Critics had claimed President Trump would never succeed in passing his sweeping tax cut legislation—let alone before the July 4 recess.
But this summer delivered a string of victories for the president, culminating in Thursday’s narrow 218-214 House vote to send the measure—branded the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—to his desk.
With its passage, Trump has now enacted the bulk of his campaign agenda just six months into his second term, the Washington Times noted in an analysis of the president’s first months back in office in what will be his final term.
“Campaigns are filled with promises and ‘most’ administrations are filled with excuses but NOT @Potus, who once again delivered for the American people,” said Mark Meadows, who served as White House chief of staff during Trump’s first term, on X.
The sweeping tax cut legislation delivers on several key pillars of President Trump’s agenda, most notably the permanent extension of the individual tax cuts he first enacted in 2017. It also eliminates most taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits for seniors.
The bill includes major changes to Medicaid, which has ballooned in both size and cost over the past decade. It tightens eligibility rules to exclude unauthorized immigrants and others who don’t qualify, a move projected to reduce Medicaid spending by $1 trillion over the next ten years.
In addition, the legislation allocates $46.5 billion to complete Trump’s long-standing 2016 campaign pledge to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border—a promise left unfinished during his first term.
The measure also significantly increases defense spending, including $25 billion dedicated to the creation of a “Golden Dome” missile defense system, another campaign pledge Trump revived during his 2024 run, the Times noted.
The legislation also delivers a major win for the Republican Party’s anti-abortion wing by cutting off Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, a prominent abortion provider.
Trump signed the massive bill to kick off the July 4 Independence Day holiday, capping off a series of major victories for both his presidency and the Republican Party, said the Times analysis.
Last week alone, Trump scored a major trade win by forcing Canada to abandon plans for a 3% digital services tax that would have targeted U.S. tech firms. The announcement, along with strong jobs numbers and a string of new tariff agreements, helped propel the stock market to record highs.
Foreign policy successes are also mounting. Last week, Trump was celebrated at the NATO summit for securing increased defense spending from member nations. Just days earlier, he ordered precision airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites, rendering them inoperable for the foreseeable future—if not permanently. He also brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and is nearing a deal to end Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
Beyond the headline wins, Trump has also delivered on several key campaign promises. His executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports—a major plank of his 2024 platform—prompted the University of Pennsylvania this week to strip biological male swimmer Lia Thomas of his titles.
Trump also claimed credit for bringing down egg prices, which had surged due to a bird flu outbreak on the day he took office. This week, Waffle House announced it was dropping its egg surcharge—a move the president quickly pointed to as proof of progress.
“We brought the price of Eggs back to what they were supposed to be. “When I took over on January 20th, the Fake News was screaming that, ‘Egg prices have gone through the roof, quadrupled,’ they said. Now they’re plentiful, and inexpensive,” the president posted on Truth Social, congratulating himself. “Thank you President Trump!”
Regarding the passage of the BBB, Trump met personally with lawmakers and phoned them up until GOP leaders secured the votes early on July 3, the Times noted.
“Donald Trump absolutely was our closer,” said Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican.
