On 3 February 2018, House Speaker Paul Ryan expressed the notion that a $1.50 per week pay increase demonstrates the Republicans' recent tax cut to be a success. The Speaker touted via Twitter — in response to an Associated Press report about the tax bill's “beginning to deliver bigger paychecks to workers” — a Pennsylvania secretary's comment that the extra $1.50 she gained a week as a result of GOP efforts would cover her annual Costco membership:
The Wisconsin Republican's tweet drew a good deal of criticism and mockery on Twitter:
Let’s win this thing $1.50 at a time.@PRyan #OutOfTouch #WI01
— Randy Bryce (@IronStache) February 3, 2018
I think Paul Ryan might not know how costco works. Like you still have to pay for the groceries too, not just the membership. https://t.co/AUW8wGqj40
— Ian Salyers (@IanSalyers) February 3, 2018
I actually thought this had to be a Paul Ryan parody account https://t.co/ncAK7HDpul
— Ellen Stark (@ellenstark) February 3, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised to have an extra 75 cents on my paycheck per week so I can use that money to donate to Randy Bryce’s campaign to absolutely demolish Paul Ryan.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) February 3, 2018
Remember, if you don’t think benefits like an extra $1.50 a week and free Hostess snacks are good enough, you’re the one who’s out of touch.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) February 3, 2018
The tweet was then deleted from Ryan's Twitter timeline:
Paul Ryan doesn't want you to see this deleted tweet where he said that the GOP's trillion dollar plus giveaway to the rich is justified because a secretary got a buck fifty a week out of the deal. pic.twitter.com/7gtoyCB0wh
— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) February 3, 2018
Many critics and analysts warned ahead of the tax bill’s passing that it would primarily benefit wealthy Americans.