Trump-era tax bill fuels health-care backlash as GOP faces 2026 midterm risk

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, championed by Donald Trump and enacted in 2025, delivered swift tax relief but deferred the most severe Medicaid cuts until after the 2026 midterms, a strategy now backfiring. Families in the Kansas City area discovered that Children’s Mercy Hospital will be out-of-network on the ACA marketplace starting Jan. 1, prompting viral social-media videos that highlight the personal toll of the cuts.

Senator Roger Marshall’s campaign in Kansas, once considered safe, has become a toss-up as opponents leverage the health-care fallout and his past debt-collection lawsuits. Democrats dominate the advertising battle on the issue, spending tens of millions more than Republicans, while GOP candidates have produced only a few TV spots defending the legislation. Polling indicates a majority of voters, including many Republicans, now oppose the bill, and the White House’s rebranding effort has failed to shift public opinion.