BIG WIN COULD TURN INTO LUMP OF COAL

WASHINGTON — Congress is delivering a Christmas present to President Trump: his long-awaited first major legislative accomplishment in the form of a tax revamp.

But it’s far from clear whether the president has a happy new year in store.

The tax bill itself is going on the books with the deep disapproval of Americans. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released yesterday showed nearly twice as many Americans disapprove of the plan than approve of it, and that 63 percent believe it mostly benefits the wealthy.

But far more problematic for Trump: Democrats have overtaken Republicans as the party Americans say is better at handling the economy, according to the poll.

That, coupled with generic polling showing Americans favoring Democratic control of Congress, sets up what could be a difficult year for Republicans heading into the midterm elections.

Republicans on the Hill are fretting about potentially losing the House. While the Senate map in next year’s races heavily favors Republicans, we’ve seen that crazy things can happen in the Trump era.

His attempt to inject himself into this year’s Alabama U.S. Senate race left him a two-time loser and shaved the margin of GOP Senate control to a single seat, making every legislative battle Trump faces in the new year that much harder.

History is not on Trump’s side either. Every president in modern history except for George W. Bush has seen his party lose congressional seats in their first midterms, and Bush’s popularity came at a time when the nation was united after the worst terror attack on its soil.

Trump, whose love for campaign rallies has carried into his presidency, plans to stump around the country for Republican congressional hopefuls in 2018. That move may rally his core supporters, but it could also boost Democrats campaigning against his unpopular policies.

And at the top of the list of Trump-backed plans that Americans don’t want is another effort to repeal and replace Obamacare — moves that U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) vowed yesterday to pursue again next year.

The only thing that could be less popular would be slashing Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security — but that’s on the agenda too. After all, lawmakers have to find some way to make up for the more than $1 trillion the tax bill adds to the deficit.

But today Trump and Republicans can celebrate a win, even if a year from now it may seem like auld lang syne.