Spin Cycle: To Deal Or Not To Deal — On Tariffs, Trade, And One Big Beautiful Bill

With the Republican-led One Big Beautiful Bill over its first major hurdle in the U.S. House, Democrats and media are making sure the knives are out at every opportunity lest it pass the Senate and give President Donald Trump another win.

For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.

Discussion regarding what the bill will and won’t cut — particularly with regard to Medicaid — took center stage on several broadcasts as Democrats and show hosts alike insisted people would lose health care coverage if it passed. The bill’s defenders argued that anyone stripped of coverage by this bill — namely illegal immigrants and those who were receiving payments through fraudulent means — should not have been getting Medicaid coverage in the first place.

On ABC News’ “This Week,” former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus defended the measure, saying that Medicaid had become bloated in recent years but that the cuts being discussed were targeted to remove benefits going to people who were in the United States illegally.

Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Donna Brazile pressed the point by first claiming that the Trump administration was cutting aid across the board, particularly to areas hit by recent storms — and she argued that the American people would not be pleased with the “bone-crushing” changes.

“We had 50 million people on Medicaid in 2011. Today we’ve got 80 million people on Medicaid. This bill doesn’t cut Medicaid, he said. “It says that for illegal immigrants, there will be cuts.”

On GOP-led budget bill, former RNC chair @Reince Priebus said: “We had 50 million people on Medicaid in 2011. Today we’ve got 80 million people on Medicaid. This bill doesn’t cut Medicaid … It says that for illegal immigrants, there will be cuts.” https://t.co/qjCkcbK2qg pic.twitter.com/1qfVKhXEae

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 1, 2025

The New York Times’ national correspondent Astead Herndon said that Democrats were leaning in to what they saw as disappointment among Trump supporters because he’d been so focused on getting the budget bill over the line. He went on to claim that there was “a sense that he is not actually delivering on the core promises” — but he left out the fact that the One Big Beautiful Bill represents the fulfillment of major campaign promises such as “no tax on tips” and the permanent extension of the tax rates implemented under Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

NYT’s @AsteadWH said some of Pres. Trump’s supporters are surprised “about the things that he has been focusing on” like tariffs or the spending bill, adding that there’s a “sense that he is not actually delivering on the core promises.” https://t.co/naOG3dmK1b pic.twitter.com/LE58bUd94u

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 1, 2025

Brazile also brought billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk into the conversation, saying that despite his announcement that he’d be stepping away from his role in the Trump administration, he had already done more damage than could easily be undone.

“Elon Musk may have walked away from his temporary special government job, but no one will forget the harm that he has done to not only America’s reputation across the world, but also the harm that he’s done to the American people,”she claimed.

“Elon Musk may have walked away from his temporary special government job, but no one will forget the harm that he has done to not only America’s reputation across the world, but also the harm that he’s done to the American people,” @DonnaBrazile said. https://t.co/88pTxxsTQQ pic.twitter.com/pVk9msZd0L

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 1, 2025

On CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” anchor Margaret Brennan highlighted the fact that the Senate — if it passed the One Big Beautiful Bill at all — was likely to make changes, and she spoke with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about how those changes might be received.

Bessent outlined the items that he said “have to stay in” — specifically: no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans for American-made automobiles — and made it clear that it was not his call, but President Trump’s. “They’re not necessarily my red lines. The president has his campaign promises that he wants to fulfill for working Americans,” he said.

President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” will be taken up next in the Senate — with some changes expected. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says there are some items that “have to stay in” — no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans… pic.twitter.com/MpAxXs2NBS

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 1, 2025

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) spoke with Brennan about the bill, which he opposes in its current form, saying that in his mind, “the math doesn’t really add up.” Paul has also vocally opposed Trump’s willingness to use tariffs as leverage to bring foreign nations to the table regarding trade agreements.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told “Face The Nation” on Sunday that “the math doesn’t really add up” on the cost of President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” while outlining his opposition as the legislation moves to the Senate this week. https://t.co/p7VFMlpZcN

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 1, 2025

Paul also said that if a provision raising the debt ceiling was removed, he would likely support the measure. “I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction,” he said of possible Senate changes.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says he thinks there are now four Senate Republicans who would vote to block President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” and “I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction.”

Paul adds that he would likely support the bill… pic.twitter.com/2VDikZ8hjZ

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 1, 2025

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” anchor Dana Bash circled back to the idea of Medicaid cuts coming from the bill’s passage during an interview with OMB Director Russell Vought — and she cited Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and his comments suggesting that there would be cuts to the program.

“No one will lose coverage as a result of this bill,” Vought said.

“That’s not what Josh Hawley, who is not exactly a liberal Democrat, said. He said, ‘It’s wrong to cut health care for the working poor, and that’s what we’re talking about here with Medicaid,'” she said.

“Well, we continue to work with people in the Senate as to working them through with the specifics of the bill, what it does and what it doesn’t do,” Vought pushed back.

VOUGHT: “No one will lose coverage as a result of this bill.”

BASH: “That’s not what Josh Hawley, who is not exactly a liberal Democrat, said. He said, ‘It’s wrong to cut health care for the working poor, and that’s what we’re talking about here with Medicaid.’”

VOUGHT: “Well,… pic.twitter.com/1w99EWULm9

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 1, 2025

Bash also brought in House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who blasted the bill outright: “Trump’s one, big ugly bill narrowly escaped the House of Representatives. And we’re going to continue to press our case across the country, partner with Senate Democrats in making clear to the American people the type of damage that this bill would do if it ever became law.”

.@RepJeffries says Democrats “can’t let our foot off the gas pedal” in opposing Trump’s tax and spending cut bill:

“Trump’s one, big ugly bill narrowly escaped the House of Representatives. And we’re going to continue to press our case across the country, partner with Senate… pic.twitter.com/ikJ5aeUu4s

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 1, 2025