President Donald Trump took a victory lap in Iowa Thursday night after his contentious “Big, Beautiful Bill” finally passed the House of Representatives earlier in the day, boasting: “We’re the hottest in the world.”
The tax and spending legislation passed its final hurdle after a long night of haggling with Republicans, last-minute holdouts and a record-breaking almost nine-hour speech from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Trump’s costly bill aims to increase funding for defense and border security at the expense of welfare programs and has divided the GOP, although the party ultimately came together to vote it through 218-214, with just two Republicans breaking ranks to side with the Democrats.
Trump will now sign it into law on Friday July 4 – Independence Day – at the White House at 5pm.
In Iowa, the president called the bill’s passage “a declaration of independence from a really national decline,” insisting: “We had a national decline. We were a laughingstock all over the world. We had a man as president who shouldn’t have been there.”
He also told his audience that he “hates” Democrats: “I cannot stand them because I really believe they hate our country, you want to know the truth.”
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Key Points
- House of Representatives passes President Donald Trump’s 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
- Trump to sign his 'Big, Beautiful Bill' on July 4 – Independence Day
- Hakeem Jeffries sets the record for longest 'magic minute' speech on House floor
- Jeffries lambasts Republicans and ‘One Big, Ugly Bill’ over cuts to Medicaid
What you need to know
08:45
,
Joe Sommerlad
- President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” finally passed the House of Representatives on Thursday, with members of Congress voting 218-214 in favor of the tax and spending legislation after months of haggling.
- Just two Republicans, Thomas Massie and Brian Fitzpatrick, broke ranks to side with opposition Democrats, despite much grandstanding beforehand from the hard-right House Freedom Caucus.
- The final floor vote was delayed by almost nine hours because of a record-breaking speech from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who took his “sweet time” to outline his party’s disgust at a bill he called “shameful” and a “disgusting abomination,” reading aloud letters from voters who warned they would suffer severe personal hardships because of its passage.
- Trump’s gargantuan bill is designed to boost defense and border security funding at the expense of the public safety net – and is forecast to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt while kicking off millions of people off Medicaid and food stamps.
- A jubilant Trump celebrated his victory in Congress by delivering a “Salute to America” speech in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night as he kicked off the year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
- He is now expected to sign the bill into law at a ceremony at the White House at 5pm ET on Friday to mark Independence Day.
Jubilant Trump takes victory lap in Iowa
09:09
,
Joe Sommerlad
President Donald Trump celebrated in Des Moines on Thursday night with a “Salute to America” address on the eve of the country’s 250th birthday after his contentious “Big, Beautiful Bill” finally passed the House of Representatives earlier in the day, boasting: “We’re the hottest in the world.”
Trump called the bill’s passage “a declaration of independence from a really national decline,” insisting: “We had a national decline. We were a laughingstock all over the world. We had a man as president who shouldn’t have been there.”
He also told his audience that he “hates” Democrats.
“All of the things we did with the tax cuts and rebuilding our military, not one Democrat voted for us. And I think we use it in the campaign that’s coming up, the midterms,” he said.
“But all of the things that we’ve given, and they wouldn’t vote. Only because they hate Trump. But I hate them, too. You know that? I really do, I hate them. I cannot stand them because I really believe they hate our country, you want to know the truth.”
He had plenty of other things to say – on Iran, immigration, Zohran Mamdani, the economy and Los Angeles:
TRUMP They called me to tell me they have to take a shot at us. This was Iran, very respectful. That means they respect as. Because we dropped 14 bombs, they said we would like to take 14 shots, I said go ahead I understand pic.twitter.com/fW8xyX4a0e
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2025
Trump on Iran: They were talking very badly. They aren’t talking badly anymore. They want to meet. I think they want to meet very badly pic.twitter.com/dEsCoidKBw
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2025
TRUMP on Immigration: We’re going to sort of put the farmers in charge…If a farmer has been with one of these people that worked so hard, they bend over all day, we don’t have many people who can do that. pic.twitter.com/UwF0S3zOWW
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2025
TRUMP:In New York, they are trying to elect a communist, Zohran Mamdani. The guy who wants to defund the police, take over the stores, and run the stores. And have the people hand out goods. And it when everything falls apart, anarchy and dictatorships prevail pic.twitter.com/u0ciclXfy8
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2025
TRUMP: I just signed an executive or order, to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans, we will do that. pic.twitter.com/THukzP2Eil
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2025
TRUMP: If we didn’t send in the National Guard, Los Angeles would’ve been burnt to the ground just like half of their houses were burned to the ground because they didn’t give water that they had plenty of pic.twitter.com/J08BLou8NJ
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2025
ICYMI: Hakeem Jeffries breaks House record with 8-hour speech
06:00
,
Rachel Dobkin
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries broke a record for the longest ever “magic minute” speech on the House floor earlier Thursday when he spoke for eight hours and 32 minutes.
During his speech, he criticized the opposition for betraying “everyday Americans” by slashing Medicaid in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill.
Jeffries shared a clip of his speech on X and captioned it “Good Trouble.”
Good Trouble pic.twitter.com/Y94mEJO0YE
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) July 3, 2025
ANALYSIS: Trump’s budget turns the Freedom Caucus back into the Fealty Caucus
05:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
John Bowden writes:
Hardline conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus looked more like members of the Fealty Caucus on Thursday after a rebellion among the party’s spending hawks melted away in the final hours and the House passed the legislation known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” on Thursday.
President Donald Trump wins, while just about every wing of the GOP congressional caucuses suffered an embarrassment in some form or another (except maybe the leadership).
The Freedom Caucus was the last faction to face down its foe and blink. The group’s members circulated a three-page memo to members of the GOP caucus over Wednesday decrying the Senate-passed version of “One Big, Beautiful Bill” as a betrayal of the framework Speaker Mike Johnson had agreed to.
It was an all-encompassing retreat. Rep. Ralph Norman left the White House this week with a three-point plan he said GOP leaders could implement to get his vote to a “yes”. He received none of those concessions — no one did, as the House passed the version of the bill sent back from the Senate. Amending the bill in any way would have sent it back to the Senate before it reached Trump’s desk, endangering the July 4 deadline that members in both chambers blasted as arbitrary.
Read more..
WATCH: Chants of ‘USA’ ring out in House as Trump’s bill passes
05:00
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill passed the House earlier Thursday, prompting chants of “USA” in the lower chamber.
Watch here:
Trump is traveling back to D.C.
04:40
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump said he’s traveling back to Washington, D.C.
“I’m on Air Force One, traveling back to Washington from the Great State of Iowa, with many of our wonderful and talented Cabinet Secretaries, including Kristi Noem, Doug Burgum, Brooke Rollins, Lee Zeldin, and others in the Administration like Steve Miller, James Blair, SUPERSTAR Karoline Leavitt, and the legendary, first female Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, etc.,” Trump wrote on Truth Social late Thursday night.
Recap: Trump's Iowa speech
04:36
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump gave a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night as he kicked off the year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday and celebrated the passage of his “big, beautiful bill.”
The crowd cheered as Trump listed the accomplishments of his bill.
Trump said his bill provides the “largest tax cut in American history” and boasted about the billions in funding it allocates toward border security to help with his massive deportation plan.
He also suggested he would soften his immigration crackdown on farms, saying, “We want the farms to be great.” Iowa is a big agricultural state.
Trump railed against congressional Democrats, saying they voted against his bill “only because they hate Trump.”
“But I hate them too...I cannot stand them because I really believe they hate our country,” he said.
Democrats strongly opposed Trump’s bill over its cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
Trump ended his speech by saying he’s “very proud to be American” and called Iowa “such a great place.”
Trump plans to hold a signing ceremony Friday afternoon after the House narrowly approved the sweeping tax and immigration bill ahead of his July 4 deadline.
Recap: What you need to know...
04:33
,
Mike Bedigan
- President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” headed back to the House of Representatives for further consideration after narrowly passing the Senate on Tuesday.
- The Senate vote required a tie-breaking intervention from Vice President JD Vance after three Republican senators opposed the legislation, resulting in a 50-50 split.
- After a long night of haggling with the holdouts, the bill passed a key procedural House vote, paving the way for a floor vote on Thursday.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made himself a final barrier to a last round of votes by speaking as long as he could on the House floor in a potentially record-breaking “magic minute” speech.
- The House passed Trump’s bill on Thursday in a 218-214 vote, with just two Republicans included in the latter total
- Trump’s extensive tax and spending bill is designed to boost defense and border security funding at the expense of public safety net — and is forecast to add $3.3 trillion to the national debt while kicking off millions of people off Medicaid and food stamps.
- The president gave a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night as he kicked off the year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday and celebrated the passage of his bill.
- Trump is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday to mark Independence Day.
Trump plans to celebrate 250 years of independence with a UFC fight at the White House
04:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump has announced his plans for a UFC fight at the White House to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
While talking about the special events the country will hold in the year-long countdown to its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, Trump told a crowd of Iowans Thursday night, “I even think we’re gonna have a UFC fight.”
“We're gonna have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there,” he said. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.
Trump said it will be “a championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people.”
Read more...
What does Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' mean for you?
04:10
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump will sign his “big, beautiful bill” into law Friday afternoon. Here’s what the legislation means for you:
Tax cuts for the wealthy
At its core, the package's priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in 2017 during Trump's first term that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. That includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.
Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP
Somebody’s gotta pay for all of this — or at least part of it. That’s where Medicaid and SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, come in.
Americans on Medicaid will need to complete new reporting requirements and paperwork. Individual eligibility checks will still be handled by state-level agencies, which will set their own guidelines for determining whether recipients are in compliance. SNAP benefits will now be withheld from adults with children who do not return to work, if their youngest child is 14 years or older.
ICE and mass deportation boost
The bill delivers an absolutely massive increase in funding meant to transform the size and scope of immigration enforcement in the United States.
Among the provisions: $46.6 billion for completion of the border fencing Trump demanded during his first term; $29.9 billion for ICE enforcement operations including the hiring of up to 10,000 new agents; $45 billion for the construction of new detention facilities.
Read more from John Bowden...
ICYMI: Transgender people got a mini-victory in 'big, beautiful bill'
03:50
,
Rachel Dobkin
Transgender Americans received a surprising mini-victory amid the Republican passage of President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” when an attempt to restrict gender-affirming care died in the legislative process.
Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, the first openly transgender member of Congress, told The Independent, “I think there are a lot of people who are rightfully relieved.”
Eric Garcia has the full story:
Pete Buttigieg rips into Republicans who passed Trump's bill: 'They deserve to lose power'
03:35
,
Rachel Dobkin
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ripped into Republicans who passed President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill, saying, “They deserve to lose power.”
“Every Republican who promised their constituents they would never cut Medicaid - and broke that promise today - was lying the whole time,” Buttigieg wrote on X Thursday night.
Trump’s bill extends his 2017 tax cuts while making cuts to Medicaid, a low-income healthcare program that millions of Americans rely on.
Every Republican who promised their constituents they would never cut Medicaid - and broke that promise today - was lying the whole time.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 4, 2025
They deserve to lose power.
Trump railed against Democrats in Iowa speech: 'I hate them'
03:05
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump said in his Iowa speech Thursday night Democrats in Congress voted against his tax and spending bill “only because they hate Trump.”
“But I hate them too...I cannot stand them because I really believe they hate our country,” Trump said.
Democrats strongly opposed Trump’s bill over its cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
“Republicans are betraying the middle class and raising costs on American families, all to pay for giveaways to Trump's billionaire donors,” House Budget Committee Democrats wrote online.
Karoline Leavitt shares video of Trump dancing as the sun sets in Iowa
02:50
,
Rachel Dobkin
White House Press Secretary shared a video of President Donald Trump dancing at his Thursday night rally as the sun set in Iowa.
Happy 3rd of July, America!!!! pic.twitter.com/llXvBYA15a
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 4, 2025
Trump ends speech: 'Proud to be American'
02:32
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump closes his speech in Iowa.
He said he’s “very proud to be American” and called Iowa “such a great place.”
“We will make America great again!” Trump ended his speech with.
He then exited to his anthem, Y.M.C.A.
Trump goes off on a tangent about autism
02:14
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump went off on a tangent about autism after bringing up his Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his Iowa speech.
“We have a statistic on autism that's the worst I’ve ever seen,” he said. “And he's gonna change it. It used to be that 20 years ago, you just didn't have it.
“It's gotta be artificially induced,” Trump added.
Kennedy has spread debunked claims that vaccines cause autism.
Trump on RFK Jr: "We have a statistic on autism that's the worst I've ever seen. And he's gonna change it. It used to be that 20 years ago you just didn't have it ... it's gotta be artificially induced." pic.twitter.com/vatylccadJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 4, 2025
Trump kicks off year-long celebration of America
02:08
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump kicks off a year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
.@POTUS: Exactly one year from tomorrow, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding...
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 4, 2025
This evening, we are officially launching "AMERICA 250" — an enormous, year-long, nationwide celebration of our heritage, our flag, and our glorious American freedom. pic.twitter.com/ffQuiio1WY
Trump celebrates America's 250th birthday in Iowa
02:05
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump is celebrating America’s 250th birthday in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night.
Trump shows some love to Iowa
01:55
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump said in a speech to Iowans, “You’ve been with me from the beginning.”
Trump suggests he will soften immigration crackdown on farms
01:45
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump suggested he will soften his immigration crackdown on farms, saying, “We want the farms to be great.”
Trump says air traffic control will be modernized
01:38
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump said, “We are gonna fully modernize our air traffic control” system.
Air travel saw record highs in June.
Trump boasts about border security funding
01:35
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump boasted about the billions in funding that his bill allocates toward border security to help with his immigration crackdown.
He said there was“some horrible crime in Iowa caused by illegal aliens.”
Trump says there's 'no death tax' anymore
01:33
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump boasted about eliminating estate taxes, or what he calls “death” taxes.
“You have no more estate tax. You have no more death tax to pay,” he said, now that his tax and spending bill has passed.
Trump says bill's tax cut is historical
01:28
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump said his tax and spending bill provides the “largest tax cut in American history.”
Trump boasts about winning Iowa 'three times'
01:26
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump started his speech by boasting about winning Iowa “three times.”
“There could be no better birthday present for America” than the passage of Trump’s tax and spending bill, he said.
Trump walks on stage in Iowa
01:23
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump walks on stage to the song “God Bless the U.S.A.” before delivering remarks in Iowa Thursday night.
He is seen dancing while wearing a red U.S.A. hat.
Mike Johnson calls Hakeem Jeffries 8-hour speech 'performance art'
01:20
,
Rachel Dobkin
House Speaker Mike Johnson called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ eight-hour and 32-minute speech “performance art” on Fox News Thursday night.
Jeffries broke a record for the longest ever “magic minute” speech on the House floor earlier Thursday, during which he criticized the opposition for betraying “everyday Americans” by slashing Medicaid in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill.
In response, Johnson, who helped get Trump’s bill passed, said Jeffries “embarrassed his party,” calling his speech “performance art. And what Republicans are doing is delivering results.”
Speaker Johnson: Hakeem Jeffries embarrassed his party. I think the contrast was clear for the American people. We’re delighted to have that on the world stage pic.twitter.com/6oZEaqmLw7
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 3, 2025
ICYMI: Mike Johnson signs Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
01:10
,
Rachel Dobkin
House Speaker Mike Johnson signed President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill earlier Thursday after it passed in a 218-214 vote.
Trump is set to sign the bill into law on Friday.
.@SpeakerJohnson signs GOP Tax & Spending Cuts Bill.
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 3, 2025
Goes now to the president. pic.twitter.com/xuaSF5WWzE
Rep. Robert Garcia says Trump's bill is all about 'games'
01:00
,
Rachel Dobkin
Representative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, ripped into President Donald Trump’s tax bill, calling its provisions “games.”
A key part of Trump’s bill is eliminating taxes on tipped income, but Garcia told Meidas Touch’s Katie Phang, “Those actually expire in a couple of years, yet the tax cuts for billionaires are permanent.”
“So it just goes to show you that this is all about games,” he added.
Garcia: That “no tax on tips”—those actually expire in a couple of years.
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 3, 2025
So it just goes to show you: this is all about games. Billionaires get a permanent tax cut, and the “no tax on tips”—which, by the way, is very limited in scope—expires in a couple of years. pic.twitter.com/6DJ5k4l4IF
Trump says America is 'HOT'
Friday 4 July 2025 00:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening, “our Country is ‘HOT’” after the House passed his tax and spending bill.
“Our Party is UNITED like never before and, our Country is ‘HOT.’ We are going to have a Signing Celebration at the White House tomorrow, at 4 P.M. EST,” Trump wrote. “All Congressmen/women and Senators are invited. Together, we will celebrate our Nation’s Independence, and the beginning of our new Golden Age.”
ICYMI: House Republicans give Trump a ‘Big Beautiful’ July 4 by passing Medicaid-slashing megabill despite GOP rift
Friday 4 July 2025 00:00
,
Rachel Dobkin
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which features sweeping cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance programs.
The final vote was a narrow margin of 218-214, with every Democrat and two Republicans —Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick — voting against the measure.
Erica Garcia has the full story, in case you missed it earlier:
Rep. Jamie Raskin calls Trump's tax bill a 'nightmare'
Thursday 3 July 2025 23:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, called President Donald Trump’s newly passed tax and spending bill a “nightmare.”
"It's a nightmare. 17 million people are gonna lose their health insurance,” Raskin said on MSNBC Thursday evening. “The Republican Party just pulled the plug on a whole public health ecosystem organized around Medicaid."
Trump’s bill extends his 2017 tax cuts and increases border security funding while making cuts to social programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
Raskin: "It's a nightmare. 17 million people are gonna lose their health insurance ... the Republican Party just pulled the plug on a whole public health ecosystem organized around Medicaid." pic.twitter.com/mDllttDskP
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 3, 2025
