Ahead of a rally on Long Island on Wednesday, Donald Trump is vowing to repeal controversial provisions of the 2017 tax reform law he pushed through Congress and restore the federal deduction for state and local tax payments, also known as SALT.
In a social media post on Tuesday afternoon, President Trump promised to “bring back SALT” if he returns to the White House.
The 2017 Republican tax bill, which he signed and continues to support, capped the SALT deduction at $10,000 as part of an effort to pay for the tax cuts included in the bill. The cap disproportionately hits taxpayers in Democratic-leaning states like New York, which have relatively high property and state income taxes.
The change in policy came a day before Trump was scheduled to hold a rally in Nassau County on Long Island, one of several battleground districts in New York state that could determine the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
Several New York Republicans fighting to retain their battleground districts who unsuccessfully campaigned for SALT reform earlier this year quickly endorsed Trump.
“I was pleased to hear former President Trump commit to repealing the SALT cap. This has been a top priority for me since taking office,” Rep. Mike Lawler, D-Hudson Valley, said in a statement.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-Nassau County, who is hosting the former president’s Wednesday rally, tweeted a salt shaker emoji.
🧂
— Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (@RepDesposito) September 17, 2024
During this year’s election campaign, Trump has already proposed eliminating federal taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits, and lowering corporate taxes, which could cost the government hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Removing the SALT cap would further widen the budget deficit.
Democrats pointed out that it was Trump who limited the SALT deduction in the first place.
Suffolk County Congressional candidate John Avlon called Trump’s announcement “like rubbing salt in the wound.”
“Nassau County families see through the false bluff of Trump and D’Esposito,” Laura Gillen, who is seeking to unseat D’Esposito, said in a statement.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, who repeated “No SALT, No Deal” a few years ago during debate on the Democrats’ Build Back Better bill, said, “If[Trump]is really serious, he should urge 100 Republicans in the House and 25 Republicans in the Senate to join me in restoring the SALT deduction in its entirety now!”
And Senator Chuck Schumer, who has pledged not to introduce a bill to extend the cap if he remains majority leader next year, accused Trump of pretending to support SALT ahead of the Long Island rally.
Schumer called the 2017 Republican tax reform law “a terrible bill backed by Donald Trump that was targeted at Democratic states.”
When asked why President Trump had changed his mind about SALT, Carolyn Leavitt, national spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said, “While his pro-growth, pro-energy policies will make life affordable again, President Trump also plans to move quickly on tax cuts for workers and seniors.”