A surprising moment unfolded Friday when a Fox News contributor openly questioned President Donald Trump’s bold plan to dramatically cut — and potentially eliminate — income taxes for millions of Americans. The exchange quickly sparked debate, highlighting the growing divide between Washington insiders and voters who are tired of crushing taxes and runaway federal spending.
Fox News contributor and Wall Street Journal editorial-page assistant editor James Freeman told host Alicia Acuna that while Trump’s tax-cut message carries a “beautiful spirit,” critics claim the numbers don’t add up.
Trump, speaking to reporters Thursday, said his administration’s strong tariff agenda could generate enough revenue to “substantially” reduce or even “completely” eliminate federal income taxes over the next several years — a move that would deliver historic relief to working families, retirees, and small business owners.
But Freeman argued that tariff revenue, even if fully approved by the Supreme Court, wouldn’t be enough to cover the federal government’s enormous expenses.
According to Freeman, Trump’s tariffs could bring in roughly $200 billion a year, while Washington is currently spending close to $7 trillion annually.
“The math doesn’t really work there,” Freeman said, before quickly adding that many Americans appreciate Trump’s determination to lift the financial burden off taxpayers.
Supreme Court Fight Could Decide Trump’s Plan
The tax fight is unfolding during a pivotal legal showdown. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court reviewed a challenge to Trump’s authority to enact his wide-ranging tariff plan without first securing approval from Congress. During the hearing, justices across the ideological spectrum pressed whether the emergency law being cited is broad enough to justify such expansive tariffs.
Lower courts have already struck down parts of the program. If the Supreme Court upholds those rulings, key tariffs — and the revenue Trump hopes to rely on — could be overturned.
The Real Issue: Washington’s Spending Addiction
Freeman also made a point that many conservatives agree with: America’s tax problem is really a spending problem.
He reminded viewers that progressives created the income tax more than a century ago specifically to feed the growth of the federal government. Eliminating income taxes entirely would require a major rollback of Washington’s bloated bureaucracy.
He praised Trump’s past efforts — including the Deregulation and Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative — as a “good start,” but warned that the country is “a long way from shrinking government to the size needed to eliminate the income tax.”
Bottom Line for Conservative Readers 50+
Trump’s proposal delivers a powerful message: returning economic control to Americans, challenging Big Government, and putting taxpayers first. And the backlash from media insiders only strengthens the contrast between Trump’s America-First vision and the entrenched D.C. establishment that wants to protect its spending power at all costs.