Trump: Tax Cuts Will Be ‘Rocket Fuel’ for Economy

President Donald Trump on Wednesday depicted a coming vote on the Republican tax reform plan as a watershed moment that will separate swamp-dwellers from swamp-drainers.

Trump chose the crucial Midwestern state of Missouri as his venue, his second speech on taxes in the Show Me State in the past three months. He said the tax cuts — known formally as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — would lay the foundation for long-term economic growth.

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“These massive tax cuts will be rocket fuel … for the American economy,” he said.

The House of Representatives earlier this month passed its version of the tax bill. The Senate is heading toward an expected vote on its version later this week. As he did during his August visit to Missouri, Trump tweaked the state’s Democratic senator — first in a veiled reference and later by name.

“And your current senator does not want to see a tax cut,” he said early in the speech. “That’s not good.”

Later, Trump was more explicit.

“Senator Claire McCaskill — have you ever heard of her? — is doing you a tremendous disservice,” he said, sparking a chorus of boos. “She wants your taxes to go up. She’s weak on crime. She’s weak on borders. She’s weak on illegal immigration. And she’s weak on the military. Other than that, I think she’s doing a fantastic job.”

McCaskill, who is up for re-election next year, is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country and one time was thought to be a potential crossover supporter of tax cuts. But she has firmly rejected the legislation.

A super PAC called Missouri Rising Action sought to ramp up pressure on McCaskill, noting Wednesday that she has earned an F from the National Taxpayers Union.

“On taxes, Claire McCaskill fails to reflect the views and values of Missouri,” executive director Brian Rogers said in a statement. “No matter how she changes her tune with an election approaching, the record clearly shows that McCaskill has repeatedly supported higher taxes on Missouri families and businesses — the wrong direction for the Show Me State.”

In his speech, Trump said a “moment of truth” has arrived.

“In the coming days, the American people will learn which politicians are part of the swamp, and which politicians want to drain the swamp,” he said.

Trump reeled off the proposal’s main features, including the bottom-line estimate that an average family of four would pay roughly $2,000 less in federal income taxes. He said it would eliminate loopholes and make corporate taxes more competitive with America’s competitors. He said it would reverse an environment that has led U.S.-based multinational corporations to leave 70 percent of profits earned abroad in foreign countries.

Citing a study from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Trump said the average worker would see a $4,000 pay raise as companies plow tax breaks into salaries.

“It’s not enough for the middle class to keep getting by,” he said. “We want them to start getting way ahead.”

Trump reconnected with the populist themes that made him popular in Democratic-leaning states that had not voted Republican in presidential races since the 1980s. He railed against bad trade deals and tied tax cuts to his “America First” agenda.

“If we do this, then America will win again like never, ever before,” he said. “A vote to cut taxes is a vote to put America first again.”

Related: Trump Ramps Up Tax Pressure on Vulnerable Democrat in Missouri

Trump also displayed a little of his marketing acumen, insisting that Republicans stress the tax cuts part of the plan over the reform aspect.

“So every once in a while, we’ll add the name ‘reform,'” he said. “But it’s tax cuts.”

Trump claimed the tax plan would “cost me a fortune” — a claim many independent analysts doubt. He also showed off his trademark confidence-bordering-on-arrogance, claiming credit for a stock market and economy that have boomed since his election.

“Now, we have a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore American prosperity and reclaim America’s great destiny,” he said. “We’ve already made great progress — far greater than I would have thought. I will tell you in a non-braggadocious way, there has never been a 10-month president who has accomplished what we have accomplished. That, I can tell you.”