Bill, Deals & Deadlines
What has President Trump said this week?
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What has President Trump said this week? 〰️
1. Trump, Iran, and the Fragile Cease-Fire
President Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill” narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday after a marathon 24-hour amendment session. The final vote was 51–50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. Three Republicans—Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis—joined all Democrats in opposition, citing concerns over steep Medicaid cuts and the bill’s projected $3.3 trillion addition to the federal deficit (CBS, 2025; NPR, 2025).
The nearly 1,000-page bill solidifies key Trump priorities: permanent extensions of the 2017 tax cuts, sharp increases in defense and border security spending, and steep reductions to federal healthcare, nutrition, and climate programs. It rolls back clean energy tax credits, expands work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, repeals electric vehicle subsidies, and reduces funding for the Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that nearly 12 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage over the next decade (NPR, 2025).
Trump, speaking from Florida, celebrated the result and urged the House to move quickly. On Truth Social, he demanded lawmakers “lock yourself in a room… and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK.” On Wednesday, the House sprang back to life after Speaker Mike Johnson recalled lawmakers to Washington and launched a day of private negotiations and late-night procedural votes aimed at pushing the Senate version to final passage by July 4. While the GOP holds a narrow 220–212 majority, internal divisions threaten the bill’s path forward (AP, 2025).
2. Musk vs. Trump
Elon Musk and President Trump reignited their public feud this week, with Trump threatening investigations and even deportation after Musk publicly opposed the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Musk, who once led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), called the bill “insane” and vowed to launch a new political party if it passed. In turn, Trump threatened to cut off federal contracts to Musk’s companies, including Tesla and SpaceX.
“DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible?” Trump said Tuesday on the White House lawn. He later added on Truth Social that there was “BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED” by auditing Musk’s businesses. The president also claimed Musk’s true opposition was rooted in losing subsidies for electric vehicles, accusations Musk has denied (The New York Times, 2025).
Musk continued to campaign against the bill’s $3.3 trillion cost, warning Republicans that he would fund primary challenges against any who vote for it. “They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” he posted (CNN, 2025). The standoff has rattled investors. Tesla stock fell 9% over two days, amid fears of regulatory retaliation. Analysts estimate that losing EV tax credits and regulatory credit revenues could cost the company over $3 billion annually (CNN, 2025). Musk’s companies, especially SpaceX, are heavily intertwined with federal contracts and oversight, leaving them vulnerable to political fallout as tensions with the White House escalate.
3. “Very Spoiled”: Trump Threatens 35% Tariffs on Japan
President Trump has escalated trade pressure on Japan, threatening to impose tariffs as high as 35% on Japanese exports if no agreement is reached before the July 9 expiration of his 'Liberation Day' tariff pause. “We’ve dealt with Japan. I’m not sure we’re going to make a deal. I doubt it,” Trump said aboard Air Force One, describing Japan as “very spoiled” and signaling he would unilaterally determine new tariff rates if negotiations fail. “You’ll pay 30%, 35%, or whatever the number is that we determined,” he said, adding, “it’s an honor” to do business in the U.S. (Japan Times, 2025).
The remarks follow a fruitless seventh round of trade talks and come just days after Trump claimed that Japan refuses to buy U.S. rice, despite the country purchasing $298 million worth last year and $114 million in the first four months of 2025 (CNN, 2025). Trump has also threatened Japan with a 25% auto tariff and broader reciprocal duties if talks collapse. Currently, Japanese steel and aluminum face 50% tariffs, while most other goods are taxed at a 10% rate, set to revert to 24% without a deal by the July deadline (BBC, 2025).
Japanese officials have remained cautious. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that Japan “will not make concessions that hurt our farmers,” while Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington to reaffirm diplomatic support for a “mutually beneficial” resolution (Japan Times, 2025). U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is leading negotiations, acknowledged that a deal is unlikely, citing Trump’s directive not to accept terms that aren’t “fair for the American people” (Japan Times, 2025; CNN, 2025).