Trump’s Budget Passes Senate | 7.2.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary: “Trump’s Budget Passes Senate” | July 2, 2025

Hosted by John Bickley and Georgia Howe, Morning Wire delves into the latest developments in politics, culture, education, and more. In this episode released on July 2, 2025, the focus centers on the passage of former President Donald Trump’s budget bill in the Senate, the political alliance between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and notable legal developments surrounding Bryan Kohberger.

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1. Passage of Trump’s Budget Bill in the Senate

Overview: The episode opens with a detailed analysis of the intense Senate session that resulted in the passage of Donald Trump’s comprehensive budget bill. The legislation, described by host John Bickley as “Trump's big, beautiful bill,” faced a marathon voting process, culminating in a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance.

Key Points:

• Extended Debate: The Senate experienced an unprecedented "votorama," holding 45 separate amendment votes over a span of nearly two days. Topics ranged from Medicare cuts and electric car subsidies to healthcare for illegal immigrants and Planned Parenthood funding.

  Cabot Phillips notes, "This ended up being the longest votorama in history with 45 separate amendments voted on." [01:52]

• Democratic Strategy: Democrats aimed to force Republicans to clarify their positions but ultimately exhausted their stalling tactics, leading to frustration even among some Democrats like Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman.

  Phillips states, "Democrats made clear that they viewed this votarama as a means of forcing Republicans to go on the record with their views." [01:52]

• Critical Vote: The final vote was narrowly split 50-50. Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski played a pivotal role by accepting key concessions from GOP leadership, ensuring the bill's passage through Vice President Vance’s deciding vote.

  Phillips explains, “GOP leadership won her over by offering some major concessions. They exempted Alaska from a number of key funding cuts for the bill.” [03:01]

• Trump’s Reaction: In a characteristic display, President Trump personally acknowledged the bill’s passage during a separate news conference.

  Trump remarks, "I was also wondering, how we doing? Because I know this is prime time. It shows that I care about you because I'm here and I probably should be there." [03:53]

Implications: The bill's return to the House signifies ongoing challenges, with hardline conservatives scrutinizing the amendments made in the Senate. Concerns include the defunding of Planned Parenthood for a year, leaving illegals on Medicaid, and reintroducing elements of the Green New Deal.

John Bickley summarizes, "There are some serious issues with it, we think... those are all serious issues that we see with the bill." [04:44]

The timeline is tight, with House Speaker Mike Johnson adhering to a 72-hour review period, putting pressure on the legislative process before the July 4th deadline.

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2. Trump and DeSantis Forge Strong Alliance

Overview: A significant development highlighted in the episode is the renewed partnership between former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This alliance marks a strategic consolidation of Republican power ahead of future elections.

Key Points:

• Reconciliation Post-Primary: Despite a competitive GOP primary last year, Trump and DeSantis have set aside differences, strengthening their partnership following Trump’s electoral success.

  DeSantis states, "Trump and DeSantis have reconciled since that pretty lively presidential primary fight last year." [07:50]

• Joint Initiatives on Immigration: The duo is actively collaborating on immigration reform. Their initiatives include the construction of a new detention facility, Alligator Alcatraz, and the deputization of Florida National Guardsmen as immigration judges to expedite hearings.

  Ron DeSantis explains, "We're offering up our National Guard and other folks in Florida to be deputized to be immigration judges." [09:17]

• Census Redefinition Proposal: Trump and DeSantis are advocating for a revised census that distinguishes between American citizens and illegal immigrants. This move aims to adjust congressional seat allocations more accurately, potentially benefiting Republican states like Florida and Texas while reducing representation for states like California.

  Mike Johnson elaborates, "California would lose, like, five seats if they did a fair census... Texas should have had another one." [10:35]

Implications: Governor DeSantis, approaching term limits in Florida, hints at a potential gubernatorial succession with his wife, Casey DeSantis, possibly entering the 2026 race. An endorsement from Trump could be pivotal in a highly competitive Republican primary.

DeSantis comments, "We have a relationship that's been a very strong one." [08:03]

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3. Bryan Kohberger’s Plea Deal and Legal Controversies

Overview: The podcast also covers the legal saga of Bryan Kohberger, accused of the 2022 murders of four Idaho students. After initially maintaining his innocence amidst substantial evidence, Kohberger has opted for a plea deal, avoiding the death penalty.

Key Points:

• Plea Agreement: Kohberger has pled guilty to four counts of murder and one count of burglary, resulting in four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. This decision ends the anticipated death penalty trial set for August 18.

  Tim Pierce states, "He has waived the right to appeal, and there is no possibility of parole." [11:24]

• Evidence Against Kohberger: The case against him includes surveillance footage of his vehicle near the crime scene, consistent cell phone data, DNA evidence on the murder weapon’s sheath, and his history of interest in criminology and serial killers.

  Pierce details, "His DNA was found on the knife sheath... his purchase history showed he bought a black ski mask similar to the one described by a witness." [12:15]

• Defense Strategy and Setbacks: Despite defense attorney Ann Taylor’s efforts to introduce doubt, including challenging the legality of DNA evidence obtained through genealogical searches, the court dismissed attempts to present an alternative suspect theory as speculative.

  Pierce notes, "The judge dismissed the defense's attempt to introduce the alternative suspect theory." [14:00]

• Family and Community Reaction: Families of the victims, particularly Kaylee Goncalves’ family, have expressed outrage and disappointment with the plea deal, feeling it unjustly closes the case without a full trial.

  Pierce mentions, "The family of Kaylee Goncalves... said, we are beyond furious at the state of Idaho. They have failed us." [12:12]

Implications: While the plea deal brings closure for some, questions remain about the full truth behind the murders. The stringent gag orders and limited information may leave unresolved issues, although the lifting of these orders post-plea could potentially reveal more details.

Pierce concludes, "It's possible that Brian will want to come out and talk about it. He likes talking about crime." [14:46]

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Conclusion

This episode of Morning Wire provides an extensive overview of significant political maneuvers and legal developments shaping the current landscape. The passage of Trump’s budget bill in the Senate underscores the fragile nature of legislative success in a deeply divided government, while the alliance between Trump and DeSantis signals a consolidation of Republican strategies heading into future elections. Concurrently, the resolution of Bryan Kohberger’s high-profile case highlights ongoing tensions in the American justice system, leaving the public with mixed feelings about closure and justice.

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Notable Quotes:

• John Bickley: “There are some serious issues with it, we think... those are all serious issues that we see with the bill.” [04:44]

• Donald Trump: “Oh, thank you. Wow. Thank you. You know, I'm waiting, listening to these wonderful words and they are music to my ears...” [03:53]

• Ron DeSantis: “We're offering up our National Guard and other folks in Florida to be deputized to be immigration judges.” [09:17]

• Mike Johnson: “California would lose, like, five seats if they did a fair census...” [10:35]

• Bryce Phillips: “Democrats made clear that they viewed this votaroma as a means of forcing Republicans to go on the record with their views.” [01:52]

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This summary aims to encapsulate the critical discussions and insights presented in the Morning Wire episode, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the key issues addressed.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

Trump's big, beautiful bill heads back to the House after a marathon Senate session and a tie breaking vote from JD Vance.

[Cabot Phillips]

It is rich to hear Democrats all of a sudden concerned about debt and deficits.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, July 2, and this is Morning Wire.

[Tim Pierce]

Trump and Governor DeSantis put aside past differences at Alligator Alcatraz, touting the power of their federal state alliance.

[Donald Trump]

Ron and I have had a really great relationship for a long time. We had a little off period for a couple of days, but it didn't last long.

[John Bickley]

And Bryan Kohberger avoids the death penalty, pleading guilty to murdering four Idaho students.

[Georgia Howe]

Life without possibility of parole, no appeals.

[Tim Pierce]

Is the deal that's on the table right now. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. America is built on hard work and powered by American energy. Chevron has spent $44 billion with local businesses across all 50 states since 2022, fueling infrastructure and communities, all while strengthening local economies. Last year, Chevron increased U.S. production nearly 20%, powering communities and businesses from the heartlands to the coasts. We're helping to fuel America's energy advantage, building a brighter future at home. Visit chevron.comamera to discover more. After a marathon vote in Congress, the Senate narrowly passed Donald Trump's big, beautiful bill, pushing his sweeping policy agenda toward the finish line.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here with the details. Hey, Cabot. So, quite the saga in Washington. We've been tracking this now for weeks. What happened yesterday?

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, the real breaking news, D.C. now facing a coffee shortage after senators and their staff spent the last 48 hours holed up debating this legislation nonstop in what Washington calls a votorama, where members submit last minute amendments before a final vote. In this case, there were votes held on everything from Medicare cuts and electric car subsidies to healthcare for illegal immigrants and Planned Parenthood funding. When all was said and done, this ended up being the longest votorama in history with 45 separate amendments voted on. That process went all night Monday and well into Tuesday afternoon. Democrats made clear that they viewed this votarama as a means of forcing Republicans to go on the record with their views. But more importantly, as we've discussed earlier earlier, to stall that tactic angered Republicans and even some Democrats who opposed the bill, including Pennsylvania's John Fetterman.

[Ron DeSantis]

Oh my God, I just want to go home.

[Cabot Phillips]

I've already my I've missed our entire trip to the beach. I don't Think it's really helpful to put people here till some ungodly hour. But ultimately, Democrats could only stall for so long before that final vote was held.

[John Bickley]

Right. And when that vote came, it was as razor thin as you get. Tell us about that.

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, given their slim majority, the GOP coming in could only afford to lose three Republican votes. And with Senators Rand Paul, Thom Tillis and Susan Collins definite nos in many ways, it all came down to Alaska's Lisa Murkowski. Ultimately, GOP leadership won her over by offering some major concessions. They exempted Alaska from a number of key funding cuts for the bill, and that ultimately was enough to get her on board. That meant the final vote tally was 50 50, allowing Vice President Vance to swoop in as the tie breaking vote and give a major victory to his boss.

[Georgia Howe]

The yeas are 50, the nays are 50. The Senate being evenly divided, the Vice President votes in the affirmative.

[Cabot Phillips]

The bill as amended, is passed. And in a really extraordinary moment Tuesday, we actually got to see President Trump hear in real time that his bill had passed when a staffer alerted him during a separate news conference.

[Donald Trump]

Oh, thank you. Wow. Thank you. You know, I'm waiting, listening to these wonderful words and they are music to my ears. But I was also wondering, how we doing? Because I know this is prime time. It shows that I care about you because I'm here and I probably should be there.

[John Bickley]

Quite the moment there. In classic Trump fashion there, too. So what comes next?

[Cabot Phillips]

So the bill will now go back to the House where it is expected to pass, but not without some difficulty. There are a number of hardline conservatives who've already expressed concerns about some of the changes that happened in the Senate.

[John Bickley]

There are some serious issues with it, we think. I'll name just three. First of all, it defunds Planned Parenthood abortion services for only one year. It leaves illegals on Medicaid.

[Donald Trump]

And frankly, the language that was added.

[John Bickley]

At the very last minute seems to put the entire Green new scam back into play. Those are all serious issues that we see with the bill.

[Cabot Phillips]

And it's worth noting, given the delay from Senate Democrats, this bill might not be voted on before President Trump's deadline of July 4th. House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he would honor the customary 72 hour period to allow members three days to review legislation. So it's going to be tight.

[John Bickley]

Now, we mostly heard from Democrats criticizing the bill, but there is another familiar voice that's really laid into it in the last couple days. Tell us about Elon Musk.

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, once again, Musk Going on the record to slam President Trump's signature legislation. This feud had seemed to cool off in recent weeks. But in the last 24 hours, Musk renewed the fight, threatening again to start a third party and fund it as well if this bill passed, claiming it would, quote, bankrupt America. For his part, President Trump said the real reason that Musk opposes this legislation is that it will cut federal subsidies for electric vehicles. And then later on at the White House, Trump went a step further. Listen to this response when asked if he would consider deporting Elon Musk.

[Donald Trump]

I don't know. I think we'll have to think, look, we might have to put Doge on Elon, you know, you know, Doge is, Doge is the monster that has. That might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible now?

[Cabot Phillips]

Highly unlikely. President Trump is serious about that, but gives an idea of how intense this feud has once again become.

[John Bickley]

Yeah.

[Cabot Phillips]

In response, Musk wrote, quote, so tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now. In the meantime, President Trump heads into the fourth of July with his agenda fast approaching the finish line.

[John Bickley]

A bruising battle to get this thing done. Kevin, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[Georgia Howe]

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[John Bickley]

American meat delivered President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference down at the state's new alligator, Alcatraz on Tuesday.

[Tim Pierce]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about what Trump and DeSantis have planned for the near future. So, Tim, these two campaigned pretty hard against each other for the GOP nomination, but it sounds like no bad blood anymore. What do these two have planned?

[Ron DeSantis]

Right. Trump and DeSantis have reconciled since that pretty lively presidential primary fight last year. And Trump's win in November pushed the two even closer, especially on immigration, but also on other issues as well. Here's Trump commenting on that yesterday.

[Donald Trump]

Ron, I'd like to thank you personally. You are my friend and you'll always be my friend. And we may have some skirmishes even in the future. I doubt it. But I will always come back because we just seem to, we have blood that seems to match pretty well. We have, we have a relationship that's been a very strong one.

[Ron DeSantis]

Some important context here. DeSantis is term limited as Florida's governor, and he has made some signs that his wife, Casey, may jump into the 2026 race to replace him. And endorsement from Trump would be a huge boon in a Republican primary that has the potential, potential to be extraordinarily competitive.

[Tim Pierce]

Right. An endorsement from Trump would be huge for any gubernatorial candidate in Florida. Now, DeSantis has emerged as a major ally on the immigration front for Trump. What did they discuss?

[Ron DeSantis]

Yeah, DeSantis has been at the forefront of pushing Trump's immigration agenda. The reason for the press conference yesterday was a visit to Alligator Alcatraz. We told you about the new immigration facility being built in the Everglades yesterday. It could hold thousands of illegal aliens slated for deportation. But in addition to the new detention facility, Trump also plans to deputize Florida National Guardsmen as immigration judges. This could massively cut down the time it takes to schedule immigration hearings from a matter of years to just a few days. Here's DeSantis on that.

[Mike Johnson]

We're offering up our National Guard and other folks in Florida to be deputized to be immigration judges. We're working with the Department of Justice for the approvals. I'm sure Pamela approved. But then you have, I'll have a National Guard judge advocate here. Someone has a notice to appear. Biden would tell them to come back in three years and appear now. You'll be able to appear in like a day or two. So they're not going to be detained, hopefully for all that long.

[Ron DeSantis]

Now, the White House has to be excited about this because detention capacity has been a big constraint on Trump's immigration agenda. That's why we've seen the Trump administration partner with El Salvador, for instance, to hold illegal aliens or ship them to Guantanamo Bay. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now arresting hundreds of illegal aliens a day, and Trump is doing whatever he can to make sure none of them are released back into the public public after they've been caught.

[Tim Pierce]

Now, a topic related to immigration that has to do with the upcoming midterms is the Census. Trump and DeSantis discussed that. What did they say?

[Ron DeSantis]

Yeah, this would put Republicans in a much better position in the 2026 midterms. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has a proposal to redo the 2020 census, and it has Trump support. The main gripe among Republicans is that the census data doesn't differentiate between American citizens and illegal immigrants. So the current allotments of representatives by state aren't accurate. Here's to Santas.

[Mike Johnson]

California would lose, like, five seats if they did a fair census. And even beyond that, the Biden census gyps Florida of at least one seat. We only got one seat in the last census. Are you trying to tell me that Florida only had one seat and that we should have had at least two? Texas should have had another one. That could be the difference in the House of Representatives and the majority. But as it's right now, this country is not fairly apportioned.

[Tim Pierce]

Well. And as we can see, with the current Congress, just a few seats can make a huge difference. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Ron DeSantis]

Good to be on.

[John Bickley]

The man accused of the 2022 Idaho murders has accepted a plea deal. The death penalty trial was originally set to begin on August 18, but now there won't be a trial at all. So, Georgie, you've been following the story very closely, like a lot of people across the country. What did we see this week?

[Tim Pierce]

Right, so Brian Kohberger will accept a pleasure plea deal. The charges include four counts of murder and one count of burglary. And in exchange, they have taken the death penalty off the table. He will be serving four consecutive life sentences. He has waived the right to appeal, and there is no possibility of parole. There will be a change of plea hearing today, and hopefully that will bring some closure for the families. Remember, we are talking about the death of four college students, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogan, Zanna Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin King. And the family of Kaylee Goncalves at least has expressed serious disappointment with this plea deal. They're calling it shocking and cruel. They posted A statement on social media, they said, we are beyond furious at the state of Idaho. They have failed us.

[John Bickley]

And was this a surprise move?

[Tim Pierce]

It was a surprise because Kohberger's defense has maintained his complete innocence since the very beginning. And that was despite some very difficult evidence against Kohberger. So, for example, we had surveillance footage of his white Elantra going to and from the crime scene. There was cell phone data that was consistent with him traveling to and from the crime scene on the night of and also cell phone data showing him hanging out outside around the vicinity of the crime scene about a dozen times late at night before this crime occurred. Now, probably most damning was his DNA was found on the knife sheath. And remember, that knife was the murder weapon in this case. And the sheath to the knife was found at the murder scene. There was also his purchase history that showed he purchased a black ski mask that was very similar to the one described by the witness that was the surviving roommate. Then, just some contextual information. He was a criminology student who showed interest in serial killers, and he discussed on Reddit forums how it feels to commit a crime. So there was just a lot stacked against Kohberger in this case. But that said, his defense attorney, Ann Taylor, did a pretty spectacular job of dredging up any possible doubt she could. So, for example, she filed a motion to have the DNA evidence thrown out because it was obtained, according to her, through an illegal genealogy search. Now, the defense was planning to bring out an alternative suspect theory, and all they had to do is convince one juror that there was possibly some doubt. And even if they failed to do that, the other things that that Ann Taylor brought up provided pretty fertile ground for appeals down the road.

[John Bickley]

But despite all that, they decided they didn't want to risk it at trial, right?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, they had some major setbacks just in the past week and month. So the judge dismissed the defense's attempt to introduce the alternative suspect theory. They said that was completely speculative. Defense attorney Ann Taylor pursued this plea deal for Brian.

[John Bickley]

So there's still a lot about this case we don't know. Without a trial, will we ever get to the bottom of some of these details?

[Tim Pierce]

You know, we don't know, because for the past two years, everyone involved has been under a strict gag order. So there's a lot of evidence that hasn't come out. It's possible. Now it will once he takes this plea and that gag order is lifted. It's also possible that Brian will want to come out and talk about it. He has nothing left to lose. And we do know from his history he likes crime. He likes talking about crime. So really, we don't know if we'll ever find out the truth.

[John Bickley]

We've seen a lot of frustration from the families because of this plea deal, but at least this does put this case to rest, right?

[Tim Pierce]

And from what we've heard, that's what the community and the state of Idaho is ready to do. Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, please like and subscribe. We'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.

[Georgia Howe]

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