Donald Trump signs his tax and spending cut bill at the White House July 4 picnic

Trump One Big Beautiful Bill Signing AP
The legislation unravels Democratic priorities, creates narrative for midterm elections.

President Donald Trump signed his package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law Friday in front of Fourth of July picnickers after his cajoling produced almost unanimous Republican support in Congress for the domestic priority that could cement his second-term legacy.

Flanked by Republican legislators and members of his Cabinet, Trump signed the multitrillion-dollar legislation at a desk on the White House driveway, then banged down a gavel gifted to him by House Speaker Mike Johnson that was used during the bill’s final passage Thursday.

Against odds that at times seemed improbable, Trump achieved his goal of celebrating a historic — and divisive — legislative victory in time for the nation’s birthday, which also was his self-imposed deadline for Congress to send the legislation to his desk. Fighter jets and stealth bombers streaked through the sky over the annual White House Fourth of July picnic.

“America’s winning, winning, winning like never before,” Trump said, noting last month’s bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, which he said the flyover was meant to honor. “Promises made, promises kept, and we’ve kept them.”

The White House was hung with red, white and blue bunting for the Independence Day festivities. The U.S. Marine Band played patriotic marches — and, in a typical Trumpian touch, tunes by 1980s pop icons Chaka Khan and Huey Lewis. There were three separate flyovers.

Trump spoke for a relatively brief 22 minutes before signing the bill, but was clearly energized as the legislation’s passage topped a recent winning streak for his administration. That included the Iran campaign and a series of U.S. Supreme Court rulings he’s fought for.

After dark, chants of “USA, USA” rose from the picnic crowd on the South Lawn when Trump and the first lady, Melania, appeared on the Truman Balcony to watch the fireworks. They danced to “Y.M.C.A.” and waved goodbye to the crowd before they left for their home in New Jersey.

Critics assailed the package as a giveaway to the rich that will rob millions more lower-income people of their health insurance, food assistance and financial stability.

“Today, Donald Trump signed into law the worst job-killing bill in American history. It will rip health care from 17 million workers to pay for massive tax giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations, amounting to the country’s largest money grab from the working class to the ultra-rich,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. “Every member of Congress who voted for this devastating bill picked the pockets of working people to hand billionaires a $5 trillion gift.”

The legislation passed the House on a largely party-line vote Thursday, culminating a months long push by the GOP to cram most of its legislative priorities into a single budget bill that could be enacted without Senate Democrats being able to block it indefinitely by filibustering.

It passed by a single vote in the Senate, where North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis announced he would not run for reelection after incurring Trump’s wrath in opposing it. Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote.

In the House, where two Republicans voted against it, one, conservative maverick Tom Massie of Kentucky, has also become a target of Trump’s well-funded political operation. No Democrats voted for the bill.

The legislation amounts to a repudiation of the agendas of the past two Democratic presidents, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, in rolling back Obama’s Medicaid expansion under his signature health law and Biden’s tax credits for renewable energy.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin on Friday called the bill “devastating” and said in a statement that Trump’s signature on the legislation “sealed the fate of the Republican Party, cementing them as the party for billionaires and special interests — not working families.”

He predicted Republicans would lose their majority in Congress over it. “This was a full betrayal of the American people,” Martin said.

Trump complained Friday about Democrats opposing the bill, “and we knew that because their hatred of either the country or me or both is so great they didn’t vote at all and it’s terrible.”

He said their “standard line” is to say Republican legislation is “dangerous” or “everybody’s going to die” and “we can’t let them get away with it.” With his bill, Trump said, “it’s actually just the opposite, everybody’s going to live.”

“And I just want you to know, if you see anything negative put out by Democrats, it’s all a con job,” Trump said, defending a package that now is law.

Speaking in Iowa on Thursday night, Trump said Democrats “hate Trump — but I hate them, too.”

___

Republished with permission of the Associated Press.

Associated Press


4 comments

  • Not EARL

    July 5, 2025 at 10:48 am

    Good Morn ‘Ting America,
    This great victory for Don “The Donald” Trump is truely a victory of Good over Evil as explained in the above A. P. artical when Barak & Joe are mentioned.
    FURTHER MORE:
    This Sage Legislation is the Greatest thing ever for “WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE”.
    IN CLOSEING:
    I, Not EARL, would like to recomend that all Legal American Citizens begin the sweet sweet process of relaxation of their sphincters as we deport all the trash 8iden let into Our Great Nation, first to Ron “THE RONALD” Desantis “Allagator Alcatraz” then back to The Land of Far Far Away.
    Thank you, America, Not EARL
    *FREE BUMPER STICKER*
    *VOTE DESANTIS 4 POTUS 2028 because EARL Says So*

    Reply

  • Patriot

    July 5, 2025 at 11:11 am

    Love him or hate him, acknowledge the fact that the President is a relentless, energetic leader. This administration is running circles around the previous one. Joe Biden would have been in bed last night for the fireworks and Jill would have been working the “auto pen”. God Bless America.

    Reply

    • Not EARL

      July 5, 2025 at 1:16 pm

      Sage Wisdom,Patriot,
      Sage Wisdom indeed.
      Not EARL

      Reply

      • Trust the science

        July 5, 2025 at 3:28 pm

        This Not Earl guy is a new poster who seems pretty smart. I dont think he is as smart as our old Earl though.
        Trust the science

        Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, Liam Fineout, A.G. Gancarski, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Andrew Powell, Jesse Scheckner, Janelle Taylor, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704