President Donald Trump took direct aim at Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) this week, delivering a signature rhetorical broadside after the congressman admitted—on national television—that he had little knowledge of the wildly popular “no tax on tips” provision included in the GOP’s sweeping “big, beautiful bill.”
Raskin’s admission came during an interview on CNN, where host Kasie Hunt asked him whether he supported the proposal to eliminate federal taxes on tipped income. It’s a provision that has garnered support from 83% of hourly workers—a rare instance of overwhelming bipartisan public backing. Yet Raskin, visibly caught off guard, replied, “You know, I haven’t looked seriously at it because I haven’t thought they were serious about it.”
CNN: Do you support no taxes on tips?
Jamie Raskin: Uh, I don’t know. I haven’t looked at it. pic.twitter.com/zeIwG5RXyZ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 1, 2025
That response triggered an immediate and pointed reaction from Trump, who took to Truth Social to roast the Democrat in terms only he could deliver: “Rep. Jamie Raskin, a third-rate Democrat politician, has no idea what is in our fantastic Tax Cut Bill, nor would he understand it if he did,” the President wrote. “This DOPE has been consistently losing to me for YEARS, and I love watching his ugly face as he is forced to consistently concede DEFEAT TO TRUMP.”
It was vintage Trump—biting, theatrical, and laser-focused on the political scorecard. And it landed with precision. Raskin’s stumble wasn’t just a gaffe; it was a revealing moment. The Maryland Democrat dismissed the tax-free tips provision as a “symbolic consolation prize,” even as millions of service workers stand to benefit. Worse, his statement revealed an all-too-familiar pattern among critics of the legislation: objecting to what they haven’t bothered to understand.
.@RepRaskin https://t.co/RciqogMSjZ pic.twitter.com/Sk7OThrJTo
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 3, 2025
For Raskin, this isn’t new territory. He famously declared his intent to impeach Trump before the president was even inaugurated in 2017. He was also one of the Democrats who attempted to block the certification of Trump’s 2016 victory—something that, years later, Democrats would redefine as an existential threat to democracy when Republicans raised objections to the 2020 outcome.
Then came his tone-deaf call for the Trump administration to return deported gang members back to U.S. soil—an actual demand, not a misquote. For someone so eager to paint Trump and his policies as dangerous, Raskin has a penchant for undermining his own credibility at every turn.
Hourly workers overwhelmingly back President Trump’s NO TAX ON TIPS plan in the One Big Beautiful Bill — with 83% saying it should become law. pic.twitter.com/ZhwHPrNS9H
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 20, 2025
Trump’s reaction, meanwhile, reflects more than just personal satisfaction. It’s the confidence of a political leader whose legislative coalition is once again advancing a major policy achievement. The “big, beautiful bill” is more than symbolic—it’s a comprehensive package targeting middle-class tax relief, immigration reform, and welfare restructuring. For Trump, Raskin’s ignorance isn’t just frustrating—it’s validating.
What must gall Raskin most is not just Trump’s return to the forefront, but the scale of that return. After two impeachments, endless investigations, and relentless opposition, Trump is not only politically alive—he’s surging. He has led the conversation, won the legislative momentum, and expanded his base. And for Raskin, that must feel like a defeat that keeps repeating itself.
