Trump administration faces tax pushback, ethics scrutiny, and Iran war pressures on Tax Day

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:56:00 +0200

The Trump administration is using Tax Day to highlight the impact of its recently signed tax law, known as the “big beautiful bill,” which the Treasury says has helped more than 53 million Americans claim at least one of its new deductions. However, taxpayers are seeing a smaller refund boost than President Donald Trump and some Republicans have touted, tempering the political benefits the GOP had hoped to showcase. At the same time, ongoing war‑related tensions in the Middle East have driven gas prices above 4 dollars per gallon, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he is optimistic prices could fall to around 3 dollars by the end of the summer.

On Capitol Hill, pressure for accountability has intensified after the resignations of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales over separate sexual‑misconduct allegations. House Speaker Mike Johnson has called for a tougher standard of conduct but has resisted calls to expel GOP Rep. Cory Mills, whose case is s