President Trump, joined by Republican members of the House and Senate, speaks about the passage of the Republican tax plan on the South Lawn of the White House on Dec. 20, 2017. (Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency/Shutterstock)
After the House and the Senate voted to approve the sweeping tax-reform package championed by President Trump — and, then, after the House voted to approve it again on Wednesday after some technicalities were worked out — Republican leaders held a celebration at the White House in recognition of their achievement.
Myriad speakers offered their praise, using words such as “honor” and “commitment” and “history.” Some even used words of praise for something besides President Trump.
Trump was the primary focus of the accolades offered by members of Congress and his own vice president. By our count, about 2,000 words of praise were offered to Congress, to the bill itself and to the president. Trump was the focus of more than half of what was said.
It was a big day for venerating Trump, with Vice President Pence slathering the president with praise during a Cabinet meeting a few hours earlier. But at the event to celebrate the tax bill — a bill that in its final form was noticeably different from what Trump had promised on the campaign trail — the focus remained on the role Trump had played in shepherding the process. Or, more broadly, in just generally being great.
We decided to determine who actually devoted the largest chunk of their remarks to Trump as opposed to the bill or to their Capitol Hill peers. This is subjective, but we’ve included snippets of their speeches that were used in our analysis below, for you to judge the merits. (These are presented in complete chunks but without unrelated filler text. Some quotes praising multiple parties are included in multiple categories.)
For all of Pence’s enthusiasm at the Cabinet meeting, he was only in the middle of the pack on the South Lawn — at least in terms of the percentage of words of praise that he lavished on his boss. In raw word count, no one said more nice things about Trump than Pence. But as a function of all the praise offered? A surprise winner, whom we will not spoil early.
Except in this diagram ranking the speeches from lowest percentage to highest percentage of praise for Trump. The full ranking follows.
11. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.)
Praise for the bill: 131 words
“The message to the families in America who have been struggling paycheck and paycheck — your tax rates are going down and your paychecks are going up. This is the kind of relief that Americans deserve. This is the kind of tax reform and tax cuts that get our economy growing to reach its potential. This gets us better wages, bigger paychecks, a simpler tax system. This gets the American economy competitive in the global economy.”
“This is one of the most important things we could do for all of the people we represent. This is generational, and we’re so excited that we are going to launch, next year, this fantastic tax reform so that the American people can see how we can truly reach our economic growth and our economic potential.”
Praise for Congress: 63 words
“I want to thank my partner, Mitch McConnell, over in the Senate, for getting us to where we are. And I want to thank these two chairmen, Orrin Hatch and Kevin Brady. Thank you so much for your leadership on this.”
“And if it weren’t for all the leadership of the men and women up here, this would not have been made possible.”
Praise for Trump: 37 words
“Something this big, something this generational, something this profound, could not have been done without exquisite presidential leadership. Mr. President, thank you for getting us over the finish line. Thank you for getting us where we are.”
10. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Praise for the bill: 37 words
“But, with passage of this tax bill, with passage finally, almost 40 years later, to allow us to open up the 1002 area, this is a bright day for Alaska. This is a bright day for America.”
Praise for Congress: 0 words
Praise for Trump: 10 words
“We thank you for that. We thank you for that.”
9. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)
Praise for the bill: 131 words
“As a part of this tax reform package, the Investing in Opportunity Act has been included, which will bring trillions of dollars into poor communities.”
“This tax reform plan delivers, for the average single mother, a 70 percent tax cut.”
“For the average family who’s working paycheck to paycheck, looking for ways to be hopeful about their future, to have an extra night for dinner out at a restaurant, this tax-reform package cuts their taxes by nearly 60 percent.”
“Because of folks like Marco Rubio and Ivanka, when you think about the folks with kids in the household, this plan doubles the Child Tax Credit and makes about 70 percent of it refundable. This is a plan that we can be proud of, because it speaks to the hearts of everyday Americans.”
Praise for Congress: 0 words
Praise for Trump: 46 words
“We talked about legislation that can move those communities forward. And you said, ‘Yes.’ And, as a part of this tax-reform package, the Investing in Opportunity Act has been included, which will bring trillions of dollars into poor communities, because of your willingness to listen.”
8. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)
Praise for the bill: 16 words
“This bill does what’s right for this nation, and the great land will be great again.”
Praise for Congress: 36 words
“I want to thank all these guys standing behind me, these ladies, the people that helped me do this.”
“I want to thank the president — I want to thank you, Mr. President — and my two senators.”
Praise for Trump: 25 words
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
“I want to thank the president — I want to thank you, Mr. President — and my two senators.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
7. Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.)
Praise for the bill: 29 words
“We are giving them a huge gift for Christmas: a break in these taxes and an opportunity for our jobs to grow and to give them a bigger paycheck.”
Praise for Congress: 97 words
“I want to thank all of the folks that are standing behind me, because it has been a team effort.”
“I want to thank Kevin Brady, who I know — hours and hours and hours — worked hard to make this happen in what was really a short period of time.”
“Some of the folks that are being left out right now — and I know we’ve thanked them before, but I want to thank them publicly. And that is all of the staff that has worked so hard in both the House and the Senate to make this happen.”
Praise for Trump: 66 words
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
“It is such an honor to stand here with the president of the United States, the vice president of the United States, who have been an integral part in making sure that this happened.”
“I want to say thank you to Mr. President — thank you, President Trump, for allowing us to have you as our president and to make America great again.”
6. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.)
Praise for the bill: 115 words
“There are three dates you need to put on your calendar. The first is New Year’s Day, because, on New Year’s, our country will have a new tax code for a new era of American prosperity — New Year’s Day. In February, look to your paychecks. Hard-working Americans will see the result of the hard work of this president and this Congress to make this tax reform possible. It will show in your paychecks. And then, April 15th — that hated day — this April 15th will be the last time you ever file your taxes under this horrible, broken tax code, because you’ll have a new one for the future of your family and your small business.”
Praise for Congress: 33 words
“Remarkable leadership and courage from the men and women behind me in the Senate, and especially my colleagues in the House — when you put together remarkable leadership in the House and the Senate…”
Praise for Trump: 113 words
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
“People often ask, ‘When did you know? When did you know tax reform could be achieved in America for the first time in 31 years?’ And my answer is always the same: November 8th, when President Trump — you were elected president of the United States. That’s when I knew it was real.”
“Mr. President — your willingness to make this your commitment to go across the country to sell the need for tax reform and then stay at the table with us and on the phone with us to get this done — but for your leadership, we would not be here today. Thank you so much.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
5. Vice President Pence
Praise for the bill: 82 words
“…the largest tax cut in American history before Christmas of this year.”
“The president laid out his vision for a tax cut that would be a middle-class miracle, and that’s exactly what the Congress passed today.”
“This tax cut will put more money in the pockets of the American people. It will make our tax code more simple, more fair, more easy to understand. It’ll make businesses across America more competitive to create good paying jobs and raise wages for working Americans.”
Praise for Congress: 61 words
“To members of our Cabinet, to Leader McConnell, to Speaker Ryan, all these members of Congress, thank you. Thank you not only for being here today for this special moment, but thank you for your leadership and support throughout this year.”
“With the strong support of these members of Congress, President Donald Trump delivered a great victory for the American people.”
Praise for Trump: 401 words
“More importantly, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your boundless faith in the American people, and thank you for keeping your promise to see this Congress deliver the largest tax cut in American history before Christmas of this year.”
“I truly do believe, Mr. President, that this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the life of our nation, a day when the Congress answered your call and made history.”
“But honestly, I would say to the American people, President Trump has been making history since the first day of this administration.”
“Just last week, President Trump signed one of largest investments in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan.”
“President Trump has been restoring American credibility on the world stage, standing with our allies and standing up to our enemies.”
“This president’s put Iran on notice and put the war in Afghanistan on a path to victory.”
“Thanks to the leadership of this commander in chief and the courage of our Armed Forces, ISIS on the run, their capital has fallen and their so-called caliphate has crumbled across Syria and Iraq.”
“President Trump also knows that American strength starts with a growing American economy. And, from the first day of this administration, this President championed free and fair trade.”
“He rolled back federal red tape at record levels.”
“Today, Mr. President, you’ve fulfilled the promise you made to millions of Americans struggling in this economy, to cut taxes across the board for working families and businesses large and small.”
“In August of this year, the president laid out his vision for a tax cut that would be a middle-class miracle, and that’s exactly what the Congress passed today.”
“President Donald Trump is a man of his word. He’s a man of action. And with the strong support of these members of Congress, President Donald Trump delivered a great victory for the American people.”
“I can assure you this president and this entire administration will not rest and relent until the forgotten men and women of America are forgotten no more.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your love for this country and the people of this country. And I know in my heart, with the strong, continued support of the members of Congress who are gathered on these steps and with God’s help, you will make America great again.”
4. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
Praise for the bill: 14 words
“You talk about the economy, which is what this tax bill is all about…”
Praise for Congress: 0 words
Praise for Trump: 41 words
“I want to thank you and you administration.”
“I want to thank you. I want to thank you on behalf of all Alaskans and the American people, because it’s the right policy and we’re finally, finally doing it. Thank you, sir.”
3. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah)
Praise for the bill: 0 words
Praise for Congress: 33 words
“[This bill] couldn’t have passed without the Alaskan delegation, couldn’t have passed without the leadership in the House and the Senate, Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and the other leaders as well.”
“…these wonderful colleagues…”
Praise for Trump: 140 words
“Mr. President, I have to say that you’re living up to every — everything I thought you would. You’re one heck of a leader and we’re all benefiting from it. This bill could not have passed without you…”
“You stop and think about it, this president hasn’t even been in office for a year, and look at all the things that he’s been able to get done, by sheer will in many ways.”
“I just hope that we all get behind him every way we can.”
“I have to say that this is one of the great privileges of my life, to stand here on the White House lawn with the president of the United States, who I love and appreciate so much…”
“We’re going to make this the greatest presidency that we’ve seen not only in generations, but maybe ever.”
2. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
Praise for the bill: 0 words
Praise for Congress: 11 words
“We’ve cemented the Supreme Court right of center for a generation.”
Praise for Trump: 97 words
“Well, let me just say, Mr. President, you made the case for the tax bill, but this has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the Trump administration.”
“Mr. President, thanks to your nominees, we put 12 circuit court judges in place, the most since the circuit court system was established in 1891. You hold the record.”
“You’ve ended the overregulation of the American economy, and that, coupled with what we did last night and what the House finished this morning, means America is going to start growing again.”
“Thank you, Mr. President, for all you’re doing.”
1. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
Praise for the bill: 5 words
“Come February, check your check.”
Praise for Congress: 0 words
Praise for Trump: 123 words
“To the president and vice president, during that campaign, you listened to voices no one else was listening to. You listened to those that were trying to get a pay raise, or that parent that was fighting for their children, or to that person who always dreamed of being an entrepreneur, creating a small business like you did, Mr. President. And, you know what? For all those people, you heard them. We would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for you. Doesn’t matter if you were overseas fighting for America; so many people back here got your phone call fighting for tax reform.”
“Come February, check your check, because that will be the pay raise of the vote for Donald Trump.”
