For better or worse, congressional Republicans aren't listening to Trump on their tax cut bills and, in hindsight, I suppose they never have.
Trump has now called for attaching a repeal of the individual mandate included in Obamacare and cutting taxes for the rich (even more than their bill already does) but, as far as I can tell, no one cares.
In a tweet, Trump commended GOP leaders for getting the tax overhaul legislation closer to passage in recent weeks and said, “Cut top rate to 35% w/all of the rest going to middle income cuts?” [...]
Trump also said, “Now how about ending the unfair & highly unpopular individual mandate in (Obama)care and reducing taxes even further?”
Congressional Republicans aren't going to do either of these things, but it's not the first time they've ignored Trump. Trump also spent months publicly calling for a 15 percent corporate tax rate, but that was never seriously considered.
If you assume tax cuts are patient zero -- if you assume passing tax cuts for corporations and the rich is the primary reason they supported Trump in the first place -- it would be reasonable to think ignoring Trump could become a common practice after tax cuts are passed. They won't need Trump anymore after he signs their bill.
That's not to say congressional Republicans are suddenly going to turn liberal when they no longer need Trump to sign their tax cuts, but what little influence Trump has now will likely evaporate. It's not a coincidence that Trump's ability to influence congressional policy has disappeared at the same time as his approval ratings have cratered.
In the future, Congressional Republicans are going to do whatever they want and Trump is going to play golf. We're already there.
I don't think Trump realizes we'll move slightly closer to the possibility of seeing President Pence after he signs their tax cut bill.