Politics
BREAKING: Trump Officially Signs ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
With a smile and stroke of a pen, President Donald Trump converted his “big, beautiful” bill into law on Friday, marking Independence Day with an accomplishment that Republicans hope will be rewarded by voters in 2026.
The bill passed the House on Thursday afternoon, giving Trump plenty of time to celebrate while speaking in Iowa where he called the first five months of his second term “a declaration of independence from a, really, national decline.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the bill “an encapsulation of all of the policies that the president campaigned on and the American people voted on,” and said it’s a “victorious day for the American people.”
Shortly before holding a ceremonial signing, the president, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, emerged from the White House balcony to honor troops in attendance who participated in last month’s Operation Midnight Hammer, the clandestine bombing run which devastated Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities.
A B-52 bomber which dropped one of the 12 30,000-pound bombs flew over the White House, escorted by two F-35 fighters.
“That is some sight,” Trump remarked. “It was an incredible mission. I can say our country is more proud than it’s been in many, many years.”
Trump also credited his administration with helping helping reinvigorate morale in the military, where enlistments are at an “all-time record,” he said.
“We’re packed. We’re full,” he said.
WATCH:
HOLY SMOKES! A B-2 escorted by F-35 fighters just FLEW OVER the White House during President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill signing ceremony…
…DURING the national anthem.
This is the most American sight you will see ALL DAY.
This country is amazing. pic.twitter.com/yDwsARfmCZ
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 4, 2025
Crowds gathered on the White House lawn in advance of the president’s speech as performers with the USO piped out patriotic songs and delivered a stirring rendition of the national anthem.
“The first lady worked hard to make this all work,” Trump said while turning to a smiling Melania, who briefly waved at the crowd.
Making his way to the lawn, Trump sat to sign the “big, beautiful” bill and was flanked by many of the Republican lawmakers who helped deliver it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) handed President Trump the gavel used to signal its passage, and he quickly imitated Johnson with a smile, pounding the table as onlookers applauded.
WATCH:
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) July 4, 2025
At 900 pages, Trump’s bill offers a slew of benefits for both taxpayers and border authorities who have pleaded for more funding.
It includes:
- An increase of the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200.
- A four-year provision allowing service workers to deduct up to $25,000 of their tips and overtime income.
- A fourfold increase in the state and local tax deduction, which will rise from $10,000 to $40,000 for the next five years.
- A $350 billion budget addition for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which plans to hire an additional 10,000 officers who will each be offered a $10,000 signing bonus.
The bill offers ways to partially offset the spending by implementing work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients, including those with children 14 or older. It would also require states to take on a small percentage of paying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, beginning in 2028.
In addition, clean energy tax credits, such as $7,500 tax rebates for the purchase of electric vehicles, will end beginning in September.
Passage of the legislation became more a referendum on loyalty to President Trump than a debate over the actual merit of the bill. In the end, every member of the House Freedom Caucus supported the bill despite concerns over its anticipated addition to the national debt.
The retreat prompted critics of fiscal conservatives to applaud Trump for calling the group’s bluff.
“They called their own bluff,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), a frequent critic of the group, told Politico. “How many times have they done this? I mean, I’ve been in Congress for two years and five seconds, and they pulled the same stunt 19 times. … The influence of the Freedom Caucus is over.”
Allies of President Trump are already taking aim at Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), the two Republicans who voted with all Democrats and nearly defeated the bill.
Shortly after Trump’s last round of attacks on Massie, a poll of voters in his district showed that he currently trails a first-time challenger with little name recognition and few funds, signaling how badly he’s been damaged after opposing the bill on fiscal principles.
Watch Trump’s full remarks and ceremonial signing here:
