It couldn’t have been more American.
Stars, stripes and soundbites at the Iowa State Fairground on the eve of the fourth of July.
The stars had aligned for President Trump, celebrating the passage of his signature tax and spending bill.
“There can be no better birthday for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago when Congress passed the big, beautiful bill to make America great again,” he told the crowd at Des Moines.
In recent weeks, his administration has earned its stripes, chalking up unexpected successes: an Israel/Iran ceasefire, agreement at NATO and a legislative breakthrough.
It was a small margin – 218 votes to 214 – but a huge win for Donald Trump because the wide-ranging legislation effectively bankrolls his second-term agenda.
“More gravitas, more power” was how he described the victory before boarding Air Force One.
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He feels invincible right now, even joking when a bang interrupted his Iowa speech.
“Don’t worry, it’s only fireworks, I hope. Famous last words… You always have to think positive. I didn’t like the sound of that either,” he laughed.
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Democrats have branded the bill “the big, ugly betrayal”, claiming 11 million lower-income Americans will lose their healthcare to fund Trump’s tax cuts and spending priorities.
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Their leader in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, vowed to “press on for democracy” in a record-breaking speech lasting eight hours and 11 minutes.
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But the Democrats will struggle to press on anywhere until they find a leader and a coherent opposition strategy to rally around.
Republican representatives greeted the result with chants of “USA, USA”, but their ownership of the bill makes them accountable for its impact.
How Donald Trump handles this degree of power will define this presidency.
