Kudlow: New Trump tax cuts might not happen ‘for a while’

Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Tuesday lowered expectations that President Trump’s proposed middle-class tax cut would come to fruition shortly after the November midterm elections.

“It may not surface for a while. But that’s his goal. That’s his policy intent. I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Kudlow told reporters at the White House.

{mosads}But Kudlow cautioned against discounting the possibility Trump will push a second round of tax cuts through Congress.

“Promises made, promises kept,” he said. “Take him seriously when he comes out with these things. That’s been his pattern for a long time. People should not underestimate that.”

The National Economic Council director said the White House is working with the House tax-writing committee on a proposal.

Trump over the past several days has repeatedly promised that he would put forward a new tax plan before the midterms, stirring confusion in the White House and on Capitol Hill.

“We’re putting in a resolution sometime in the next week, or week and a half, two weeks,” Trump told reporters on Monday before leaving for a campaign rally in Texas. “We’re giving a middle-income tax reduction of about 10 percent. We’re doing it now for middle-income people.”

Aides say they have not seen the details of such a proposal, nor do they know how Trump plans to persuade Congress to pass another tax cut after struggling to secure enough votes for his first tax package last year.

Kevin Hassett, director of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, deferred question about Trump’s plan to the White House press office.

“Right now, the person who is discussing the 10 percent tax cut for the White House is the president, so you should go to the press office under the president if you want more on that,” Hassett told reporters earlier Tuesday.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said on Monday that Trump “would like to see an additional tax cut of 10 percent for middle-income families,” but did not provide additional details.