President Donald Trump signed a major package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law on Friday, marking a significant legislative victory during the White House’s Fourth of July celebrations. The move followed strong Republican backing in Congress, giving Trump a landmark domestic achievement that could define his second-term legacy.
Surrounded by Republican legislators and Cabinet members, Trump signed the multi trillion-dollar bill at a desk set up on the White House driveway. After signing, he struck a gavel gifted to him by House Speaker Mike Johnson, the same gavel used during the bill’s final passage the previous day.
Defying expectations and political obstacles, Trump managed to finalise the legislation just in time for Independence Day, a deadline he had imposed on Congress himself.
Military flyovers and patriotic fanfare
Fighter jets and stealth bombers flew overhead as part of the annual White House Fourth of July picnic. Trump said the flyover honoured last month’s bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme, which he cited as another recent success for his administration.
“America’s winning, winning, winning like never before,” Trump declared. “Promises made, promises kept, and we’ve kept them.”
The White House was decorated with red, white and blue bunting for the day’s festivities. The US Marine Band played patriotic music along with a few surprises — including songs by 1980s pop icons Chaka Khan and Huey Lewis. There were three separate aerial displays during the event.
Trump spoke for just 22 minutes but was clearly energised by the bill’s passage. He highlighted it as part of a broader streak of recent victories, including the Iran campaign and several US Supreme Court decisions that aligned with his administration’s goals.
Key features of the Big Beautiful Bill
The budget legislation represents Trump's most high-profile legislative win to date. Among its major components are:
An extension of Trump’s 2017 multitrillion-dollar tax cuts
Elimination of taxes on tips and Social Security income
A massive increase in immigration enforcement
Cuts of USD 1.2 trillion to Medicaid and food stamps
Trump thanked numerous Republican lawmakers individually for their roles in passing the measure and said, “Our country is going to be a rocket ship, economically,” due to the bill.
Despite Republican celebration, critics condemned the bill as favouring the wealthy at the expense of working-class Americans. Labour unions and progressive leaders pointed to its deep cuts to healthcare and food assistance programmes.
“Today, Donald Trump signed into law the worst job-killing bill in American history,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “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.”
She added, “Every member of Congress who voted for this devastating bill picked the pockets of working people to hand billionaires a USD 5 trillion gift."