President Donald Trump and Republicans are hoping to cash in politically on the extra amount of cash in Americans’ wallets this Tax Day. Across the country, Americans are cashing in on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s tax provisions and receiving a boost from real wage growth in the Trump economy. “This tax season, nearly half of all filers have claimed tax cuts that every single congressional Democrat voted against,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told The Daily Signal. The financial relief from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, now commonly referred to as the Working Families Tax Cut by Republicans in Congress, has become a major talking point for the GOP in recent months, as the party argues strong economic fundamentals have helped soften the economic impact of the war in Iran. Key Provisions Target Workers, Families, and Seniors Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently announced that “nearly half of all filers” have benefitted from at least one of the benefits included in the One Big Beautiful Bill’s tax cuts. More than 4.6 million have claimed no tax on tips; nearly 20 million have claimed no tax on overtime. Americans are seeing an average of up to 11% more money in their pockets because of Republicans' Working Families Tax Cuts. pic.twitter.com/vofRC0hNy6— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) April 14, 2026 The largest provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act include the child tax credit, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, senior deductions, and deductions on car loan interest. Daniel Kowalski, director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, noted to The Daily Signal other provisions that are making an economic impact. “OBBB provisions, such as permanent full expensing of business equipment, stimulate business investment and drive increased productivity, which leads to higher real wages for workers,” Kowalski said. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, even though inflation is rising, wages are also increasing. From February 2025 to February 2025, average wages increased faster than inflation, resulting in higher real wages. The IRS reported that cumulative refunds reached $221.7 billion at the start of March, a 13.6% increase from 2025, and almost a 20% increase since Joe Biden was in office in 2024. The average refund is set to be over $3,500, an 11% increase from last year. LARGER TAX REFUNDS ?THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP! pic.twitter.com/1KLH4ObNld— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 14, 2026 “The Working Families Tax Cuts show, once again, that Republicans are putting hardworking Americans first, while Democrats obstruct and make life harder for the American people,” Emmer continued. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told The Daily Signal he thinks the rebrand of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to the Working Families Tax Cut is worthwhile. “People are very pleasantly surprised at the amount of refunds they are getting, and it’s made a big difference,” Johnson said. “What’s been made pretty obvious is Republicans now are the party of working Americans and Democrats the party of illegal immigrants,” Johnson claimed. Iran War and Energy Costs Cloud Economic Outlook The war in Iran, the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, and increasing oil costs will “probably have a pretty big impact” on the economy, Johnson also claimed. But Johnson believes the tax cuts “will certainly counteract any of the negatives of the war in Iran.” The Trump Administration is exerting more pressure on the Iranian regime through economic fury — cracking down on banks that handle illicit Iranian funds. @USTreasury @SecScottBessent pic.twitter.com/StY2gfywjL— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 14, 2026 Johnson reiterated that without the tax cuts, there would have been “a massive automatic tax increase” because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was set to expire. The staved-off tax hike was expected to cost Americans trillions of dollars in taxes. “Whether it’s no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, the increased child tax credit, or the Social Security tax deduction, everyday Americans are the real winners of Republicans’ historic tax cuts,” Emmer concluded. The post Real Wage Growth and Bigger Refunds: GOP Touts One Big Beautiful Bill on Tax Day appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Historically, tax season has never been easy for working Americans. It’s typically marked by days or weeks spent digging through stacks of receipts, invoices, 1099s, and W-2s. It’s undue stress of figuring out how to file or whom to hire for help. And it is uncertainty in not knowing if you’ll owe money—or how much—all while quietly praying everything is accounted for. But this year feels different. As families made the mad dash to file their taxes in the lead-up to April 15, many found they were keeping more of what they earned. And others, like mine, were astonished to find that, for the first time in a long while, they didn’t owe a few extra zeroes to the IRS. That’s because President Trump made a commitment to put American workers and families first—and followed through. The Working Families Tax Cut, passed last July, extended and expanded the 2017 tax cuts secured during President Trump’s first term and prevented a $4 trillion tax increase that would have hit families’ budgets hard this year. For the average taxpayer, that means more than $2,300 in extra savings each year over the next decade. These extra savings can fill up a commuter’s gas tank for an entire year, buy several months’ worth of groceries for a young family, or set up a Trump Account nest egg. March 2026 data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) shows that tax refunds were up 11%compared to last year, with the average refund exceeding $3,500. For millions of Americans, that meant a bigger return—or a return for the first time in a long time—hitting their bank accounts this spring. The tax relief secured in the Working Families Tax Cut, which was outlined by President Trump and codified by Republicans in Congress, is depositing dividends into taxpayer bank accounts even as you read this. Middle-class families benefited from a larger standard deduction, which rose to $15,750 for individuals and $31,500 for married couples, allowing them to keep more of their income before taxes were even calculated. Parents saw the Child Tax Credit increase to $2,200, indexed for inflation, providing meaningful support for raising a family and extra cash to pay for child care, school supplies, and other essentials. And thanks to a new deduction for both tip income and overtime pay, waitstaff working double shifts and construction workers putting in Saturday overtime are getting some much-needed relief as a reward for their hard work. Seniors saw direct relief as well, with a new $6,000 deduction. For a retiree living on a fixed income, that can help cover essentials like prescription medications, utilities, or outings with friends and family. And for Americans purchasing a vehicle, the law allows deductions on interest for loans on American-made cars, helping lower the overall cost of a purchase that is essential to work, school, and daily obligations. Just as important as the size of the tax cuts is the effort to make the system easier to navigate. By expanding the standard deduction and creating an above-the-line charitable deduction for those who do not itemize, the law offers a simpler path forward for millions of taxpayers. This is especially important for small businesses. By permanently extending the small business deduction and allowing full and immediate expensing for equipment and investment, the Working Families Tax Cut gives job creators the certainty they need to grow and hire—fostering job creation and stimulating local economies in the process. Tax Day offers a clear moment to evaluate whether the Trump administration and the 119th Congress’ policies are making a difference in people’s lives. Because of the Working Families Tax Cut, Americans can answer, “yes.” President Trump set out to put the American people first—to deliver tax relief that rewards work, supports families, and simplifies the system. Promise kept. The post This Tax Day, Americans Are Finally Getting a Break appeared first on The Daily Signal.

An inconvenient Democrat has had his career torpedoed by an avalanche of allegations, and the media want to give themselves a big pat on the back for their heroic “investigative journalism.” They deserve no applause from the American people. In fact, the whole episode is a masterclass in media bias. More on that in a bit. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced Monday that he was not only bowing out of the California governor’s race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom, but that he would be leaving Congress entirely. Swalwell, in just a few days, was hit with an avalanche of accusations that he had inappropriate relationships and engaged in sexual misconduct with a series of women, including a staffer. Swalwell is married. As I write this, another accuser has come forward saying that Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018. BREAKING: "In 2018, while I was living and working as a model in Beverly Hills, and I also owned a fashion software company, I had contact with Eric Swalwell on three separate occasions.""I knew he was married at the time and that his wife was pregnant. He was my friend. On the… pic.twitter.com/IxRvGVXEGN— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 14, 2026 So far, Swalwell has denied the allegations and said he was resigning from Congress because he was distracted from his duties. “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,” Swalwell wrote on X. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.” So far, nothing has been proven. We’ve seen previous “#MeToo” crusades turn out to be bunk, and that could be the case here. He could be a cad, but not a criminal. There are many possibilities. Of course, Swalwell didn’t need facts or evidence to rush to condemn others who faced sexual assault accusations in the past. It’s hard to feel much sympathy for his plight. What’s become clear, though, is that the allegations the media are dredging up now have been circulating in Democratic and media circles for a long time, if you can believe the commentary on X. POLITICO called it a “whisper network.” One journalist, Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, wrote on X that she knew about these whispers for years, but the story wasn’t her “beat.” Oh brother. Then we get to the most ridiculous claim of all. On CNN Monday night, Brian Stelter tooted the horn of his own network and showered praise on its due diligence in investigating Swalwell. He called it a “testament to the power of investigative reporting.” Eric Swalwell ending his bid for California governor is, among other things, a testament to the power of investigative reporting pic.twitter.com/4xzUg944dt— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 13, 2026 What would we do without the legacy and corporate media working so hard to keep us informed? It appears that rumors about Swalwell have been around for nearly a decade, even before he briefly ran for president in 2020. Is this a tribute to the glories of investigative journalism, or an example of malpractice? These revelations line up in the most convenient way to ensure that Swalwell would leave the governor’s race at a time before his run could seriously jeopardize his party’s ability to win that race. And that’s somehow the unseemliest part of this whole affair. Despite Democrats holding a virtual lock on state-level politics for more than a decade, they find themselves in a situation where a Republican has a chance at taking the governor’s office. This is because they have a “jungle primary” system, whereby the top two vote-getters of any party advance to the general election. In normal times, this would mean only Democrats would be on the ballot in a general election. But something funny is happening this year. There are so many California Democrats desperate to get a crack at being governor, and apparently so few compelling candidates, that they’ve oversaturated the field. This has allowed two Republicans in the race to rise to the top of the polls, making a Republican/Republican runoff at least theoretically possible. So what you are seeing now is a Machiavellian scramble, whereby the half dozen Democrats in the race and their media allies find a way—any way—to delete candidates from the race. It was just a few weeks ago that Swalwell and his fellow Democrats were accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing the FBI against him because he was allegedly sleeping with a Chinese spy. That couldn’t possibly be of concern, given his inclusion on the House Intelligence Committee, right? Then events took a turn. Just days before the Swalwell media deluge occurred, it seemed that the California election really could produce a Republican governor. “If the primary were held today, according to the most recent polling, that would mean two Republican candidates, each pulling in just 14 percent of the primary vote, battling it out for the governor’s office in the fall,” Governing magazine reported on Thursday. “A lot could change before primary day, but the Democratic Party is increasingly nervous.” A lot happened, almost immediately. The allegations poured out. Swalwell’s supporters pulled out. He was ritualistically denounced by party leaders. In about a week, the California congressman went from being a frontrunner in a governor’s election to resigning from his seat. What this whole thing looks like, as my colleague Fred Lucas noted on X, is that the media were simply spoon-fed the Swalwell story to ensure that at least one of the other Democrats would make it into the general election and win the race. That makes this media cycle against Swalwell nothing more than a shining example of how much the legacy media help Democrats, even when they are targeting a Democrat. Perhaps the bias and collusion are only too obvious at this point. It’s still remarkable to witness the swift ruthlessness of the Democrat-media machine in action. The post The Swalwell Affair: How the Media Sat on ‘Whispers’ Until Democrats Needed Him Gone appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Ahead of a consequential vote on extending the government’s authority to conduct overseas espionage, several House conservatives are expressing their concerns. On April 20, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which enables the government to spy on foreigners, is set to expire. Many House Republicans and President Donald Trump have argued in the past that this power is easily abused, resulting in the inadvertent surveillance of American citizens.  Back in 2024, facing a different deadline, Congress agreed to extend Section 702 for two years.  Several members of the House Republican Conference demanded reforms to the authority, some of which were ultimately granted. Now, House Republican leadership is attempting to move ahead on Wednesday with a clean extension of the authority. Trump has backed a clean extension. The effort is being met with some resistance from House conservatives calling for amendments to the legislation. “FISA Section 702 is a legitimate tool to monitor foreign threats, but the abuses are well-documented,” Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, told The Daily Signal in a statement. “Congress has an opportunity this week to reauthorize this valuable intelligence program while closing the loopholes that have allowed warrantless surveillance of millions of law-abiding Americans by voting for my amendment.” Davidson has an amendment that would prohibit the federal government from purchasing American citizens’ data from brokers. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., has argued that extending Section 702 is vital for America’s national security, and that introducing a plethora of amendments could prevent it from passing. “It’s going to be a clean extension,” Johnson reiterated to reporters on Tuesday. “If we put amendments on it, it jeopardizes its passage and it’s far too important.” Several House Republicans have submitted amendments for the consideration of the House Rules Committee—a leadership-controlled panel that determines the conditions for debate of bills on the floor. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., for example, has offered an amendment which would explicitly criminalize “knowingly [conducting] unlawful U.S. person queries.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is offering an extremely ambitious amendment which would attach the SAVE America Act—legislation requiring photo identification and proof of citizenship in federal elections—to the bill.  Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., has offered an amendment which would allow members of Congress to “attend hearings and oral arguments of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,” which considers requests for warrants for surveillance. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House intel committee, has given an extension of the authority his blessing. In March, a court granted the annual recertification of the 702 program, so it would not immediately end if Congress does not act to extend the underlying legislation. Rather, it would expire in March 2027. The post House Rebels Push Reforms to Government Spy Powers appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Daily Signal’s Mehek Cooke said President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz is forcing both Tehran and Beijing into a corner, calling the strategy “checkmate” during a television appearance Tuesday night. Speaking on NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight,“ Cooke said the Iranian regime miscalculated by threatening shipping lanes just as a ceasefire agreement with the United States reached its two-week mark. Under the original terms of the ceasefire, Iran was expected to keep the Strait of Hormuz open—through which much of the world’s oil flows. “Iran still thinks they’re winning because they have a ceasefire and President Trump gave them a lifeline,” Cooke said. “But what President Trump really did was give the American people a window into who Iranians really are—that they’re not going to negotiate in good faith.” Cooke argued that by moving to control the strait, the Trump administration is cutting off Iran’s primary economic leverage and drawing China—Iran’s largest oil customer—into pressuring Tehran. “China was getting 90% of that oil,” Cooke said. “So, guess who’s going to be at that negotiating table pushing Iran to stop holding proxy wars and stop holding us hostage? It’s China.” She said Arab states in the Persian Gulf, now facing direct threats from Iran, are moving closer to Israel and the West in pursuit of stability and economic growth. “This is a complete reset,” Cooke said. “We’re watching in real time Arab states pivot toward Israel and the West because they want a future of peace and prosperity.” Cooke also warned that as Iran loses economic and territorial leverage, it may intensify proxy and terrorist activity beyond the Middle East, including in the Western Hemisphere. “We have to be vigilant,” she said. “The Iranians are out of steam, so they’re going to look for other ways to strike Americans.” The post Checkmate: How Trump’s Iran Strategy Forces China’s Hand appeared first on The Daily Signal.