader stance.
“I oppose raising taxes on anyone,” he stated, adding, “I am against raising taxes on anyone.”
Barrasso reiterated the Republican aim: “Our goal is to keep more money in people’s pockets so you can go to the store, pay their rent, save for retirement. That’s what our focus is. And higher wages.”
He concluded by referencing the ongoing legislative process for a tax bill. “We’re working the bill through the process. It’s going through the house. We’re ironing out the details right now. We’re going to get a bill passed and signed by the president that’s going to put more money in people’s pockets and give them the certainty that taxes aren’t going to go up.”
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Gingrich, in his commentary, strongly advocated for the passage of Trump’s bill without any tax increases, setting an ambitious deadline of June 2025 for it to be signed into law. He argued this timeline is crucial for economic recovery by early 2026 and strengthening the GOP’s position.
Barrasso’s comments on Meet the Press, coupled with Gingrich’s recent commentary, highlight the significant pressure within the Republican party to adhere to a no-new-taxes principle, even as potential strategies to finance tax reform are discussed and the party navigates the complexities of internal political dynamics and opposition from Democrats.
Gingrich warned that “poison pill tax increases” would only incite destructive internal party fighting, calling for unwavering commitment to a no-new-taxes approach as essential for both economic goals and building a “permanent Republican majority.”
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