President Donald Trump tore into congressional Democrats during a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night, accusing them of hating the United States after they uniformly opposed his newly passed tax and spending bill.
“All of the things we did with the tax cuts and rebuilding our military, not one Democrat voted for us. And I think we use it in the campaign that’s coming up, the midterms,” Trump said Thursday evening at a “Salute to America” event in Des Moines.
Trump on Democrats: “They hate Trump. But I hate them too. I really do. I hate them.” pic.twitter.com/HZamLuVMQH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 4, 2025
“But all of the things that we’ve given, and they wouldn’t vote. Only because they hate Trump. But I hate them, too. You know that? I really do, I hate them. I cannot stand them because I really believe they hate our country, you want to know the truth,” the president told the crowd.
The remarks came just hours after House Republicans passed Trump’s marquee legislative bill in a 218-214 vote. The bill includes renewed tax cuts, deep Medicaid reductions, expanded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and significant rollbacks to food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Senate approved the legislation earlier in the week. Only two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), voted against the measure alongside every House Democrat.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, though Republican leaders dismissed the projection as inaccurate. A report from NOTUS about a closed-door meeting this week with Republicans concerned over Medicaid also indicated Trump was unfamiliar with the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts included in the bill.
During the rally, Trump also used the term “shylocks” while referencing predatory lenders, saying families were destroyed by “shylocks and bad people” who charged high interest. The term, rooted in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, is sometimes interpreted as an antisemitic slur.
Pressed by a reporter afterward, Trump claimed ignorance about the term’s historical baggage.
“I’ve never heard that,” he said. “The meaning of Shylock is somebody that’s a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I’ve never heard that.”
In a post to X Friday morning, the Anti-Defamation League wrote that Trump’s use of the term is “troubling and irresponsible.”
“Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States,” the group said.
Trump’s otherwise harsh rhetoric toward Democrats echoes prior language in which he has labeled them the “enemy from within” and “scum.” Democratic lawmakers have, in turn, compared his political style to authoritarian regimes.
Still, Thursday’s rally marked the launch of a yearlong celebration of the United States’s founding ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
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As part of next year’s festivities, Trump floated plans to host a UFC fight on the White House grounds, part of a broader effort to reunite the nation through competition and sporting events.
“This majestic celebration is about our exceptional history and the start of a new era of American greatness,” Trump said.