In a special FiveStack with Olga Lautman sitting in for Dean Blundell, we broke down the most dangerous provisions in Trump's 1,100-page "Big Beautiful Bill" that passed the House 215-214 in the dead of night. Here are the five biggest threats to American democracy:
5️⃣ THE RESTAURANT PAYROLL SCAM
Tax-free tips and overtime sounds great until you realize it creates a massive loophole for restaurants to reclassify regular wages as "tips" to dodge payroll taxes. Workers think they're getting tax-free income while actually losing employer-paid Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment contributions.
4️⃣ THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID MASSACRE
Steve Rattner's analysis shows $700 billion in Medicaid cuts over ten years, with 7.6 to 15 million Americans losing coverage through work requirements starting December 2026. The deficit explosion also triggers automatic Medicare cuts of $500 billion over ten years, hitting seniors while restaurants dodge taxes.
3️⃣ THE RICH GET RICHER HANDOUT
The SALT deduction cap triples from $10,000 to $30,000, primarily benefiting households earning over $200,000. Rattner's charts show the top 20% get a 3.7% after-tax income boost while the bottom 20% lose $800 annually.
2️⃣ THE $25 TRILLION DEFICIT BOMB
Official estimates show $3.1 trillion in new debt, but Rattner reveals the real horror: if provisions become permanent, we're looking at $25 trillion over ten years. National debt would hit 200% of GDP while Treasury yields spike above 5% and the Dow crashes 800 points.
1️⃣ THE DEMOCRACY KILLER
Hidden provision states "no court may use appropriated funds to enforce contempt citations unless a bond is posted." UC Berkeley Law Dean calls this rendering judicial orders "mere advisory opinions"—effectively ending judicial oversight of executive power and making Trump king.
The bottom line: This isn't legislation—it's systematic dismantling of American democracy with popular tax cuts as bait. Even Wall Street is revolting against the fiscal insanity, but the real target is democracy itself.
The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email next@narativ.org. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.
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