A bit more from the August 1 “Firing Line” interview with Mike Lawler:

Margaret Hoover: Your critics will say, this term so far, you have voted with Trump almost 100% of the time, except for one procedural vote. So, to those who would say you’re a rubber stamp for Trump, your response. 

Mike Lawler: Not in the least. I mean, first of all, I went toe to toe over the issue of SALT, the state and local tax deduction, which was not inconsequential. 

Agreed, it was not inconsequential. Raising the SALT cap will add hundreds of billions to the deficit. And no matter how many times he says he did it for the middle and working classes, it will mainly benefit high income taxpayers.

The conservative Heritage Foundation this week tried to make the case that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has been mischaracterized by the left. “Casting the new law as stealing from the poor to give to the rich is a calculated distortion,” as they proceed with a completely calculated distortion of their own. Yet even they called out the new SALT cap as a “tax cut for the rich.”

Did Mike Lawler really go “toe to toe” with Trump on SALT? I think not. As CNBC reported back in March: “Although Trump enacted the $10,000 SALT cap in 2017, he reversed his position last year on the campaign trail, vowing to “get SALT back” if re-elected. He has renewed calls for reform since being sworn into office. ‘I’d love to see something happen on SALT,’ Trump said in a Fox News interview on Sunday.

Which means Lawler was aligned with Trump on SALT. He took it as far as he could in the OBBBA negotiations, but as soon as Trump said it was enough, Lawler folded (see Daddy Knows Best).

Back to the “Firing Line” question, how has Lawler pushed back on Trump? Other than SALT, Lawler gave only 3 other examples:

• Ukraine: “I have stood up and pushed back against some of the president’s rhetoric and positioning on it as he seeks to end that conflict.”
• World Trade Center Health Fund: “There were decisions being made at Health and Human Services that would have jeopardized that program. We pushed back on that and went directly to the White House and got them to change that.”
• LGBTQ Youth Suicide Hotline: “They tried to cancel the funding for the specific hotline, and we are working through the appropriations process to make sure that that funding is there. …. The fact is, we should not want anyone to commit suicide and we should do everything to prevent that.” Lawler issued his press release on May 2 urging HHS Secretary Kennedy to preserve this program. On July 17, the Trump administration shut it down.

If you find this list to be a profile in courage, you deserve what you get from Lawler. Voting as instructed by Trump 100% of the time, especially when it counts — e.g. OBBBA and the Rescissions Act.

We’re seeing a bit of pushback from Lawler this week on Trump’s call for redistricting in Texas. Says Trump, “I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know. And we are entitled to five more seats.” Says Lawler, “I think it’s wrong, what Texas is doing.” Notice he says Texas, not Trump.

Lawler has no choice on this one. If NY’s Governor Hochul retaliates by trying to redistrict NY as threatened, Lawler stands to lose his district. Hochul’s commentary:

“Tell them to call the president of their own party and say, ‘Stand down in the war with New York and California and other Democratic states. If you want to stop what you’re doing in Texas, I’ll stand down. You started it. You end it.

“This is a guy who’s now saying, ‘I’m going to introduce a bill to get it changed,’” she said. “The same guy who promised a full restoration of the state and local tax deduction comes back far short from that and spins it as a win that everybody’s buying. He has no power. He won’t get it done. And I’m not sympathetic because he was silent.”

Don’t count on Mike Lawler to place that phone call. He may say he’s gone toe to toe with Trump. But it’s been more like dancing toe to toe, if not cheek to cheek.

There’s not a place
I wouldn’t dare to go.
When we’re dancing, dancing toe to toe.

— from “Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!“

For a glimpse of Mike Lawler’s fancy footwork, watch the first five seconds of this interview. WARNING: You will see a U.S. Congressman in button-down, khakis and Skechers (though no black face this time) paying tribute to Michael Jackson.