In a recent poll by Newsweek, it was revealed that 47 percent of those who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 want to see the enhanced child tax credit reinstated. That credit expired in 2021 when Congress failed to move on the measure. It offered, for about 6 months during COVID, parents up to $3,600 per child in the form of a direct payment.

That act is credited with drastically reducing child poverty, and was widely supported by both sides of the aisle.

By contrast, 26 percent of Trump supporters oppose the reinstatement of the credit, and 23 percent neither support nor oppose it. Lawmakers are currently working on a new version of that act, and it’s beginning to find support even among Republicans in Congress as well.

Aside from just Trump supporters, the numbers go up for support even more. More than half of ALL Americans — 52 percent — want to see it come back, and only 18 percent oppose it. Those on the fence made up 24 percent of respondents.

Republican congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania told Newsweek back in July that he was confident Congress could get something done:

The Child Tax Credit provides meaningful tax relief for many working American families.

I am optimistic that both sides of the aisle can work together to achieve a fair compromise on this issue and reach a solution that will support working families while ensuring that the credit is fiscally sustainable for the long-term.

Fitzpatrick is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Some Republicans have seen the proposals for reinstating the credit cynically as a way to negotiate for tax cuts elsewhere (duh — the rich). Senator Marco Rubio even floated his own proposal that would make the credit for children over 6 $100 less, but give $4,500 to those 6 and under. His proposal will likely fail, however, because he included money for fetuses in the womb, which is a relatively transparent effort to get normally pro-choice people to “admit” that a fetus is a child.

There is no single area of the country skewing the numbers on support for this credit, either. It enjoys 50-plus percent support in every region.

Trump may not end up having to face the catch-22 of locking in some voters while alienating his extremist base, due to being in prison. But I do hope he’s paying attention to the news.