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Year: 2026

‘Deranged’ vandals fuel Mall sabotage trend, from blood writing to Reflecting Pool damage

‘Deranged’ vandals fuel Mall sabotage trend, from blood writing to Reflecting Pool damage

FIRST ON FOX: Vandals have targeted the National Mall with multiple separate “8647” markings, a blood-written message on the Washington Monument and damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, prompting federal officials to warn of a growing trend.  “Unfortunately, this summer has seen a significant increase in vandalism to the National Mall – for example, several 8647 markings, a person writing words in their own blood on the Washington Monument and the cutting of fuel lines around the Great American State Fair,” Interior Department communication director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital.  The pattern emerged after President Donald Trump ordered a restoration and repainting of the reflecting pool, which was met with protestors leaving multiple “razor-blade cuts” and removing fencing to then toss in water. Fox News Digital learned that the first known incident targeting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool occurred June 9. Interior Department officials said they initially did not publicize the incident to avoid inspiring copycats, but a vandalism trend emerged nonetheless. WHO IS DAVID HEARN? US OLYMPIAN WHO DENIES VANDALIZING REFLECTING POOL AFTER VIRAL ARREST “At the time of the June 9 incident, the vandalism was under investigation and believed to be isolated. So as not to encourage deranged individuals, we did not announce what we hoped to be an isolated incident,” Interior Department communication director Katie Martin told Fox News Digital about the initial vandalism on the Reflecting Pool. “It wasn’t until several days thereafter that there were recurring cases and videos of people ripping at the coating began to circulate,” she added. “We then knew this was not an isolated incident, but a new trend to attempt to damage the Reflecting Pool.” Among the incidents cited by DOI unfolding on the National Mall were multiple “8647” markings. In a separate case, an individual used their own blood to write “I’ve come” on the Washington Monument, according to a police report reviewed by Fox News Digital.  The administration has previously interpreted the number “86” as a political threat, pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service, while 47 appears to refer to Trump as the 47th president. WATCH: TRUMP REVEALS FLASHY NEW COLOR FOR NATIONAL MALL’S REFLECTING POOL MAKEOVER Earlier this month, a giant “8647” message appeared to be etched into the grass of the National Mall, prompting an investigation as federal authorities remain on heightened alert over political threats and violence.  The Reflecting Pool was vandalized on the very day it reopened after restoration and repainting, with the first perpetrator leaving “razor-blade-like slashes along the liner in the southern middle section of the pool,” according to a police report reviewed by Fox News Digital. The damages totaled over 300 feet with “some cuts [that] were slits while other sections measuring roughly 6–15 inches had been cut out entirely.” TRUMP WORKING TO CLEAN ‘FILTHY’ LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL, BLAMES BIDEN FOR MAINTENANCE DELAYS The same day, it was also reported that pieces of the surrounding metal fence were removed and thrown into the pool along with a broken black chain near the fence, said the same report. U.S. Park Police posted a bulletin on X asking for public assistance in searching for a Reflecting Pool vandal along with a photo of the suspect. “The United States Park Police is seeking assistance in identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation. The incident occurred on June 19, 2026, at approximately 3:36 p.m. at the Reflecting Pool on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC,” said the post. “Anyone with information regarding the identity of this individual is asked to contact the United States Park Police Tip Line: [email protected] or (202) 379-4877,” it read. Trump posted a photo of the pool on Truth Social Wednesday after the pool redone prior to it being filled with water. “This is the hard rubber surface — No Paint — Before the Vandals cut and pulled it apart,” he wrote. An administration official previously told Fox News Digital that five people have been arrested on vandalism charges for the pool, while federal citations were issued to five additional individuals. There also have been 14 police reports filed for vandalism against the pool. Among those charged was former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was cited Saturday for misdemeanor destruction of government property. Authorities allege he reached into the water and grabbed a hose being used by a National Park Service worker. TRUMP TAKES MOTORCADE INTO REFLECTING POOL, BLASTS PAST ‘$38M DISASTER’ FIX UNDER OBAMA The administration had planned to fence off the Reflecting Pool ahead of the Fourth of July, when the area will serve as a fireworks launch site. Following the vandalism, officials moved up the installation by a week. “The Reflecting Pool was always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July. As in years prior, one of the launch pads for the fireworks is around the pool so fencing is put up to ensure public safety,” said White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers. “With the increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site. “While the President was restoring a crown jewel of our nation’s capital, which is supported by Americans across the country, vandals were attempting to destroy, impede and delay the ongoing work,” she added. CALIFORNIA BEACH ‘RESIST!’ PROTEST PUSHES ‘KINDNESS’ WHILE CALLING TO ‘86 47’ IN ANTI-TRUMP MESSAGE Trump has publicly blasted the vandalism, first raising the issue on Truth Social Friday.  “Somebody went in with the knife and cut it. They cut it up good and then they cut at 200, 350 [feet], in the form of lots of little slits. We know horrible stuff,” Trump said Tuesday while speaking with reporters. Vandals “destroyed the grass. We put a brand-new big load of grass out there. They destroyed it. So it’s all been fixed. But it’s a shame,” he added speaking of an “8647” message. Protesters

Supreme Court strikes down blue state’s ‘vampire rule’ in major win for gun rights

Supreme Court strikes down blue state’s ‘vampire rule’ in major win for gun rights

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the state of Hawaii, granting concealed carry holders a huge victory in the blue state in a 6-3 decision Thursday. The Supreme Court sided with the plaintiff in Wolford v. Lopez, who contested Hawaii’s state law requiring a property owner’s explicit permission to allow lawful gun owners to bring firearms into public businesses. “Hawaii’s law at issue here violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote. “This regime hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives.” The ruling reverses a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which had upheld Hawaii’s restrictions after the state enacted them in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision. After Bruen struck down New York’s “proper cause” licensing requirement and held that Americans have a constitutional right to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense, Hawaii overhauled its firearms laws. Among the new provisions was a requirement that concealed-carry permit holders could not bring firearms onto another person’s private property, including businesses open to the public, unless the owner provided express authorization through signage or verbal or written permission. Among Second Amendment rights advocacy circles, the law became known as the “vampire rule.” Alito wrote the law could subject lawful concealed-carry permit holders to criminal liability for doing routine things like stopping at a gas station, grocery store or pharmacy while carrying a firearm. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Johnson races to break House GOP blockade in high-stakes meeting with Trump

Johnson races to break House GOP blockade in high-stakes meeting with Trump

With just over four months until November’s midterm elections, the House of Representatives is consumed by GOP infighting as President Donald Trump continues to push for the SAVE America Act. A group of conservatives, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has vowed to effectively block all legislation on the House floor until the Senate passes the stalled Trump-backed elections bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is racing to unlock the House floor and is set to meet with Trump at the White House Thursday afternoon in an effort to break the impasse. At stake is whether House Republicans can advance government funding bills, a long-shot third party-line reconciliation package incorporating defense spending and fraud prevention safeguards, and the annual defense policy bill, among other priorities, before the chamber leaves for the August recess. ‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES’: TRUMP ALLIES FREEZE HOUSE FLOOR TO PRESSURE SENATE ON VOTER ID BILL Thursday’s meeting comes after House Republican leadership was forced to cancel a series of votes Wednesday after the conservative bloc declined to end its blockade. “We’re not giving up on it yet, but we’re having contingencies in place,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters. Luna indicated she is not planning to relent anytime soon, despite having no apparent leverage to force the Senate to weaken the legislative filibuster or pass the SAVE America Act. “The president’s been very clear,” Luna told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. “He’s not playing these games anymore, and I’m going to fully back him, and I have the votes to do it.” “There’s going to be no votes this week,” Luna added.  For months, Trump has stated that passing the SAVE America Act is at the top of his legislative agenda. But progress has not materialized as the legislation has failed to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. The House has yet to pass a version of the SAVE America Act that includes Trump-backed provisions that restrict mail-in voting, bar men from women’s sports and ban child sex change procedures.  Signaling his frustration with the bill’s stalled progress, Trump on Wednesday canceled a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill the White House endorsed.  REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP WEIGHS ‘NUKING’ FILIBUSTER TO PASS TRUMP’S SAVE ACT Johnson, in a likely attempt to break the logjam, proposed incorporating a skinny version of the SAVE America Act into a third party-line package that House Republicans are currently negotiating. Johnson’s legislation would provide grant funding to states to encourage them to mandate federally verified REAL IDs when voting. But Luna warned against passing a watered-down version of the elections bill.  “I want to warn the American people that you cannot get SAVE America Act on reconciliation,” Luna said, referring to another GOP-only megabill. “It’s not possible to be done, so we’re not drinking the Kool-Aid on that. Unless the Senate decides to fire the parliamentarian, nothing will change.” House GOP fiscal hawks have also warned their support for a third reconciliation bill is contingent on including “dollar-for-dollar and year-for-year spending cuts” to offset the package’s deficit impact. The Senate left Washington late Wednesday to begin a two-week recess, meaning the standoff is not expected to resolve anytime soon. No senators — including the SAVE America Act’s biggest proponents — objected to beginning the July 4 recess early.  “I will not be voting to reopen the floor until the Senate gets back to Washington,” Luna wrote on social media. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Mamdani-backed socialist primary winner founded group whose goal is to ‘eradicate’ Western civilization

Mamdani-backed socialist primary winner founded group whose goal is to ‘eradicate’ Western civilization

The socialist backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani who won Tuesday night’s primary election in New York’s 13th Congressional District founded a group in college that called for the total destruction of the West.  Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, a Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress who made career out of “community organizing,” wrote in her biography for an opinion piece in independent news outlet The Electronic Intifada that she “helped launch the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign Columbia University Apartheid Divest.” “We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization,” the group said in a now-deleted 2024 Instagram post. In May 2024, eight years after she graduated from Columbia, Chevalier was back on campus advocating alongside the group she founded, known as CUAD, wearing a keffiyeh and a t-shirt emblazoned with the group’s name. Avila Chevalier was interviewed by the Associated Press at the school’s infamous encampment against Israel that year, which was later broken up by police. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST WITH HISTORY OF ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC WINS VICIOUS DEM PRIMARY RACE Only months after that, CUAD, caused a firestorm when it reportedly posted its goal of eradicating Western Civilization. “We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South,” the post continued. “Our Intifada is an internationalist one — we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people.” “We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized,” the group added. HASAN PIKER CELEBRATES AMERICA BEING ‘CLOSER THAN EVER’ TO SOCIALISM AS HE BACKS NYC CANDIDATES Columbia University has roundly denounced CUAD, and says it is not affiliated in any way with the school. Avila Chevalier was born in Florida to Dominican immigrants. She converted to Islam in recent years. ‘PARTY OF ZOHRAN’: MAMDANI EMERGES AS DEMOCRATIC KINGMAKER AFTER SOCIALIST ALLIES SWEEP NYC PRIMARIES The surfacing of her affiliation with the group has sparked intense online backlash, including from elected Democrats. “Anti-Israel. Anti-America. Anti-Western Civilization. Why am I the only Democrat in the U.S. Senate that refuses to excuse this or defend any of those self-identified communists?” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said on X Wednesday evening. Avila Chevalier also infamously expressed anti-white women and anti-American sentiments in deleted social media posts, one time calling her home country “a f—ing disgrace.” LETITIA JAMES FUMES AS MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK PRIMARIES “I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me,” she said in another deleted post. “This lady founded an organization with a stated goal of Eradicating Western civilization, & a bunch of rich white progressives who know she means them, said ‘please do,’” X personality Sean Fitzgerald said. “The real ‘country over party’ test isn’t going to be about Trump,” said RealClearInvestigations writer Mark Hemingway. “It’s going to be over communist Congress members who literally say they want to eradicate Western civilization.” In a deeply blue district, Avila Chevalier is likely to waltz her way into Congress in November. Fox News Digital reached out to Avila Chevalier’s campaign.

‘As long as it takes’: Trump allies freeze House floor to pressure Senate on voter ID bill

‘As long as it takes’: Trump allies freeze House floor to pressure Senate on voter ID bill

A group of conservatives is vowing to grind the House floor to a halt until Republicans pass the SAVE America Act.  “There’s going to be no votes this week, and it’s going to be as long as it takes,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who is leading the effort, told Fox News Digital in an interview. The hardball tactics led House Republican leadership to pull a series of votes on Wednesday. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected to put legislation that had already been teed up for a vote Thursday, but it is unclear whether he will be able to convince Luna and other conservatives to end their blockade, effectively freezing the House floor.  “The president’s been very clear,” Luna told Fox News Digital. “He’s not playing these games anymore, and I’m going to fully back him, and I have the votes to do it.” REPS. FINE, SELF, HARRIS, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WE’LL BLOCK THE SENATE UNTIL THE SAVE ACT PASSES President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted the SAVE America Act is his top legislative priority. The sprawling legislation, which would enact voter ID requirements, crack down on mail-in voting and ban sex change procedures for minors, has stalled in the Senate amid widespread opposition from Democrats.  House conservatives are pressuring their Senate colleagues to fight for the bill, but a version that incorporates all the president’s priorities has yet to receive a vote in their chamber. Johnson is scheduled to meet with Trump later Thursday in a likely attempt to break the logjam. Given the speaker’s razor-thin majority, just a few dissenting Republicans can have an outsize impact on whether legislation can be advanced through the House.  Johnson floated Wednesday incorporating a narrow version of the SAVE America Act into a third budget reconciliation package. The provision would create a grant program encouraging states to require federally verified REAL IDs at the ballot box. But Luna indicated to Fox News Digital that the speaker’s proposal was an inadequate fix.  “I want to warn the American people that you cannot get SAVE America Act on reconciliation,” Luna said, referring to a potential third party-line package. “It’s not possible to be done, so we’re not drinking the Kool-Aid on that. Unless the Senate decides to fire the parliamentarian, nothing will change.” IRATE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE TRUMP OF HANDING DEMOCRATS A WIN AFTER BLOWING UP HOUSING PACKAGE The impasse is not expected to resolve soon, with the Senate leaving Wednesday to begin a two-week recess around the July 4 holiday. No senators objected to starting the planned break early.  Luna also dismissed the significance of the bipartisan housing bill that passed the lower chamber this week. Republicans have pointed to the legislation — aimed at expanding the nation’s housing stock — as crucial to their affordability messaging ahead of November’s midterm elections.  “They don’t get to go home and say that they’re getting wins for the American people when they’re not even able to deliver on that 80/20 issue,” Luna said, referring to the SAVE America Act.  “And I really applaud the president for saying that he’s not going to sign it into law. I think that he reserves the right to veto,” the Florida lawmaker continued. Luna and the band of conservatives opposed the sweeping housing bill as part of their pledge to vote “no” on every piece of legislation that comes over from the Senate until the SAVE America Act passes. “In us shutting down the floor, it’s showing that … they’re not going to be able to get done what they want to get done,” Luna said.

NY socialist surge could push Dem voters to defect, GOP governor candidate predicts

NY socialist surge could push Dem voters to defect, GOP governor candidate predicts

FIRST ON FOX: Following a string of high-profile victories by socialist candidates, New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman warned the Democratic Party has veered too far left and predicted establishment Democrats will increasingly back Republicans. Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital in the wake of Tuesday’s wins, Blakeman said the results underscored the growing influence of the party’s progressive wing and exposed a widening divide within the Democratic coalition. “The lunatic left has taken over the Democratic Party,” he said just hours after three socialists backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their primaries in New York districts. “They’ve lost control of their party.” The rise of socialist victories against traditional Democrats have intensified debate over the Party’s future and the growing influence of its far-left flank. Republicans have seized on those wins as evidence the party is moving away from moderate voters on issues such as taxes and public safety. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST CANDIDATE STORMS OUT OF LIVE INTERVIEW WHEN CONFRONTED WITH OLD SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS Blakeman, who is running to unseat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, argued that socialists have effectively taken control of the Democratic Party, creating an opening for Republicans among moderate and working-class voters in the state. “They’ve offered everybody free stuff,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital, adding that progressive candidates are making unrealistic promises to voters. “They’re never going to do what they say they’re going to,” he continued, warning that such proposals would ultimately prove impossible to deliver. He argued voters are being sold an unrealistic vision in which “everything in New York could be free,” while longtime Democrats increasingly feel disconnected from the party’s recent direction. “The traditional Democrats are going to vote for Republicans this year,” Blakeman predicted. “They know their party has gone off the deep end.” The Republican hopeful pointed to Mamdani’s meteoric rise as evidence of what he described as the growing influence of socialists within the party. Blakeman acknowledges that proposals such as government-run grocery stores and other publicly funded programs may be politically popular but claims they would ultimately fail to deliver on their promises. “Free grocery stores, I mean, that’s complete nonsense,” Blakeman said. “Government should not be competing with the private sector.” FROM FREE BUSES TO CITY-OWNED GROCERY STORES, HERE ARE MAMDANI’S KEY ECONOMIC PROMISES Blakeman said many of the policies being championed by progressive candidates could harm small businesses and accelerate the outflow of residents and employers from New York. Instead, he argued, the state should focus on lowering taxes, reducing utility costs and creating a more business-friendly environment. During his interview with Fox News Digital the night after sweeping socialist victories in New York, Blakeman accused Hochul of being just as radical and failing to stand up to the Democratic Party’s left flank as progressive figures like Mamdani gain prominence. “They’re in league together,” Blakeman said of Hochul and Mamdani. “I now call her Comrade Kathy.” Though he ran uncontested, Blakeman’s campaign received a boost earlier this year when he secured President Donald Trump‘s endorsement as he seeks to unseat Hochul in deep blue New York, the president’s longtime home state. Asked about Trump’s support, Blakeman said it’s valuable but urged voters to focus on shared concerns such as affordability, public safety and lowering taxes. Blakeman argued that the Democratic Party’s growing embrace of socialist candidates could ultimately benefit Republicans, particularly among suburban and working-class voters who he believes feel increasingly disconnected from the party’s priorities. “Traditional Democrats see their party going off the deep end. They don’t like it,” Blakeman said. “They’re going to come on board with us because it’s the only way to stop their party from becoming an extinct party.” Responding to Blakeman’s remarks, Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said, “New Yorkers know Bruce Blakeman is too busy catering to the far-right, embracing January 6 architects, and caving to Donald Trump to fight for them and their families. From enabling ICE’s abuses, to raising costs, to fighting to gut Medicaid, Blakeman’s proud of being ‘MAGA all the way,’ just like Trump labeled him.” Mamdani’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.