Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• House advances Trump tax-and-spending bill through procedural votes — The House of Representatives advanced Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" through procedural votes on July 2–3, 2025, after Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered an 8-hour-44-minute floor speech opposing passage. The bill, which passed the Senate on July 1 with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote, includes $3.3 trillion in deficit spending through 2034, extends 2017 tax cuts, allocates $45 billion for ICE detention and $14 billion for deportation operations, imposes new Medicaid work requirements, and sunsets green-energy incentives. Speaker Mike Johnson secured final Republican holdouts to advance the measure toward a final House vote.
• House passes Trump tax-and-spending bill with permanent tax cuts, deportation funding, and safety-net cuts — The U.S. House of Representatives passed Trump's comprehensive tax-and-spending legislation on Thursday, following Senate passage on Tuesday with VP Vance's tie-breaking vote. The bill extends 2017 tax cuts permanently (benefiting high earners disproportionately), allocates $45bn for ICE detention and $14bn for deportation operations, funds $50bn+ for border fortifications, cuts Medicaid (affecting ~10.6m people) and SNAP (affecting ~8m people), phases out clean-energy tax credits, raises the debt ceiling by $5tn, and increases the deficit by $3.3tn through 2034. The bill now awaits Trump's signature.
• Trump budget bill passage with immigration enforcement expansion and social benefit cuts — The House passed Donald Trump's budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, July 3, 2025, with no Democratic support and only two Republican defections (Thomas Massie and Brian Fitzpatrick). The bill expands immigration enforcement funding to $170 billion (making ICE larger than the FBI, DEA, and Bureau of Prisons combined), cuts Medicaid expansion, reduces SNAP benefits, allows the tipped-worker tax break to sunset in three years while making billionaire tax cuts permanent, and removes subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats issued widespread condemnation, citing projected deaths and loss of healthcare access.
• Hakeem Jeffries delivers record-breaking House floor speech opposing Trump tax bill — Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke for more than eight hours on the House floor beginning shortly before 5am on Thursday, July 3, 2025, breaking the previous record of 8 hours 32 minutes set by Kevin McCarthy in 2021. Using the "magic minute" tradition that allows House leaders unlimited speaking time after floor debate concludes, Jeffries opposed Trump's $4.5 trillion tax-and-spending bill, reading stories of Americans who would lose healthcare, food assistance, and other benefits. He characterized the legislation as a "crime scene" and "abomination" that will harm millions while benefiting billionaires.
• House passes Trump tax-and-spending bill with 218-214 vote — The US House of Representatives passed Donald Trump's sweeping tax-and-spending bill on Thursday with a narrow 218-214 vote after weeks of negotiations. The legislation extends 2017 tax cuts permanently, creates new exemptions for tips and overtime pay, allocates $170 billion to immigration enforcement and border wall construction, and cuts Medicaid and SNAP benefits. The Congressional Budget Office projects it will add $3.3 trillion to the national debt through 2034 and cost millions of people their healthcare and food assistance benefits.
• Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered record-length floor speech opposing budget bill — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-VA) delivered the longest floor speech in House history, lasting all night and into Thursday afternoon, opposing the budget bill. He criticized the bill's impact on the poor and sick, concluding with a statement about hypocrisy: "You got some people in this town who go to church and pray on Sunday, and then they come to Congress and prey on the American people."
• House Republicans adopted Senate budget bill without amendments after Trump summoned Freedom Caucus members to Oval Office — House Republicans voted to adopt the Senate's budget bill following a marathon debate session. Despite weeks of public complaints from Freedom Caucus members that the Senate version was "horrible" and promises to make significant changes, the House passed it unchanged. Trump summoned the dissenting Republicans to the Oval Office, where they received signed merchandise and photos; they emerged agreeing to support the bill. Only two Republicans voted against it: Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The bill adds nearly $4 trillion to the debt and cuts Medicaid, Medicare, and nutrition assistance.
• Congressional passage of budget legislation with expansions to law enforcement and detention infrastructure — The House of Representatives passed a budget bill described as containing provisions for expanded law enforcement capacity, detention facilities, and enforcement quotas. The legislation was characterized by commentators as regressive and dangerous. The bill reportedly allocates resources toward building what critics describe as a sophisticated law enforcement apparatus with detention infrastructure and enforcement mechanisms tied to quota systems. The passage occurred despite stated opposition from advocacy groups and public awareness campaigns.
• House passes "One Big Beautiful Bill"; Trump administration announces legislative victory — The White House issued a press release announcing that the House of Representatives passed legislation titled the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which the administration characterizes as delivering "the largest middle-class tax cut in history," border security measures, military funding, and other provisions. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the bill represents "the biggest legislative win of President Trump's two terms" and that Trump "looks forward to signing" it into law. The release does not provide the bill's actual text, specific provisions, or legislative details.
• House and Senate pass Trump's tax-and-spending bill with narrow Republican majorities — Republicans passed a sweeping budget bill extending 2017 tax cuts, increasing the debt limit by $4 trillion, and adding work requirements to Medicaid and Snap. The House passed it 219–213 on Thursday after Speaker Johnson held the vote open for seven hours—the longest recorded—while Trump pressured holdouts via phone calls and social media. The Senate passed it 50–50 with Vice President Vance breaking the tie. The bill faced opposition from fiscal conservatives and moderates over deficit concerns and Medicaid cuts, resolved through targeted state benefits and executive order promises.

Supporting reports

• FCC suspends prison phone price caps, blocking enforcement of 2024 rule — FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced Monday that the FCC will no longer enforce a 2024 rule capping in-state prison phone calls at $0.06–$0.07 per minute. The suspension applies until April 1, 2027, during which the FCC will consider permanent changes. The 2024 rule, which reduced call costs from as much as $11.35 to $0.90 for a 15-minute call, was mandated by the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez objected, stating the suspension violates the statute and Congress's directive. The rule also banned kickbacks to prison operators; those remain suspended.
• FCC cites corporate claims rather than evidence in justifying suspension of prison phone price caps — In the order suspending the 2024 price-cap rule, the FCC explicitly cited "financial burdens" on prison operators and claimed that without commissions or high prices, many facilities would stop allowing incarcerated people to make phone calls. According to Popular Information's reporting, this conclusion is "largely based on claims made to the FCC by the corporations profiting from the existing system," rather than independent evidence or analysis.
• FCC postponed prison phone rate reduction rules for two years — FCC Chairman Brendon Carr announced the agency would postpone rules passed unanimously in 2024 to reduce prison and jail phone rates for two years. FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez said the postponement was "shielding a broken system that inflates costs and rewards kickbacks to correctional facilities at the expense of incarcerated individuals and their loved ones." The delay blocks consumer protections.
• GEO Group and CoreCivic donated to Trump campaign and inauguration while benefiting from FCC suspension — During the 2024 campaign, GEO Group's PAC made the maximum contribution to Trump's campaign; CEO Brian Evans and board chairman George Zoley each donated $11,600 to Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee. GEO Acquisition II, a GEO Group subsidiary, donated $1 million to Make America Great Again PAC. After Trump's election, GEO Group and CoreCivic each donated $500,000 to Trump's inauguration committee. Both Tom Homan (Trump's border czar) and Attorney General Pam Bondi have received payments from GEO Group—Homan as a consultant in 2023–2024, Bondi as a lobbyist in 2019.

Supporting reports

• Senate Republicans advance Trump's tax-and-spending bill through vote-a-rama process — Senate Republicans continued debate on Trump's "one big, beautiful bill," a massive tax-and-spending measure combining tax cuts, tip deductions, and immigration enforcement funding offset by cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and green energy programs. The chamber extended the "vote-a-rama" amendment process into a second day. Early Tuesday, senators voted 99–1 to strike an AI regulation ban. The bill faces uncertain passage with at least two Republican defections (Tillis, Paul) already committed against it, leaving no margin for error.
• Senate Republicans pass Trump's sweeping policy bill with Vice President tie-breaker — On July 1, 2025, the Senate passed Trump's major legislative package by a narrow margin, with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie. The bill includes tens of billions for mass deportations and border walls, tax-cut extensions, and cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Moderate Republicans initially resisted, particularly over Medicaid reductions affecting poor and disabled Americans and rural hospitals. Senate leadership negotiated targeted provisions—including $50 billion for rural hospitals and tax deductions for Native Alaskan whalers—to secure passage. The CBO estimates the bill will increase the uninsured population by 11.8 million by 2034 and add $3.3 trillion to the deficit through 2034.
• Senate Republicans pass Trump's tax and spending bill with vice-presidential tiebreaker — The Republican-controlled Senate passed a major tax and spending bill demanded by Donald Trump on Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance breaking a 50-50 tie after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition. The legislation extends tax cuts from Trump's first term, funds mass deportation operations ($45bn for ICE detention, $14bn for deportation operations), allocates over $50bn for border fortifications, imposes new work requirements on Medicaid enrollees, and limits provider taxes states use to fund Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit through 2034. The bill now goes to the House, where passage remains uncertain due to factional divisions among Republicans.
• Senate passed budget reconciliation bill with Vice President Vance's tiebreaking vote — The Senate voted 50–50 on a budget reconciliation bill, with all Democrats and Independents voting no, joined by three Republicans (Susan Collins, Rand Paul, Thom Tillis). Vice President J.D. Vance cast the deciding vote to pass the measure. The bill cuts taxes for the wealthy and corporations while slashing Medicaid and food security programs for low-income Americans. It allocates $170.7 billion to immigration enforcement, including $51.6 billion for border wall construction, $45 billion for ICE detention facilities, and $29.9 billion for ICE enforcement operations.
• Senate passed budget reconciliation bill 51-50 with VP Vance breaking tie — The Senate passed a major budget reconciliation bill on July 1, 2025, by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. Three Republicans—Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis—voted against it. The bill must return to the House for reconciliation due to significant Senate amendments. The legislation includes major tax cuts, safety-net reductions targeting Medicaid and food stamps, clean energy subsidy cuts, and raises the debt ceiling by approximately $5 trillion, adding an estimated $3 trillion to the deficit.
• Senate passes Trump budget bill with 50-50 vote plus VP tiebreaker — The Senate voted 50-50 on Trump's budget bill, with the Vice President casting the tiebreaking vote to pass it. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) characterized the legislation as corrupt and crooked, noting it was drafted in closed sessions, released at midnight, contained inflated figures, and provided substantial tax benefits to wealthy Republican donors while cutting social programs. The bill now moves to the House for consideration.
• Republican-controlled Senate passed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill with tie-breaking vote — The Republican-controlled Senate narrowly passed Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, sending it back to the House for another vote. The bill includes the biggest Medicaid and SNAP cuts in history, makes ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency, and adds at least $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.

Supporting reports

• Paramount settled Trump lawsuit for $16 million — Paramount announced it will settle Trump's lawsuit related to the 2024 '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris for $16 million. A portion of the funds will pay for Trump's fees and costs, and the remainder will be donated to his future presidential library. The settlement did not include an apology but included a provision requiring release of future '60 Minutes' interview transcripts. The settlement represents a major payment to Trump from a media company.
• CBS ends Stephen Colbert's late-night show — CBS announced in July that it would end Stephen Colbert's late-night show in May 2026. Colbert is an outspoken Trump critic who had criticized Paramount for settling with Trump days before the announcement, calling it a "big fat bribe." CBS attributed the cancellation to financial reasons and stated it was unrelated to the show's content. Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, writing "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired."
• Paramount settles Trump lawsuit; CBS News hires Trump loyalist ombudsman — In July 2025, CBS News' parent company Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Trump, described in the article as "frivolous." In September 2025, CBS News hired a Trump loyalist to serve as ombudsman, tasked with reviewing news coverage for alleged "bias." These moves signal a shift in editorial direction at a historically fact-based news organization.
• Paramount settles Trump defamation lawsuit over CBS News 60 Minutes interview — Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement with Trump after he sued CBS News over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris that aired in October 2024. Trump claimed the interview was edited to make Harris look better and constituted "election interference," though editing interviews for clarity and length is standard journalistic practice. The settlement occurred as part of Paramount's broader effort to secure Trump administration approval for its merger with Skydance.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens deportation and subsidy cuts against Musk amid tax bill dispute — Donald Trump and Elon Musk's political alliance fractured over Trump's signature tax bill moving through Congress. Musk publicly opposed the legislation, calling it "insane" and threatening to form a new political party if it passed. Trump responded with threats to deport Musk (citing his South African birth), cut government subsidies to his companies, and deploy the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) against him. The feud centers on Musk's concerns that the bill would nullify federal spending cuts and add trillions to national debt, while Trump alleges Musk's opposition stems from the bill's termination of EV tax credits.
• Trump attacked Musk on Truth Social over EV subsidies and threatened DOGE investigation — President Trump posted on Truth Social after midnight on July 1, attacking Elon Musk for receiving subsidies while claiming to oppose EV mandates. Trump stated that without subsidies Musk would "probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa" and suggested that DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) should investigate Musk's subsidies. Trump framed this as potential "big money to be saved."
• Trump suggested deporting Elon Musk — When asked by a reporter whether he would deport Elon Musk, Trump said, "We'll have to take a look," adding that "We might have to put DOGE on Elon … the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon." The statement represents a threat of deportation against a major political figure based on personal conflict.
• Trump suggested deporting Musk in response to subsidy criticism — When a reporter asked Trump on the morning of July 1 whether he might consider deporting Elon Musk, Trump responded: "We'll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? The monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies." The statement appeared to reference potential deportation as a consequence of Musk's political opposition.

Supporting reports

• Elon Musk threatened to finance primary challengers against Republican Congress members — Former Trump adviser and top donor Elon Musk threatened to finance primary challengers against Republican members of Congress who vote for Trump's "big, beautiful bill," calling it "utterly insane." The threat represents use of financial power to coerce legislative votes on a specific bill.
• Elon Musk threatens primary challenges against Republicans who voted for budget — Elon Musk posted multiple messages attacking the budget bill and Republican members of Congress. He declared that every member who campaigned on reducing spending but voted for the bill "should hang their head in shame" and threatened they would "lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth." Musk also announced that if the bill passes, he will form the "America Party" as an alternative to the "Democrat-Republican uniparty."
• Elon Musk announces formation of America Party as alternative political organization — Elon Musk declared in early July 2025 the formation of the America Party, positioning it as a viable alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties. Musk stated the party would challenge what he characterizes as a "one-party system" focused on "bankrupting our country with waste & graft." He proposed running candidates for two to three Senate seats and up to ten House districts, believing such representation could serve as deciding votes on contentious legislation. Political scientists and experts expressed skepticism about the party's viability and impact.
• Elon Musk launched third political party called "The America Party" — Elon Musk, who spent the previous 24 hours criticizing the Senate budget bill and urging House members to vote against it while threatening to back primary opponents, announced the launch of a third political party called "The America Party." Musk's actions included threatening primary challenges to House Republicans and launching this new party as an apparent alternative to existing political structures.
• Elon Musk threatened to form new political party and run primary challengers over budget bill — Billionaire Elon Musk reentered the debate over the budget reconciliation bill, threatening to start a new political party if it passed. Musk also threatened to run primary challengers against lawmakers who voted yes on the measure, creating a counterweight to Trump's threat to run challengers against those who vote no. Musk claimed to be donating to the reelection campaign of Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), an opponent of the bill.

Supporting reports

• Supreme Court agrees to hear campaign spending limits challenge — The US Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a case challenging federal limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates. The case was filed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Vice-President JD Vance, and former congressman Steve Chabot, arguing that spending restrictions impede First Amendment rights. The Trump administration filed a brief supporting the challenge. The case will be heard in the Court's October 2025 term and could further erode campaign finance restrictions following Citizens United.