GOP senator suggested calling Trump's bailouts 'freedom payments' to make them sound better: report

On Wednesday, the Washington Postexamined how President Donald Trump's call for bailing out struggling industries is changing the political calculus for Republicans — and has many lawmakers scrambling to figure out how to sell a policy their base voters consider anathema.

One of the best illustrations of this was an exchange that occurred between a Republican senator and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who has been at the forefront of the administration's push for economic relief measures.

"When Mnuchin visited with Republican senators at their Tuesday lunch, the secretary pleaded with them not to use the politically-charged word 'bailout' in describing the proposed relief for Boeing, one of many large corporations that stands to benefit from the administration’s plan," said the report. "One senator raised a hand and asked if they should instead call them 'freedom payments,' which prompted laughter, according to a person briefed on the closed-door meeting."

Some Republicans may have fearful memories of the political fallout from the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which gave a cash infusion to struggling banks and insurance companies, stabilizing the economy — but bitterly dividing GOP activists. Some lawmakers who backed the measure, like Sen. Bob Bennet (R-UT) went on to lose their primaries to hard-line tea party candidates.

Trump has made relief for industries like airlines, hotels, and casinos a key priority. Congressional Democrats, and a few Republicans, have placed more emphasis on measures to give cash payments directly to American households, to help those facing layoffs and give the public greater spending power.