Trump touts victory after Big Beautiful Bill advances in Senate

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday night to celebrate a “great victory”  after the Senate voted to begin debate on the "Big Beautiful Bill," a key step in advancing his legislative agenda.

“Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate with the ‘GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,’ but, it wouldn’t have happened without the Fantastic Work of Senator Rick Scott, Senator Mike Lee, Senator Ron Johnson, and Senator Cynthia Lummis,” Trump posted. “They, along with all of the other Republican Patriots who voted for the Bill, are people who truly love our Country! As President of the USA, I am proud of them all.”

He went on to say he looks forward to working with Senate Republicans to “grow our economy, reduce wasteful spending, secure our border, fight for our military/vets, ensure that our Medicaid system helps those who truly need it, protect our Second Amendment, and so much more."

Trump’s remarks come after behind-the-scenes negotiations with Senate holdouts, including the four senators he praised. Ahead of the 51-49 vote to proceed with debate, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Vice President JD Vance held meetings with several skeptical Republicans, ultimately convincing Scott, Lee, Johnson, and Lummis to vote in favor of advancing the bill.

“VERY PROUD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TONIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!” Trump added in a follow-up post.

Trump also reportedly met with Senators Scott and Johnson before the vote and held conversations with others still on the fence, including Senator Josh Hawley. Senator Rand Paul, who has been critical of the bill for lacking sufficient spending cuts, reportedly golfed with Trump earlier in the day Saturday but remained a "no" vote.

Prior to the vote, Senator Johnson said that a deal was reached to allow a vote on an amendment to cap enrollment in Medicaid expansion, which helped satisfy some fiscal conservatives. He did not confirm whether he would support the final bill if that amendment fails. According to CNN, Senator Scott told reporters, “Every one of us wants to support the president’s agenda. … We all wanted to get to yes, and so we’re all working together to make sure that happens.”

Despite the show of unity, Trump did not hold back in attacking Republicans who opposed moving forward. He posted that Senator Thom Tillis is “making a BIG MISTAKE” and vowed to meet with potential primary challengers in North Carolina “over the coming weeks.” Tillis has since announced he would not be seeking reelection in 2026.

On Paul, Trump wrote, “Did Rand Paul Vote ‘NO’ again tonight? What’s wrong with this guy???”

With debate now officially underway, the full text of the bill must be read aloud before a 20-hour debate period and a series of amendment votes in what is referred to as a “vote-a-rama.” Whether the bill ultimately garners enough support to pass remains uncertain.