Donald Trump’s administration has been embroiled in multiple controversies and legislative challenges recently, as his proposed megabill faces significant opposition within the House of Representatives. The bill, which narrowly passed in the Senate amid record debate, seeks to address various issues, including spending and trade agreements. With leading Republican figures having made their opposition clear, the fate of the legislation remains murky.
The Trump administration is accusing Harvard University of violating the civil rights of its Jewish students. This widely mischaracterized claim has fired up a firestorm of protest on both sides over academic freedom vs. institutional responsibility. That’s despite Trump’s handiwork in producing the biggest-ever trade deal on Earth—just recently completed in Canada. Consequently, under pressure from similar stalled trade talks with the U.S., Canada has repealed its planned digital services tax.
President Trump’s administration recently negotiated a new trade deal with the United Kingdom. Indeed, this settlement went from tentative to official over the last week. The domestic political landscape remains tumultuous. The Senate’s recent vote on Trump’s megabill set a record for the longest vote-a-rama, reflecting the contentious nature of the proposed legislation.
Although the Senate did approve the transition, many House Republicans have already expressed their opposition. Senator Thom Tillis had publicly come out against the bill, and at the last moment decided not to run for re-election. In addition to all this, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has shown confusion about the bill’s path through the House.
Shortly after the Senate passed Trump’s megabill, the House began considering it as well. A lot has changed since its narrow passage on May 22, when it passed by only one vote, 215-214. Unsurprisingly, libertarian flourishes aside, Representatives Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson voted against the bill in May. They join Rep. Ralph Norman on the Republican side, who as of this writing is still actively keeping it from moving. TOM WILLIAMS Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland chairs the perniciously hardline House Freedom Caucus. Inexplicably, he voted present on the last round of voting.
And just like that, Trump’s tone on the July 4 deadline for the megabill has dimmed. This change is clearly intended to garner grassroots support as that opposition continues to build. Even prominent figures such as Elon Musk have lambasted the bill as “DEBT SLAVERY.” This strong language would seem to make its reception among lawmakers all the more problematic.
In an unrelated but equally shocking move, Trump has auctioned off his likeness to Trump Mobile. Yet concurrently, he’s throwing shade at AT&T over service quality.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee articulated a sentiment shared by many in the GOP:
“I don’t work for the Senate parliamentarian. I work for the PEOPLE.” – Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.
Just as the House is preparing to consider Trump’s megabill. We’ll see him needing to build support and overcoming the fierce opposition he’s receiving even from within his party’s congressional delegation.