Republicans uncover no new intel on Biden during hearing on his cognitive abilities
The probe didn't uncover any new information on the former president -- with Democratic members of the subcommittee boycotting the hearing.
Democratic senators on the committee walked out of the hearing shortly after it began, with Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin blasting the panel for even holding the hearing, while he says a number of timely investigations should be going on related to President Donald Trump's current actions.
"So far this year, the Republican majority on this committee has not held a single oversight hearing, despite numerous critical challenges facing the nation that are under our jurisdiction," Durbin said.
MORE: GOP senators plan hearing on Biden's perceived cognitive decline
The GOP panel repeatedly accused Democrats -- and the media -- of concealing the former president's alleged real health conditions in order to prevent Trump's 2024 victory.
"Today's hearing is about competency, corruption and cover up within the Biden administration. Simply put, the last administration was rudderless from one crisis to another. The Biden Administration failed and folded. The partisan media did their best to cover up those failures," Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley claimed.
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who was among the witnesses, compared his time working under Trump in his first term to his observations of Biden, praising Trump's energy and mental focus. Spicer never worked for the Biden administration.
Spicer also criticized "legacy media" for questions raised about Trump's fitness for office in his first term, while he claims they were not questioning Biden the same way.
"Many, rightly so, believe the media in this country is culpable in covering up the obvious decline of the 46th president and leaders of the free world -- the president of the United States. The scrutiny that was baselessly directed at President Trump during his first term was wholly absent from the media coverage of the Biden White House," Spicer claimed.
Republicans on the committee also focused on Trump -- saying he is in command and makes skillful decisions.
"The public is counting on us to ensure this never happens again, because we won't always be fortunate enough to have a leader like President Trump, who is so unmistakably in command," Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said.
In May, Senate Republicans announced their plans to launch the probe into Biden's mental fitness while in office -- including his use of autopen, a mechanical device to automatically add a signature to a document that's been utilized by several past presidents, including Trump in his first term.
The hearing also comes after Trump earlier this month ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Biden's administration sought to conspire to cover up his alleged mental state while in office. The move by the White House represents a significant escalation, as it is a directive to the Justice Department to formally investigate.
MORE: Trump directs DOJ, White House counsel to investigate Biden's mental state in office
Biden responded to the Trump order, saying "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency."
"I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false," Biden said in a statement.
In May, House Oversight Chairman James Comer requested Biden's White House physician, Kevin O'Connor, appear for a transcribed interview as part of an investigation into Biden's mental fitness and use of a presidential autopen while in office. Comer asked O'Connor to sit for an interview on June 25.
The calls for the probes into Biden also come after the recent release of "Original Sin" by CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, claiming the Bidens had a "capacity for denial and the lengths they would go to avoid transparency about health issues."
In response to the book's release, a Biden spokesman said "there is nothing in this book that shows Joe Biden failed to do his job, as the authors have alleged, nor did they prove their allegation that there was a cover up or conspiracy."
On Wednesday morning, Trump -- who often criticizes Biden -- lambasted the former president's use of autopen and claimed that Biden didn't have control while leading the country.
"All these people, all the scum that was around the Oval, you know, the Oval Office, or around the beautiful Resolute desk, telling this guy here, 'Do this,' 'Do that,' and not even tell him. They just go over to the autopen and sign whatever the hell they wanted to sign," he said.
Trump claimed that it was aides who were making decisions for Biden -- employing the autopen to carry out an agenda.
"He wasn't for open borders, he wasn't for transgender for everybody. He wasn't for men playing in women's sports. But he has no idea what the hell -- he has no idea," Trump claimed.
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Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump tariffs live updates: Trump to start sending out tariff letters as July 9 deadline looms
Time has run out for some US trade partners looking to make deals ahead of President Trump's July 9 deadline for tariffs to snap back to higher levels. Letters will start going out to countries on Friday to notify them of the tariff rates they will face on imports to the US, Trump told reporters, to go into effect on Aug. 1. The first 10 or 12 letters sent out will be followed by similar batches. 'By the ninth they'll be fully covered,' Trump said, per Bloomberg. 'They'll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20% tariffs.' The Trump team has so far been focused on hammering out trade deals, though it has succeeded in nailing only three pacts so far.. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said around 100 partners would likely see a minimum "reciprocal" rate of 10% come next week, adding that he expects a "flurry" of deals to materialize before the deadline. Here is where things stand with various partners: China: The US has eased export restrictions on China for chip design software and ethane, a sign that trade tensions are calming between the two countries after they agreed in May to a framework to move toward a larger trade deal. Software firms like Synopsys (SNPS) and Cadence (CDNS) said they will now sell their chip design tools to Chinese customers again. The US also removed limits on ethane exports to China that it had set just weeks ago. Vietnam: Trump on Wednesday said he had reached a trade deal with Vietnam, one that will see the country's imports face a 20% tariff — lower than the 46% he had threatened in April. He also said Vietnamese goods would face a higher 40% tariff "on any transshipping" — when goods shipped from Vietnam originate from another country, like China. Many US goods will see no duty upon import to Vietnam. Japan: Trump earlier this week said negotiations with Japan had soured, saying he would force Japan to accept higher tariffs of "30%, 35%, or whatever the number is that we determine." Notably, that proposal is higher than the 24% "Liberation Day" level. "They're very tough. You have to understand, they're very spoiled," he said. European Union: The EU has signaled it is willing to accept a 10% universal tariff on many of its exports but is seeking exemptions for pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors, and commercial aircraft as part of a trade deal. Bessent said US-EU talks would continue through the weekend. Trump has threatened 50% tariffs on the bloc's imports. Canada: Canada has scrapped its digital services tax that was set to affect large US technology companies. The White House said trade talks between the two countries had resumed after Trump threatened to cut off trade talks. They are aiming for a deal by mid-July. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world. President Trump said his administration will begin sending letters to trading partners on Friday laying out what tariff rates they will face on imports to the US. Countries will have to start paying the duties from Aug. 1, Trump told reporters on Thursday. The move marks a shift from earlier US optimism that talks would deliver scores of deals with its more than 170 trading partners, under pressure to beat a July 9 tariff deadline. The "take it or leave it" letters go out with just days to go to that deadline for resumption of sweeping tariffs laid out in April by Trump. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The US trade deal with Vietnam should be seen as a early sign to Asian countries that higher tariffs are not going anywhere. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Vietnam negotiators said on Thursday that they are still working with the US to finalize the details of the trade deal, which was announced by President Trump on Wednesday. No further details have been provided to businesses and investors beyond the tariff rates disclosed so far. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Treasury Secretary Bessent has been making the rounds today, talking about the Trump tax bill and tariffs as next week's July 9 deadline looms. Per Reuters, Bessent said around 100 countries are likely to see a "reciprocal" tariff of 10%: Bessent also said Trump would ultimately decide whether to extend that July 9 deadline for countries negotiating "in good faith." Bloomberg News reports Read more here. German car exports to the US fell in April and May as import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration hit German automakers' sales, according to data from the VDA industry association. Reuters reports: Read more here. Luxury watch specialist, Watches of Switzerland warned on Thursday that its profit margin could fall this year as the luxury watch sector adjusts to higher US tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more here. The South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday that it still remains unclear if trade talks between Seoul and Washington can result in a deal before next week's deadline to avert sweeping tariffs from President Donald Trump. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. President Trump has his eye on any loopholes that China may use to swerve tariffs. Trump's two-tired trade deal with Vietnam takes aim at practices China has used to avoid US tariffs, such as the widespread shifting of production to Southeast Asian factories and the illegal "origin washing" of exports through their ports. Beijing has responded and said it was 'conducting an assessment' of the US-Vietnam trade deal, adding: 'We firmly oppose any party striking a deal at the expense of China's interests.' 'If such a situation arises, China will take resolute countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,' the ministry added. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The US and India are on the verge of sealing the deal when it comes to reducing tariffs. But there appears to be one sticking point ahead of President Trump's July 9 deadline and it centers around dairy and agriculture. Here's an explainer on why farm goods may hold up a trade deal between the two nations. Reuters reports: Read more here. China is growing more worried as President Trump strikes deals with other countries. On Thursday Beijing hit out at the US-Vietnam trade deal, amid concerns that the US is using "Liberation Day" tariff negotiations with countries to curb China's export machine. The deal with Vietnam, which was announced by the US President on Wednesday, lowers tariffs on Hanoi's exports from 46% to 20%, but it retains a 409% levy on t"trans-shipping" of goods, which China believes is aimed at its re-exports to the US. .The FT reports: Read more here. Indonesia plans to sign a $34 billion deal with US businesses next week to increase purchases and help secure a trade agreement before the July 9 deadline, its top economic minister said Thursday. Reuters reports: Read more here. The trade truce between the US and China may be holding for now, but China is becoming wary that it may thaw. Beijing's concerns stem from what may be happening elsewhere and the US's efforts to forge deals that could isolate Chinese firms from global supply chains. The US has removed export restrictions on chip design software and ethene shipments. China has responded by making concessions over its rare earth export controls. But despite this, China is still on edge. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trade negotiations between the US and India have been moving forward. But unresolved issues over US dairy and agriculture have caused some disagreements between the two sides, according to sources familiar with the talks. Reuters reports: Read more here. The US has removed export restrictions on chip design software and ethane shipments to China, easing trade tensions between the two countries. China recently made concessions over its rare earth export controls. Software companies Synopsys (SNPS), Cadence (CDNS), and Siemens (SIEGY) said they will now restore access for their Chinese customers. These firms develop important electronic design automation tools used in chipmaking. The US also lifted licensing rules for ethane producers. Earlier restrictions were part of Trump's response to China blocking rare earth exports, which had disrupted supply chains for cars, aerospace, and defense industries. Reuters reports: Read more here. President Trump had targeted Vietnam with some of the highest tariffs of any country on his April "Liberation Day." That's at least partly because he and top advisers have made Vietnam an example of a country that is allegedly "ripping off" the US. Vietnam has become the US's 10th-largest trade partner, according to US Census data. And it is the seventh-largest source of imports, sending goods worth over $130 billion. It contains factories for some of the biggest US-based apparel makers, including Nike (NKE) and Lululemon (LULU). Vietnam became a destination for companies looking to diversify manufacturing as US-China tensions escalated over the past decade. Vietnam's trade surplus with the US ballooned to over $123 billion last year. This year's US trade deficit with Vietnam stood over $50 billion through just April as companies raced to move more operations out of China. President Trump followed up his previous announcement of a trade deal with Vietnam with some additional details on social media. "It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam," Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump wrote that the two sides agreed to a 20% tariff rate on all goods sent from Vietnam to the US and a 40% tariff rate on transshipment — essentially, when goods from China or other countries are routed through Vietnam. Tariffs on goods from the country were previously set to return to 46% on July 9. Vietnam also lowered tariffs on US goods to zero, Trump said, and is lowering trade barriers. The president suggested US automakers could introduce more SUVs to the Southeast Asian country. "In return, Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade," Trump wrote. "In other words, they will 'OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,' meaning that, we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff." The US and Vietnam are said to be very close to a establishing a trade framework that will see goods given a scaled range of tariffs depending on the percentage of foreign content, according to people familiar with the talks. Reuters reports: Read more here. Tariffs have hit electric vehicle maker, Rivian (RIVN) who reported a sharp fall in second-quarter deliveries on Wednesday as demand for its EVs took a hit from competition and tariff-driven economic uncertainty. Reuters reports: Read more here. President Trump said his administration will begin sending letters to trading partners on Friday laying out what tariff rates they will face on imports to the US. Countries will have to start paying the duties from Aug. 1, Trump told reporters on Thursday. The move marks a shift from earlier US optimism that talks would deliver scores of deals with its more than 170 trading partners, under pressure to beat a July 9 tariff deadline. The "take it or leave it" letters go out with just days to go to that deadline for resumption of sweeping tariffs laid out in April by Trump. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The US trade deal with Vietnam should be seen as a early sign to Asian countries that higher tariffs are not going anywhere. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Vietnam negotiators said on Thursday that they are still working with the US to finalize the details of the trade deal, which was announced by President Trump on Wednesday. No further details have been provided to businesses and investors beyond the tariff rates disclosed so far. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Treasury Secretary Bessent has been making the rounds today, talking about the Trump tax bill and tariffs as next week's July 9 deadline looms. Per Reuters, Bessent said around 100 countries are likely to see a "reciprocal" tariff of 10%: Bessent also said Trump would ultimately decide whether to extend that July 9 deadline for countries negotiating "in good faith." Bloomberg News reports Read more here. German car exports to the US fell in April and May as import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration hit German automakers' sales, according to data from the VDA industry association. Reuters reports: Read more here. Luxury watch specialist, Watches of Switzerland warned on Thursday that its profit margin could fall this year as the luxury watch sector adjusts to higher US tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more here. The South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday that it still remains unclear if trade talks between Seoul and Washington can result in a deal before next week's deadline to avert sweeping tariffs from President Donald Trump. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. President Trump has his eye on any loopholes that China may use to swerve tariffs. Trump's two-tired trade deal with Vietnam takes aim at practices China has used to avoid US tariffs, such as the widespread shifting of production to Southeast Asian factories and the illegal "origin washing" of exports through their ports. Beijing has responded and said it was 'conducting an assessment' of the US-Vietnam trade deal, adding: 'We firmly oppose any party striking a deal at the expense of China's interests.' 'If such a situation arises, China will take resolute countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,' the ministry added. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The US and India are on the verge of sealing the deal when it comes to reducing tariffs. But there appears to be one sticking point ahead of President Trump's July 9 deadline and it centers around dairy and agriculture. Here's an explainer on why farm goods may hold up a trade deal between the two nations. Reuters reports: Read more here. China is growing more worried as President Trump strikes deals with other countries. On Thursday Beijing hit out at the US-Vietnam trade deal, amid concerns that the US is using "Liberation Day" tariff negotiations with countries to curb China's export machine. The deal with Vietnam, which was announced by the US President on Wednesday, lowers tariffs on Hanoi's exports from 46% to 20%, but it retains a 409% levy on t"trans-shipping" of goods, which China believes is aimed at its re-exports to the US. .The FT reports: Read more here. Indonesia plans to sign a $34 billion deal with US businesses next week to increase purchases and help secure a trade agreement before the July 9 deadline, its top economic minister said Thursday. Reuters reports: Read more here. The trade truce between the US and China may be holding for now, but China is becoming wary that it may thaw. Beijing's concerns stem from what may be happening elsewhere and the US's efforts to forge deals that could isolate Chinese firms from global supply chains. The US has removed export restrictions on chip design software and ethene shipments. China has responded by making concessions over its rare earth export controls. But despite this, China is still on edge. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trade negotiations between the US and India have been moving forward. But unresolved issues over US dairy and agriculture have caused some disagreements between the two sides, according to sources familiar with the talks. Reuters reports: Read more here. The US has removed export restrictions on chip design software and ethane shipments to China, easing trade tensions between the two countries. China recently made concessions over its rare earth export controls. Software companies Synopsys (SNPS), Cadence (CDNS), and Siemens (SIEGY) said they will now restore access for their Chinese customers. These firms develop important electronic design automation tools used in chipmaking. The US also lifted licensing rules for ethane producers. Earlier restrictions were part of Trump's response to China blocking rare earth exports, which had disrupted supply chains for cars, aerospace, and defense industries. Reuters reports: Read more here. President Trump had targeted Vietnam with some of the highest tariffs of any country on his April "Liberation Day." That's at least partly because he and top advisers have made Vietnam an example of a country that is allegedly "ripping off" the US. Vietnam has become the US's 10th-largest trade partner, according to US Census data. And it is the seventh-largest source of imports, sending goods worth over $130 billion. It contains factories for some of the biggest US-based apparel makers, including Nike (NKE) and Lululemon (LULU). Vietnam became a destination for companies looking to diversify manufacturing as US-China tensions escalated over the past decade. Vietnam's trade surplus with the US ballooned to over $123 billion last year. This year's US trade deficit with Vietnam stood over $50 billion through just April as companies raced to move more operations out of China. President Trump followed up his previous announcement of a trade deal with Vietnam with some additional details on social media. "It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam," Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump wrote that the two sides agreed to a 20% tariff rate on all goods sent from Vietnam to the US and a 40% tariff rate on transshipment — essentially, when goods from China or other countries are routed through Vietnam. Tariffs on goods from the country were previously set to return to 46% on July 9. Vietnam also lowered tariffs on US goods to zero, Trump said, and is lowering trade barriers. The president suggested US automakers could introduce more SUVs to the Southeast Asian country. "In return, Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade," Trump wrote. "In other words, they will 'OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,' meaning that, we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff." The US and Vietnam are said to be very close to a establishing a trade framework that will see goods given a scaled range of tariffs depending on the percentage of foreign content, according to people familiar with the talks. Reuters reports: Read more here. Tariffs have hit electric vehicle maker, Rivian (RIVN) who reported a sharp fall in second-quarter deliveries on Wednesday as demand for its EVs took a hit from competition and tariff-driven economic uncertainty. Reuters reports: Read more here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Boston Globe
34 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Democrats hope Republicans just sealed their midterm election fates by voting for Trump's 'beautiful' bill
'We heard from Mark from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,' Jeffries said. 'Mark says, 'I've collected Medicaid and [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits for over a decade now… SNAP and Social Security benefits have been life-saving for me; they literally keep me alive.' Advertisement 'Mark lives in Pennsylvania's First Congressional District,' continued Jeffries. 'I believe that district is represented by our colleague, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up And on and on Jeffries went, until he mentioned virtually every GOP member whom Democrats hope to defeat — an uncommon display of political name-checking by the staid standards of the House chamber. If it were not clear when Jeffries started talking, it was painfully obvious by the time he wrapped up: Democrats are treating President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' as the foundation of their case to take back majorities in Congress next year. 'This bill is an attack on Americans' financial freedom and Democrats are going to make it a centerpiece of the midterms,' said Representative Jake Auchincloss of Newton, before taking a position behind Jeffries Thursday morning as his speech extended into a sixth hour. Advertisement Some believe the vote could be as catastrophic for Republicans as their move in Trump's first term to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which helped fuel a Democratic wave in the 2018 midterm elections. According to Congress' nonpartisan budget analyst, the GOP bill could result in Representative Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, said Jeffries likely made his stand in order to mark the vote as the most decisive of this era, much like the failed vote in 2017 to repeal portions of the Affordable Care Act or even the 2010 vote that created it. 'I'm trying to think if there's been a more consequential vote in my 10 years?' Beyer said. 'I don't think so.' Republicans largely rejected those comparisons, arguing the legislation accomplished what goals voters sent them to Washington to do: cut taxes and drastically increase money spent on immigration enforcement. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee said the bill would 'absolutely not' harm the GOP's midterm hopes. Referring to its proposed tightening of work requirements for public benefits, he said, 'everybody in America wants somebody able-bodied to get off their butts and get a job if they're able to and get off of welfare, and this provides that incentive.' But there were flashes of candor from GOP lawmakers that they understood the potential political peril presented by the bill — even if they voted for it. Advertisement The majority is 'always at risk in a midterm year,' said GOP Representative Don Bacon, who represents a Nebraska swing district but recently announced his retirement. While the tax cut provisions will be helpful, he admitted 'the other side's going to use Medicaid as an issue' and said the Senate version of the legislation, which makes deeper cuts to the federal program to insure low-income Americans, would make their attacks easier. 'So I think that was a mistake,' he said. (Bacon voted for the legislation.) The bill Already, the electoral environment for House Republicans heading into 2026 leaves little room for error: Democrats need to flip just three seats in the chamber to claim a majority, and the party is targeting three-dozen incumbent Republicans to reach that threshold. The House GOP, meanwhile, In the Senate, Democrats' hopes are dimmer due to the rotation of seats up for election and the GOP's larger 53 to 47 majority. Just two seats held by Republicans are considered competitive: Maine and North Carolina. Democrats will be defending seats in the tough battlegrounds of Georgia, Michigan, and New Hampshire. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who was highly critical of the bill and under considerable heat from Trump, announced he would retire just before voting against the legislation. Advertisement It was a different story in the House. All The midterms may seem far off, but the election politicking around the bill began well before Jeffries stepped onto the floor for his marathon speech. As House Democrats prepared Wednesday for the final votes, dozens gathered on the Capitol steps to decry the legislation and lay the blame on vulnerable Republicans. 'Why would anyone vote for this dangerous and extreme bill?' Jeffries asked, before name-checking a freshman Republican. 'Why would Rob Bresnahan vote for this bill? More than 30,000 people would lose access to their health care in his community in Pennsylvania.' Democrats were trying to pressure those Republicans to vote against the bill, but also were laying down markers for their 2026 target list. In addition to Bresnahan, who represents a swing district in northeast Pennsylvania, Jeffries spoke of Representative Scott Perry from a nearby district. The next speaker, Representative Katherine Clark of Revere, called out two California Republicans: David Valadao and Young Kim. Finally Democratic Representative Pete Aguilar of California singled out another endangered Republican from a blue state, Gabe Evans of Colorado. Advertisement 'Today marks the culmination of Donald Trump's betrayal of working people across this country,' Aguilar said, with words that sounded straight from an attack ad. In the long lead-up to Thursday's vote, Democrats' outside political committees began laying the groundwork for the midterm battles ahead. House Majority Forward, the super PAC aligned with Jeffries, was developing TV ads before the vote took place, focusing particularly on Bresnahan and Representatives Tom Barrett of Michigan and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. House Majority Forward spokesperson, CJ Warnke, said House Republicans were 'throwing away their spines and throwing their constituents under the bus' with their votes. Republicans, meanwhile, plan to go on offense against vulnerable Democrats who voted against the bill. In a statement, National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole accused Representative Jared Golden, who represents a Republican-leaning Maine district, of voting to 'raise taxes, kill jobs, and gut national security. Voters won't forget it, not now, not next November.' (Golden has been outspoken about his opposition to the bill, saying it provides 'huge tax breaks' for the wealthy, 'paid for by cutting health care for the working poor.') An NRCC campaign memo shared with the Globe previewed its campaign messaging around the bill, arguing it prevented a massive tax hike and delivered on promises to secure the border. It also framed the changes to Medicaid as moves to 'crack down on welfare fraud and restore integrity.' Many Republicans emphasized the extension of Trump's first-term tax cuts, which account for trillions of dollars of the cost of the legislation, or smaller-scale new tax breaks, such as one to let taxpayers deduct a limited amount of tipped wages from their taxable income. Advertisement 'The economy is going to do well, and people are going to be happy,' said Representative Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican. 'They really are.' As Jeffries closed his speech before the ultimately successful vote, however, a new slogan emerged to add a layer of ominousness to GOP plans. 'After Project 2025,' the Democratic leader said, referring to the conservative-backed plan to scale back government under Trump, 'comes Project 2026.' Tal Kopan of Globe staff contributed to this report. Sam Brodey can be reached at
Axios
38 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump's crowning moment is ammo for Dems in '26
With B-2 bombers booming above, President Trump will deliver a motherlode of campaign promises for his supporters Friday, decimate his predecessor's priorities and demonstrate his total dominance over the Republican Party. Why it matters: The MAGA mega bill is more than just an indisputable victory for the president and the party he has remade in his image. It's also a stinging defeat for Democrats — but has given them fodder for the 2026 midterms. With the stroke of his signature, Trump will undo the solar, wind and electric vehicles tax cuts that were at the core of President Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act. Trump will sign into law some long-term GOP goals, like making business tax credits permanent, changing how Congress counts tax cuts, pouring billions into border security, and slowing the growth of Medicaid and SNAP spending. The big tax cuts will apply this year. Most of the spending cuts will hit after the midterms. "It's going to make this country into a rocket ship," Trump said. Zoom out: The country will little note, nor long remember how Congress passed this bill: the all-nighters, the nail-biters and the GOP false fighters, who ultimately tapped out for Trump. But Democrats will make it their mission to ensure that voters don't forget what Trump and congressional Republicans did in the bill. The tax cuts, they say, will benefit the already-wealthy the most — and the Medicaid cuts that target the poor could devastate health care options for millions. Democrats will concede they lost on policy, but convinced they'll win — eventually — on the politics. For eight hours and 45 minutes Thursday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries held up the GOP-led chamber's vote in favor of Trump's big bill, energizing his party (and his donors) by previewing attack lines certain to be distilled to 30-second TV ads for the 2026 campaign. "This is a crime scene," he thundered from the House floor. The intrigue: Democrats will mischievously borrow some Republican lines that were dropped along the way amid GOP anxiety over the bill's impacts. "The Medicaid stuff in here is bad," said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). "Garbage," declared Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) earlier this week. "It's a good bill overall," he said after voting for it. Expect those comments — along with Sen. Joni Ernst's " we are all going to die" shrug when the Iowa Republican was asked about Medicaid cuts — to be featured on local TV stations. By the numbers: In all, the tax cuts total $4.5 trillion over a decade, leading to $3.3 trillion in deficit spending, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans will say the real winners are the 83% of households that would have been hit with a tax increase if Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act had expired at the end of the year. Democrats will focus on the more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, which is projected to put nearly 12 million Americans at risk of losing their health care and threaten rural hospitals across the country. Trump is giving his MAGA faithful $170 billion in border and immigration funds and $150 billion for defense spending. The oil and gas industry got many of its priorities. Also tucked into the bill: a rise in the nation's debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Then there are the Trumpian touches to the bill, such as no taxes on tips, a suggestion he got from a Las Vegas waitress.
