Trump says vandals used chemicals to damage newly renovated reflecting pool near Lincoln Memorial
President Donald Trump on Friday said vandals damaged the recently renovated reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial, adding that authorities are investigating the incident. Trump’s comments come as the recently renovated reflecting pool faces scrutiny over peeling paint and algae growth just weeks after a $14.8 million restoration project was completed. “Things are really looking good in our Nation’s Capital, and add to that the fact that when I became President, Crime was rampant, and now, Washington, D.C., is one of the Safest Cities anywhere in the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “However, we’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool, which sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial,” he continued. WHITE HOUSE BLASTS WASHINGTON POST’S CLAIM REFLECTING POOL ‘LOOKS ALMOST THE SAME’ AFTER TRUMP RENOVATIONS “Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.” Trump accused vandals of damaging the grounds surrounding the reflecting pool and said they used chemicals to damage the pool’s newly installed surface. “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” he said. DIRT BIKES, ATVS DRIVEN AROUND WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, DC: VIDEO Trump’s comments come about a week after a large “86 47” message appeared to be etched into the grass near the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial. Administration officials previously characterized the message as threatening, arguing that “86” is sometimes used as slang for removing or getting rid of something, while “47” refers to Trump as the nation’s 47th president. Trump announced on June 6 that the $14.8 million restoration project at the historic reflecting pool had been completed. Days later, however, algae appeared throughout the pool, masking portions of the newly restored “American flag blue” bottom. WATCH: TRUMP REVEALS FLASHY NEW COLOR FOR NATIONAL MALL’S REFLECTING POOL MAKEOVER This week, the National Park Service and contractors deployed chemicals and ozone nanobubbles to help mitigate the algae growth. Workers also used a swimming pool-style vacuum system to remove algae from the bottom of the pool. “There are no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment,” the park service said in a statement this week. TRUMP WORKING TO CLEAN ‘FILTHY’ LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL, BLAMES BIDEN FOR MAINTENANCE DELAYS Trump said most of the algae had been removed and that the vandalized area would be repaired by next week. “The algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week,” Trump said. He also said law enforcement is actively investigating the alleged vandalism. Images posted on social media Friday showed National Guard personnel and U.S. Park Police officers patrolling the area. Videos posted on social media also appeared to show people gathered near the Reflecting Pool criticizing the renovation project and celebrating the algae growth. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Minnesota AG Ellison lashes out when grilled on fraud scandal: ‘I’m done talking to you’
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison lashed out when asked about his handling of the Minnesota fraud scandal following Vice President JD Vance’s threat to refer him to the Justice Department, while pushing back on a widely cited $8 billion figure as only mentioned by those “aligned with the Trump Administration.” “That is a false number,” Ellison said. “The fact is, is that fraud is always wrong.” “Why don’t you give me a break, man?” he continued. The comments come as Vance, the head of the Trump administration’s new anti-fraud task force, threatened to press the Justice Department to open an investigation into Ellison’s alleged knowledge of the widespread fraud scheme in Minnesota. VANCE REFERS TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER STATE’S ALLEGED FRAUD When asked about the common estimate of Minnesota fraud ballooning to about $8 billion, Ellison grew visibly frustrated with the reporter and ended the interview, claiming the number is only used by those of a certain political affiliation. “If you ask the newspapers for a forensic accounting, the number you mentioned is tightly identified with people of a very unique political persuasion aligned with the Trump administration,” Ellison told Fox News Digital. “So, I’m done talking to you. Bye-bye,” he said as he began walking away. MAGNITUDE ‘CANNOT BE OVERSTATED’: FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD MAY BE MORE THAN $9B When the reporter stated he had wanted Ellison to clear up the number and was citing a variety of reports, Ellison continued to question the claimed biases of his reporting. “It’s wrong though. And if you’re a real reporter, you should know that,” he said, pointing to the Fox News Digital reporter. The estimate has been widely cited by both the House Oversight Committee and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who have argued that potentially billions of dollars were lost to fraud in Minnesota’s public assistance programs. DEM-APPOINTED EDUCATION OFFICIALS FACE NEW SCRUTINY AS FEEDING OUR FUTURE SCANDAL WIDENS, TRUMP TARGETS FRAUD Thompson said investigators have reason to believe that roughly half of the $18 billion paid through 14 Medicaid programs since 2018 could have been part of a major fraud scheme. The scandal drew national attention through congressional investigations and a series of high-profile fraud cases involving federally funded nutrition, education and Medicaid-related programs. Prosecutors have alleged that multiple nonprofit organizations diverted millions of taxpayer dollars through fraudulent schemes, many of which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several of the most prominent cases, including the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, were connected to Minnesota’s Somali community. House Oversight Committee investigators have also argued that Ellison was aware of fraud concerns years before the scandal surfaced, citing interviews with education, human services and executive-office officials.
Good News for Gujarat: Direct Flight from Ahmedabad to Colombo Launched, 8-Hour Journey Now Cut to Just 3 Hours!
Passengers are highly enthusiastic following the launch of Fits Air’s direct flight from Ahmedabad to Colombo, which brings an end to the inconvenient connecting flights Gujaratis previously had to endure.
IndiGo plane with 140 on board hit by lightning strike at Kolkata airport
The aircraft was scheduled to operate the flight 6E 6068 from Kolkata to Agartala in Tripura, but was grounded after the incident.
‘I will leave’: Uddhav Thackeray offers to quit, ready to make anyone chief
As the Shiv Sena UBT is facing a deep crisis with a significant number of MPs turned rebels, party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday offered to quit from his position amid mistrust in the leadership.
TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee seeks disqualification of rebel MPs in meeting with Om Birla
At the meeting, Banerjee was accompanied by senior TMC leaders Kalyan Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Mahua Moitra, and Sougata Roy. They sought to invalidate the rebels MPs’ claims of a merger with the Nationalist Citizens’ Party of India.
Eknath Shinde takes jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT), says this is only ‘trailer’, hints at big action
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday took an indirect jibe at the ongoing “Operation Tiger” buzz within the Shiv Sena (UBT), stressing that current events are merely the “trailer” and that the “full picture” is yet to come.
NEET-UG 2026 re-exam: Youth arrested for selling fake question papers on Telegram
The arrest came amid the government’s ban on Telegram over the NEET-UG retest. The accused, identified as Akash Chaudhary, was operating a Telegram channel by allegedly using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to conceal his identity.
Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to block beach closures for SpaceX launches
The state constitution preserves public access to Texas beaches, but it doesn’t give private groups the right to sue to enforce that access, the court ruled.
Double endorsement drama: Trump backs second candidate in red state’s GOP gubernatorial runoff
President Donald Trump is making an 11th-hour endorsement in the final stretch ahead of Tuesday’s high-profile Republican gubernatorial runoff in solidly red South Carolina, saying he “can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other.” Trump on Friday took to Truth Social to say that he was supporting longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the battle for the GOP nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. “I can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to Endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!” Trump wrote, adding: “With either one you can’t go wrong.” The endorsement of Wilson appears to be a move by Trump to hedge his bets, because Trump is already backing Evette, who is also supported by McMaster, a longtime top ally of the president. The South Carolina runoff had been viewed as the latest test of Trump’s immense grip over the GOP and the power of his endorsements in Republican nominating contests. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB And his decision to back both Evette and Wilson isn’t the first time he’s made dual endorsements in the same Republican race. He was backing both Gina Swoboda and Jay Feely in next month’s Republican primary in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District before Swoboda dropped out of the congressional race to run for secretary of state. Most famously, Trump endorsed “ERIC” in the 2022 GOP Senate primary in Missouri, where the two major candidates were Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens. Both candidates claimed the endorsement, with Schmitt ultimately winning the nomination. In South Carolina, Trump endorsed Evette late last month, a week and a half before the gubernatorial primary. Evette finished on top of a crowded field of contenders in the primary election, with Wilson second. The field also included Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy. Since no candidate won a majority of the vote, as the top two finishers, Evette and Wilson advanced to the June 23 runoff. Mace and Norman endorsed Wilson after failing to advance to the runoff. And Wilson was also backed a week ago by Sen. Ted Cruz, the conservative firebrand from Texas. The runoff between Evette and Wilson has become combustible, and in Tuesday’s final debate both candidates launched personal attacks and accused each other of lying and misrepresenting their records. Wilson has worked to contrast his tenure as attorney general with what he’s argued is Evette’s largely ceremonial role as lieutenant governor. And he has spotlighted his experience as a combat veteran, prosecutor, and the state’s top law enforcement official. Evette has showcased herself as an outsider and a Trump-endorsed businesswoman, while casting Wilson as a career politician. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is supporting Wilson and has helped with fundraising, made calls on behalf of Wilson and encouraged the president’s endorsement of the state attorney general, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. It’s been 28 years since a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in South Carolina, and the winner of the GOP runoff will be considered the clear favorite in the general election against Democratic nominee Jermaine Johnson, a state representative. The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past two months, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention. But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped three weeks ago when his last minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory. Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. Trump rebounded a week later, as Evette finished first in the GOP gubernatorial primary and longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina won a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff. Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president. And a couple of days ago, Trump-backed candidates won two of the three top races in Georgia and Alabama, with the one setback coming against a billionaire businessman who shelled out over $100 million of his own money to boost his campaign. Rep. Barry Moore, a House Freedom Caucus member and longtime Trump supporter who was endorsed by the president, comfortably defeated rival Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL sniper who was supported by some top names on the right, in solidly red Alabama’s GOP Senate runoff. In battleground Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff, an 11th hour endorsement by Trump this past weekend helped boost Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion, to victory over former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was backed by popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp. Collins will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the general election in a race that’s among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber in the midterms. Jones regularly showcased his Trump endorsement, but Jackson, who launched his bid in February long after the president had endorsed Jones, repeatedly said that Trump had inspired him to run. But in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial runoff, the candidate Trump backed, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was also endorsed by Kemp this past weekend, was defeated by Rick Jackson, who ran