U.S. Rep. Don Davis voted against making tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term permanent. But when GOP trackers asked him to defend the vote, he declined to answer before being whisked away in a luxury car.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) provided video of Davis evading questions about his vote against the Trump-prioritized “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by the House. The Snow Hill Democrat joined all members of his party in voting the legislation down. NRCC trackers followed Davis as he tried to enter a Washington home, asking “Why did you choose to hike taxes on middle class Americans.”
Davis at first tried to enter an unidentified home in Washington. When he found the door locked, he turned to the trackers and responded, “I don’t know what your question is but I am getting to our next appointment.”
Davis then gets shuffled by staff to the passenger seat of a Mercedes-Benz GLK at the curb. “One more time,” a tracker asks, “can you tell me why you voted to raise taxes on middle class Americans.”
“We’re working hard to represent east North Carolina,” Davis said before the car drove away.
The NRCC attacked the optics of Davis casting a vote that will hike taxes for more than 375,000 taxpayers in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.
The political arm of House Republicans cited statistics from the House Ways & Means Committee that showed taxpayers in Davis’ district would see a 24% tax hike if the bill fails. For a family of four making $55,409 a year, the median income for the district, that would mean a $1,271 tax increase each year.
Additionally, 30,560 small businesses in the district could be hit with a 43.4% tax rate, while 78,590 would see their child tax credit slashed in half and 3,759 family-owned farms would see a death tax exemption similarly cut 50%, according to that GOP-led analysis.
Notably, Davis did release a statement defending his vote against the bill after casting it. He then called the legislation “fiscally irresponsible.”
“It increases the federal deficit, neglects the delivery of additional essential disaster assistance for NC, and shifts costs onto states,” Davis’ statement read. “The bill could devastate eastern North Carolinians, including the potential loss of lifesaving health care coverage and overlooks the needs of families, children and dependents of veterans.”
And Davis’ statement jibes with broader critique of the bill that would make the Trump tax cuts permanent, which the administration has dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” While the tax cuts provide across-the-board savings for Americans across all tax brackets, it would impact those in the highest tax brackets the most significantly.
An analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found those making more than $1 million per year would save nearly $90,000 on their taxes, while those in the bottom 20% of earners would gain just $90. The analysis additionally found that, when considering the expected cost of Trump’s tariffs, the bottom 20% would actually lose $100. And that analysis does not quantify other critique in the bill, that cuts to Medicaid could be used to offset increases in spending, a move that would impact low-income Americans and/or those with disabilities.
Still, NRCC officials scoffed that Davis offered nothing further when publicly pressed on his vote, instead fleeing from questioners.
“Out of touch Don Davis voted to raise taxes and costs on every single farmer, small business owner, and hardworking North Carolinian – the very people who pay Davis’ salary,” said NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole. “Even worse, Davis won’t even explain why. North Carolinians deserve better than this cowardly Congressman who makes their lives more expensive and more difficult.”
Davis is one of the Democratic targets of the NRCC this election cycle.
