By Charles Switzer
5:28am PDT, May 3, 2025
Trump's National Prayer Day Remarks
On Thursday, May 1, President
Donald Trump spoke at the White House to commemorate National Prayer Day, focusing on his signature tax reform proposal.
The president opened his remarks by thanking Speaker
Mike Johnson, calling him "a man of incredible faith" and praising his work. Trump emphasized the importance of the tax reform bill, stating, "We're working very hard on a great, big beautiful bill. Beautiful bill. And we're trying to come up with a name. And I said, 'Why don't we just go with the great, big, and beautiful bill?'"
"So we're going to probably do that because everyone knows what it means," he added.
Here's everything the president said about taxes in lieu of prayer.
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Remarks on his University of Alabama Speech
Donald Trump then pivoted to discussing his trip to the University of Alabama, where he delivered the keynote commencement address.
He described the event, saying, "They have a big crowd. I guess they have seven ceremonies. And they said, well, if you're doing it, we're putting them all together. I said, 'That's a lot of people.' So we're going to put them all together. It's the first time they've done that. And I'll give it a shot. All right? I hope we can entertain. I will give it a shot."
He expressed excitement about addressing the large crowd and promised to give it his best effort.
Meeting with Key Congressional Leaders
President Donald Trump continued his speech by updating the audience on a meeting with key figures in Congress including Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and tax experts like Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.
He highlighted their ongoing work on the tax reform bill, saying, "Everybody knows Chairman Smith, he's the most knowledgeable person on taxes and finances there is, to be updated on the progress of the one big, beautiful bill. We love that bill. I won't like it if it doesn't pass, neither will you. If it doesn't pass, your taxes are going to go up 68 percent."
Trump underscored the bill's significance, stressing that a failure to pass it would result in drastic tax increases.
Tax Cuts and Economic Impact
Donald Trump proceeded to detail the potential benefits of the
proposed tax cuts: "These will be the biggest tax cuts in American history with 100 percent expensing, which is something that people cannot believe they're getting. We did it in the last one, and we had the most successful economy in my first four years that we've ever had in the history of our country. And expensing was one of the things that led to that," he said.
The president then highlighted the policy of 100 percent expensing for companies investing in America, calling it a key factor in boosting the economy. He also discussed how the tax cuts would directly benefit American families, particularly middle-income earners.
Middle-Class Tax Benefits
Donald Trump continued to outline the provisions in the bill designed to support the middle class, stating, "To show you how middle-income this is, there'll be no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax for the great seniors on Social Security."
He reassured seniors that their Social Security benefits would remain tax-free. Additionally, Trump noted the bill's provision for interest deductions, saying, "If you buy a car that's made in America, you get an interest rate deduction. That's going to be a big — it's got to be made in America. If it's not made in America, we really don't care if you buy it or not. But if it's made in America, we want you to buy it."
The president emphasized that American-made products would be incentivized by these tax cuts, promoting both the economy and domestic manufacturing.
Public Reactions
One X user responded positively to Donald Trump's remarks, writing, "Trump's tax cuts for American-made products will help the middle class and bring jobs back to the U.S.!"
However, others criticized the president's remarks. "How is this 'big beautiful bill' going to help anyone but the wealthy? The tax burden will shift, and the middle class will get left behind," one critic wrote.
Another user questioned the feasibility of the proposed changes, commenting, "Not sure how these tax cuts are going to work in practice. We need more concrete details, not just promises."
