WASHINGTON — President Trump is at the height of his political power following Thursday’s passage of his “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – capping a remarkable two-week streak of domestic and foreign policy feats that even Democrats are calling impressive.
Trump, 79, will sign the bill fulfilling his major campaign pledges – including to cut taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits – at a pre-fireworks Independence Day party on the White House lawn.
B-2 stealth bombers will fly over the celebration in recognition of their role in the Trump-ordered June 21 US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program, which was followed two days later by an equally unprecedented Trump-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Iran.
The commander in chief, riding high on that diplomatic coup, strong-armed NATO nations at the alliance’s annual conference to boost military spending to 5% of their GDP by 2035, after complaining for years that US allies were freeloading off American taxpayers.
He returned home to good news from the Supreme Court, which handed him wins on deporting illegal immigrants to third countries and restricting nationwide injunctions by district court judges — while CBS’s parent company agreed to fork over $16 million for deceptively editing an interview last year with Trump’s election rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Over the weekend, Canada scrapped a digital services tax against US internet giants under pressure from Trump, followed days later by the University of Pennsylvania stripping honors from transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and the announcement of a pending trade deal with Vietnam – as major stock market indices notched record highs and illegal border crossings hit new record lows.
The Big Beautiful Bill Act also includes $25 billion in funding for Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense program, spends more on immigration enforcement, allows tax deductions for domestic car loan interest and — in a major win for New York and New Jersey Republicans — lifts the cap on the amount of state and local taxes that can be deducted from federal returns to $40,000 from the prior $10,000.
“I didn’t vote for him and I’m not always aligned with his approach, but his success on the domestic and international front in such a compressed period of time is nothing short of remarkable and it’s all due to his impressive use of political and executive power,” Michael LaRosa, a former Biden White House spokesman, told The Post.
“The last two weeks of his presidency are a throwback to the strong leadership styles reminiscent of LBJ or Reagan, both of whom engendered such personal and political loyalty within their parties, that they could muscle through historic success out of sheer goodwill.”
A different Biden White House official, who served all four years in the Democratic administration, said Trump has “hit a stride” and marveled at his ability to pressure holdout Republicans into voting for the major legislation despite centrist reluctance over Medicaid and SNAP cuts and conservative demands for deeper spending reductions.
“You voted for it because you’re scared of the guy. And frankly, that’s impressive, given that Biden never invoked fear in anyone,” the former Biden aide said of the GOP holdouts, all but two of whom eventually backed the bill.
“Successful campaigns and successful operations excel when they are provided clarity in mission from their leader — in this case President Trump,” said Chris LaCivita, who ran Trump’s 2024 campaign alongside current White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
“Elections matter because you now have one of the greatest realignments in political history happening and being backed up by policy. If you work, pay taxes and aspire for a better tomorrow, you are voting Republican,” LaCivita said, describing the working-class reforms encompassed in the bill, which also made permanent Trump’s 2017 tax cuts to all brackets.
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