“The nation is more powerful,” wrote Washington Examiner Editor Hugo Gurdon in an Independence Day column. “It’s what America voted for. That doesn’t happen by accident,” he added.

Of all the achievements of the week, the swift passage of the “big, beautiful bill” was the biggest. Trump set a July 4th signing deadline, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson overcame divisions in their caucuses and pushed it through in time.

LET’S GO !!!! pic.twitter.com/JQyaxrqQI6

— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) July 4, 2025

Not only did it cement Trump’s legacy agenda and secure tax cuts for millions of Americans, but their efforts showed how ineffective Democrats have become in tackling Trump.

That may be a partisan view, however. Conservative grader Jed Babbin praised Trump in his report card grade, writing, “It was a pretty terrific week for President Donald Trump.”

But Democratic pollster John Zogby said many of the wins came at the sacrifice of some and that anxiety in America is higher than ever.

Jed Babbin

Grade: B+

It was a pretty terrific week for President Donald Trump and his team. His “big, beautiful bill” passed, unemployment came down, gasoline prices are at their lowest in four years, and Alligator Alcatraz — an Everglades prison for illegals facing deportation — opened in Florida.

The bill is a huge win for Trump, including much of his second term’s agenda. It fell short in several respects, but overall it’s a very big deal. Trump can celebrate the beginning of summer with a big win.

In economic news, the drop in unemployment was unexpected good news, as is the price of gas, which will please holiday travelers.

There were two negative items on Trump’s scoreboard. First, he cut off arms sales to Ukraine, which will give Russian President Vladimir Putin a big boost. Trump — despite his VEEP’s influence — needs to keep the arms sales going to Ukraine. Yes, we need to rebuild our own stocks badly after former President Joe Biden hollowed them out. But we can walk and chew gum at the same time. There’s no sense in letting Putin win that war.

And there was a “death fatwa” put on Trump by one of Iran’s “grand ayatollahs.” We must hope the Secret Service is capable of stopping any of those putzes.

The opening of Alligator Alcatraz is amusing, but not for the folks held there.

John Zogby

Grade: D+

Happy Independence Day!

The U.S. has a trade deficit of $96.6 billion despite the Trump administration tariffs. Inflation is creeping back up to a 2.4% annualized rate. The dollar is down 7% this year and could be down another 10% before the end of the year. It is at a record low.

On the flip side, the economy created 147,000 jobs in June, well over the 100,000 that was predicted. But Microsoft announced that it will be laying off 9,000 employees, above and beyond the 6,000 it cut in May and June. Add the Labor Department‘s collection of employment data to the list of things that Americans don’t trust.

Gallup released a poll that showed anxiety levels among Americans to be higher than ever.

While reports are mixed, it looks like Iran still has enough of a stockpile of enriched uranium and the scientific know-how to pick up its nuclear development in a few months. Perhaps the big, beautiful bombing had only a short shelf life.

Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X @jedbabbin.

John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His latest book is Beyond the Horse Race: How to Read Polls and Why We Should. His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on X @ZogbyStrategies.