Donald Trump's big, beautiful act of self-harm

Many Republicans could lose their seats in Congress as a result of the US President's reverse Robin Hood budget.

- Edward Luce

Two cheers for US Senator Thom Tillis. The North Carolina Republican voted against President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful Bill", then said he was quitting politics. Like a bee, the outgoing senator stung once, then died. But Mr Tillis forfeits a third cheer because he would in any case have been likely to lose 2026's election.

All things being equal, many Republicans could lose their seats because of Mr Trump's reverse Robin Hood budget. Having chosen to live by the Trumpian sword, some will die by it.

Mr Trump's budget will have two dramatic impacts — one political, the other economic.

The first is the damage to Trump's blue-collar Maga (Make America Great Again) brand. "BBB" — Republicans' slavish adoption of Mr Trump's nickname for the Bill — will result in a large fiscal transfer from America's poorest to its richest.

Given how blatantly that upward redistribution breaks Mr Trump's campaign vows, his party will pay a price at the polling booth. Some polls show fewer than 30 per cent of voters approve of the BBB. This is an unusually strong thumbs down for a president's signature Bill.