Joy Reid nails Dems’ 2018 messaging on GOP’s tax cuts: ‘Drive a wedge between the rich and the middle class’

Appearing as a guest on "Hardball with Chris Matthews," the MSNBC host of "AM Joy" repeatedly embarrassed Republican political consultant John Brabender in a discussion on the Republican tax cut bill.

"I wonder whether the Democrats can match a tax cut when they don't have something, a bennie to give out," Matthews fretted out loud. "John Brabender, I'm sure you have that thought, the Democrats don't have a candidate in the race for best tax cut, unfortunately for them."

"That's right," Brabender explained. "I am a media consultant, I think in terms of, 'how am I going to use this in an election?' Republican candidates can tell 80% of taxpayers they cut their taxes."

MSNBC's Joy Reid disagreed.

"When you put the wedge in between the middle class and the poor, so that the middle class identify with the rich, Republicans win. You put that wedge in between the rich and the middle class, such that the middle class identify with people below them, Democrats win," Reid explained. "That tax bill that's going to give an average of eighteen bucks a week to people making under $75,000 a year, versus the $15 million Donald Trump will get."

"The reason it's so unpopular and the reason that two-thirds of people hate it and only like a quarter of people even kind of like it, is because it's a giveaway to the very rich, permanent tax cuts for corporations and almost nothing for the average person," Reid explained. "That's why people hate it"

"Even Democrats, as bad as they are sometimes at politics, can figure out the messaging on that," Reid predicted.

"Joy's got the juice here," Matthews noted. "I don't see the same juice from -- I'm sorry, I don't dislike them, I do like them personally -- but I've got to tell you, I don't hear Schumer or Pelosi or any of the leadership talking with that kind of pizzazz, that kind of excitement."

"You get eighteen bucks, Trump gets $15 million," Reid explained to the conservative pundit. "Your CEO gets millions, you get 18 bucks, it's real simple."

"Nope" and "wrong" and "no it hasn't" were Reid's responses to Brabender's next attempts at defending the Republican tax cuts.

Then Reid explained how she believes workers will perceive Donald Trump's tax cuts.

"I go to work every day, I'm unappreciated, my boss, the CEO, the boss of the company is getting millions and I get 18 bucks? Nobody's going to side with you and the rich on this, sorry," Reid continued.

After more back and forth between Reid and Brabender, Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post weighed in.

"So should have brought my popcorn here," Marcus joked. "The problem with John's argument is if this tax cut is so great, why is it polling so terribly right now?"

"People look and say wait a minute, these guys are flying around on private jets, laughing at me, they're getting millions of dollars, Donald Trump and his fat cat friends are scooping up all the money and then they're going to cut health care? They're going to cut Medicaid and they gave me 18 bucks? Easy messaging."

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