Paul Ryan deleted a tweet that cheered a $1.50 increase to a Pennsylvania school secretary’s weekly pay because of a $1.5tn tax cut, after it drew criticism that he was out of touch with ordinary Americans.

The House speaker’s tweet linked to an Associated Press story on Americans reaping the benefits of the Republican tax cut.

The story cited as an example Julia Ketchum, a secretary at a public high school in Lancaster who said she was “pleasantly surprised her pay went up $1.50 a week”.

Ryan tweeted: “A secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said she was pleasantly surprised her pay went up $1.50 a week … she said [that] will more than cover her Costco membership for the year.”

The Trump administration and Republicans have cast the massive tax cuts, which came into effect in January as creating jobs and boosting economic growth. Critics have argued that they benefited the rich and would blow up the national debt.



Some social media users accused Ryan of being out of touch.

The California lieutenant governor, Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, posted on Twitter: “Guess someone told Paul Ryan you shouldn’t go around praising yourself for giving a working person an extra $1.50 a week.”

The House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, tweeted: “Paul Ryan deleted his embarrassing tweet of a blatant admission because he and Republicans don’t want you to know the truth: the #GOPTaxScam is a gift to corporate America and the top 1% at your expense.”

Ryan’s office was not immediately available to comment.