Trump Flirts With Raising Taxes on the Rich in Stream-of-Consciousness Rant: ‘Probably Not… But I’m OK If They Do!!!’

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

President Donald Trump flirted with raising taxes on the rich in a stream-of-consciousness rant on Truth Social Friday morning.

“The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming,’Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election,” wrote Trump. “NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!”

Trump’s comments come after Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman reported on Thursday that the president pressured Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) “to raise the top tax rate and close the carried interest loophole” in a recent phone call regarding the GOP’s reconciliation, which Trump has referred to as the party’s “big, beautiful bill.”

“The White House has toyed with hiking the top rate for the last few months. But this intervention raises the stakes — big time,” added Sherman.

For his part, Johnson has rejected the idea of raising taxes on the country’s highest earners.

“We’re the Republican Party, and we’re for tax reduction for everyone, and that’s a general principle that we always try to abide by,” he told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo last month. “You’ll hear lots of rumors and lots of talk, but we’ll see where it all lands.”