Trump's tax plan calms conservatives worried about a populist moment - Washington Post

Donald Trump's apparent ability to get conservatives on board with tax hikes was among the biggest shocks of his summer surge. The billionaire unashamedly told crowds -- bigger crowds than any Republican rival could muster -- that "the hedge fund guys" needed to pay higher taxes, and that the rich could afford to pay more generally. The pro-Jeb Bush super PAC Right to Rise literally flew a banner over one of those rallies, in Alabama, warning about tax hikes. Trump kept on talking taxes, and didn't suffer at all.

Yet today, upon the release of his tax reform white paper, the Republican front-runner won over the GOP's unofficial pope of tax cuts. "Trump’s plan is certainly consistent with the Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, in a statement. “Trump has said he opposes net tax hikes and has made clear that the real problem is spending. This plan is a reform, not a tax hike."

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