Poll finds clear favorite in New York governor’s race
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a commanding lead in this year’s gubernatorial race, outpacing Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman by more than 25 points among registered voters, according to a Siena Research Institute poll released Tuesday. The poll found Hochul leading Blakeman 54% to 28%, a margin little changed from December, while she also maintains strong support among Democrats and improved favorability ratings statewide. The Siena poll, conducted Jan. 26-28 among 802 registered voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. “Ten months from election day, Blakeman – largely unknown to three in five New York voters – has his work cut out for him. Hochul’s 79-8% lead among Democrats is significantly better than Blakeman’s 69-15% lead with Republicans, and she leads 41-34% with independents, as well as in every region of the state,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg. HOCHUL CONFRONTED ICE AGENT, SAID HE WAS ‘TERRORIZING PEOPLE’ BY WEARING A MASK Hochul is seeking re-election to a second full term and faces a primary challenge from Democratic Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. Blakeman is running on the Republican side with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, which he received after Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., withdrew from the race in December. The primary election is scheduled for June 23. POTENTIAL GOP CHALLENGER WARNS HOCHUL THAT A CORPORATE TAX HIKE WOULD BE A ‘DISASTER’ FOR NEW YORK’S ECONOMY The Siena poll found Hochul’s job approval above 50% and showed her holding a wide lead over Delgado, with at least 60% support among Democrats in every region of the state, including 68% of self-described liberals and 65% of moderates. Greenberg noted that while Hochul’s 49% favorability rating is modest, it represents a seven-point increase since December and marks the first time in four and a half years as governor that she has reached that level in a Siena poll. Blakeman took aim at Hochul on Friday for introducing legislation that would prohibit local law enforcement from partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on federal civil immigration enforcement. “Kathy Hochul is the most pro-criminal governor in the United States who has a callous disregard for the safety of our communities and victims of crime,” Blakeman said. “By banning local law enforcement partnerships with ICE, Hochul is allowing dangerous criminals to return to our neighborhoods. That ends when I’m Governor.”
Democratic Senate primary erupts after candidate accused of ‘mediocre Black man’ remark
In the blockbuster Senate race in Texas, where the combustible GOP primary has been grabbing most of the headlines, it’s the Democratic showdown that’s now being swept up in a political firestorm. State Rep. James Talarico, one of the two major Democrats running for their party’s nomination in the red-leaning state, was accused over the weekend by an influencer of calling his former rival a “mediocre Black man.” Talarico later responded by saying the claim was a “mischaracterization of a private conversation.” The accusation comes with just one month to go until primary day in Texas, with Talarico facing off against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a progressive firebrand and rising Democratic Party star with a large social media following who is known as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. Morgan Thompson, the influencer who goes by the username @morga_tt on TikTok, in a social media post on Sunday accused Talarico of saying in a private conversation with her last month that he had “signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent, Black woman.” JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS SHE DOESN’T NEED TO CONVERT TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN HER TEXAS SENATE BID Talarico was allegedly referring to former Rep. Colin Allred, the 2024 Democratic Senate nominee who was making a second straight run this cycle until ending his campaign just before Crockett announced her candidacy. Both Allred and Crockett are Black, and Talarico is White. Pushing back against Thompson’s characterization of their conversation, Talarico said in a statement, “In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre — but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race.” FIERCE TRUMP CRITIC CROCKETT SHAKES UP HIGH STAKES SENATE RACE Allred, responding in a social media video on Monday, said: “James, if you want to compliment Black women, just do it. Just do it. Don’t do it while also tearing down a Black man.” After dropping his Senate campaign, Allred is now running for Congress in the state’s 33rd District against Rep. Julie Johnson, a fellow Democrat. Allred, a former college football star who went on to play professionally in the NFL, and later became a civil rights lawyer, said he would be endorsing Crockett after initially staying neutral. Crockett said in a statement that Allred “drew a line in the sand.” “He made it clear that he did not take allegations of an attack on him as simply another day in the neighborhood, but more importantly, his post wasn’t about himself,” she said. “It was a moment that he decided to stand for all people who have been targeted and talked about in a demeaning way as our country continues to be divided.” CROCKETT ACCUSES LIBERAL PODCAST HOSTS OF RACIAL MOTIVE IN CRITICISM OF HER TEXAS SENATE BID The fireworks, which have the potential to rock the Democratic primary race, come as the latest polling suggests a competitive primary between Talarico and Crockett, with most Black voters supporting Crockett and a majority of White and Latino votes backing Talarico, former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who is also seen as a rising Democrat. But a veteran Texas-based Democratic consultant called the criticism of Talarico “entirely overblown.” “I’ve seen a lot of hard-hitting attacks in Senate races around the country, but attacking a candidate for what might have been said about a past candidate is not one of them,” added the consultant, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. CORNYN TORCHES DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY FIELD IN TEXAS But the allegations once again inject race into the Democratic primary, where some questions about Crockett’s electability statewide appear to be related to race. Longtime Texas-based Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser told Fox News Digital the episode is “not great” for Talarico. “I think this dustup doesn’t really help him,” Steinhauser argued. “I think it makes him lose some of the momentum he’s had in the past few weeks.” Up until now, most of the political crossfire has been in the Republican primary, where longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn is being challenged by Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton and by Rep. Wesley Hunt. Unlike the Democratic primary, where Crockett and Talarico are the only major candidates, the three-way Republican race may be headed towards a May runoff, which would be triggered if no candidate tops 50% in the March primary.
House Dems clash over Schumer-Trump deal as Jeffries blasts lack of ICE reforms
House Democrats are at a breaking point on whether to support a compromise funding package that would end the government shutdown — or leverage the moment to secure reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “If they’re not going to make any serious reforms, there’s just a sense in the House that we’re not co-signing on that,” Rep Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said of the spending package passed out of the Senate late last week. But Swalwell’s view isn’t universal among Democrats. “Yes,” Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, answered simply when asked if he would vote to end the shutdown. After reaching an impasse over immigration enforcement reforms in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cut a deal with the White House last week to advance outstanding spending for 2026 while extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks. The bill would fund the yearlong needs for the departments of War, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services. In addition to ending a four-day funding lapse for those departments, it would also give lawmakers time to negotiate over provisions for ICE. That compromise passed out of the Senate in a bipartisan 71-29 vote. In its current form, the bill does not include several key demands that Democrats have made in the wake of two fatal confrontations in Minneapolis between immigration enforcement and civilians. Among other elements, Democrats have demanded legislation to end ICE’s roaming patrols, strengthen warrant requirement protections, ban masks and require visible identification for ICE agents. Without their inclusion, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made it clear he believes the legislation falls short. REPUBLICANS, DEMS BREAK THROUGH RESISTANCE, MOVE FORWARD WITH TRUMP-BACKED FUNDING PACKAGE “We’ve made a clear line in the sand. We’ve articulated the things that will be necessary for there to be a full-year appropriations bill connected to ICE funding,” Jeffries said Monday when asked if he would support the two-week extension. Even in the absence of key Democrat demands, Cuellar said he thinks the bill is consistent with his previous positions. “I’m looking at the bills. It’s the bill that we voted on with a two-week extension to Homeland [Security],” Cuellar said, referring to legislation that already passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in January. Cuellar was one of the seven Democrats who broke with his party to advance the original bill. That package included limited reforms to DHS operations — such as requiring body cameras for ICE agents and additional training on interacting with civilians. Cuellar said he is holding out hope that additional reforms can be negotiated in the two-week window. “Hopefully, we can add more things that we wanted,” Cuellar said. “We added some things, but we need a lot more. I think the dynamics have changed a little bit. There will be more wiggle room in the future.” Cuellar’s view is shared by other Democrats wary of a longer government shutdown — the second government funding lapse in just three months. ‘OPENING PANDORA’S BOX’: MIKE JOHNSON BACKS TRUMP AFTER WARNING WHITE HOUSE ABOUT DEAL WITH DEMOCRATS Notably, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., also said she would support the spending deal. “The House should quickly clear those bills, minimizing a lapse in funding that would shutter, at least partially, eight cabinet departments and dozens of agencies within them,” DeLauro said in a press release last week. Democrats approached by Fox News Digital did not speak about how Jeffries and Schumer differ on their shutdown strategies. Rep. Jarred Moskowitz, D-Fla., did not say how he would vote but pointed out he’s not surprised by the divide on an issue as charged as immigration enforcement. “I think we are at a time where we’re out of sync with our Senate colleagues,” Moskowitz said. “It happens. House Republicans and Senate Republicans are out of sync all the time.” “It was a deal made with Senate Dems. House Dems were not involved,” Moskowitz said of the spending extension bill. “But that’s a process thing. The American people care about whether U.S. citizens are being shot in the face.” Moskowitz said he understands why Democrats like Swalwell and Jeffries oppose punting negotiations on ICE. Moskowitz believes that as the White House begins to pull ICE out of Minnesota and requires its agents in the states to begin wearing body cameras, the pressure Democrats can exert on reforms may be diminished in two weeks as the national focus goes elsewhere. “It’ll become less of a national news story, so it’ll be much better to negotiate a deal for the White House at that point in time,” Moskowitz said. The House will vote on Tuesday to advance the shutdown-ending spending legislation. It’s unclear how many Democrats may ultimately join Cuellar and DeLauro in supporting the package. Because of razor-thin margins for Republicans in the House, the legislation may depend on the support of a handful of Democrats amid GOP concerns over DHS, earmarks included in the package, and the lack of voting security legislation.
ICE reveals legal theory behind warrantless immigration arrests
The top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement made clear to federal agents in a new memo that they can make snap decisions to arrest suspected illegal immigrants without a warrant under certain conditions. The memo, which the government filed in federal court on Friday as part of a case in Minnesota, broadens ICE’s view of warrantless arrests. Acting Director Todd Lyons suggested that previously, the agency had been interpreting the law incorrectly. When ICE agents make civil immigration arrests, they are required to obtain an administrative warrant, which supervisors within ICE sign off on to confirm that probable cause exists to make the arrest. DHS FIRES BACK AFTER DEM ACCUSES ICE OF ‘NEEDLESSLY’ DETAINING BOY WITH FATHER AFTER MOM REFUSED TO TAKE HIM But the law has a carve-out that allows ICE agents to make an arrest without a warrant if they believe the person is “likely to escape” before a warrant is obtained. Lyons wrote in the memo that an “alien is ‘likely to escape’ if an immigration officer determines he or she is unlikely to be located at the scene of the encounter or another clearly identifiable location once an administrative warrant is obtained.” ICE previously interpreted “likely to escape” to mean “flight risk,” which Lyons said was an improper view of the law. A flight risk describes someone who might not show up to a future hearing, but Lyons said ICE agents making “on-the-spot determinations” in the field do not necessarily have enough information to know if someone is a flight risk prior to arresting them. The memo noted that agents should document in a government form, as soon as possible after the arrest, what factors they considered when apprehending someone without a warrant. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital the memo was “nothing new.” “This is just a reminder to officers to be [keeping] detailed records on their arrests,” she said, adding that “authorities under USC 1357 and, of course, reasonable suspicion are protected by the U.S. Constitution.” Some critics, however, found the memo alarming. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said it was “another advance in Trump’s fascist agenda,” alleging on X that the administration wanted “warrantless arrests of just about anyone at any time.” The New York Times first reported on the memo. Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former senior adviser at ICE, told the outlet the new definition was “an extremely broad interpretation of the term ‘escape.’” “It would cover essentially anyone they want to arrest without a warrant, making the general premise of ever getting a warrant pointless,” she said. TRUMP CUTS FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR SEVEN COUNTRIES CITING FRAUD AND SECURITY CONCERNS The memo comes amid the Trump administration carrying out an aggressive deportation agenda, which has drawn mixed reactions, according to polling. Some observe that the efforts have vastly reduced illegal immigration, while others raise alarm over incidents that appeared heavy-handed or ended in tragedy, including two recent killings of U.S. citizens in Minnesota at the hands of immigration authorities. ICE’s deportations have been challenged in court cases across the country, and the Trump administration has seen, according to a Politico analysis, hundreds of rejections by district court judges. One federal judge in D.C. blocked the administration from making warrantless immigration arrests without first making individualized assessments about whether a target was likely to escape. Judge Beryl Howell, an Obama appointee, said the immigrant rights group that sued was correct in alleging that the Trump administration’s policy was to “arrest first, ask questions later.” “Defendants have adopted a policy of making arrests using a deficient standard under both the [Immigration and Nationality Act] and well-settled constitutional principles,” Howell wrote.
South American leader defies Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ in bold China pivot toward Xi
Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi stood alongside Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People Tuesday, becoming the first South American leader to openly defy the Trump administration’s “Donroe Doctrine” by signing a flurry of strategic trade deals with the Chinese Communist Party. Xi told Orsi that China and Uruguay should work together toward an “equal and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive, universally beneficial economic globalisation,” according to pool media reports. Xi said China supported Latin American and Caribbean nations in upholding their sovereignty and development interests and would help defuse international volatility and “escalating unilateral bullying.” Orsi said China and Uruguay’s relationship was going through its “best moment” and said both nations should “commit to raising it to a new level.” MADURO MET CHINESE ENVOY HOURS BEFORE US CAPTURE FROM CARACAS AS BEIJING SLAMS OPERATION Orsi and his delegation of 150, including Uruguayan business leaders, will be in Beijing and Shanghai through Saturday. The meeting serves as a direct litmus test for the “Donroe Doctrine” — the Trump administration’s 2025 update to the Monroe Doctrine that asserts absolute U.S. “deterrence and dominance” over the Western Hemisphere. Trump signaled his willingness to follow through on the doctrine with strikes on Caracas, Venezuela, and a mission to capture Nicolás Maduro. IRAN STRIKES COULD SIGNAL LIMITS OF BEIJING, MOSCOW’S POWER AS US FLEXES STRENGTH Trump declared “American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again” after the Jan. 3 operation. The Trump corollary to the White House’s National Security Strategy specifically lists “ownership of key assets” by foreign adversaries as a violation of U.S. interests. Orsi signing 12 deals may pose a direct “ownership” challenge. The deals outline cooperation in areas ranging from science and technology to the environment, intellectual property and the meat trade. China was the top destination for Uruguayan exports in 2025. The meeting comes amid a slew of visits by Western leaders to China since the start of 2026: in late January Britain’s Keir Starmer was in Beijing promising to strengthen trade cooperation. The week before that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney inked a major trade deal with Xi. China “is willing to work with Uruguay and other regional countries to deepen and solidify the building of a China-Latin America community with a shared future,” Xi said. Asked to comment on the meeting, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said: “President Trump has undoubtedly restored American strength in the Western Hemisphere, showing the entire world that the days of Biden-era weakness are over. He has effectively stopped our backyard from becoming a refuge for drug traffickers, Iran proxies, and criminals that endanger our national security. He will continue to deliver on that mission, making America – and the world – safer and more secure.”
Noem responds to Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish bashing ICE at Grammys: ‘I wish they knew’
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke out after Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and other celebrities bashed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Grammy Awards, telling Fox News Digital that their criticism is “ill-informed.” “I wish they knew what wonderful, amazing people our ICE officers are. Many of these officers live in these communities where they are doing enforcement activities,” Noem told Fox News Digital during an interview at a Mississippi National Guard facility in Tupelo on Monday. The secretary was visiting the governor, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials and military members in the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern. “Their families live there and that’s their neighbors they are protecting by getting dangerous criminals off the streets. They are going after those murderers and rapists, people that are trafficking drugs, and protecting America,” Noem continued. “That is what President Trump said he would do, he said he would make us safer, and he has done that. We have reached historic lows in crime rates in this country, the lowest rate of murder and crime since we have been recording it for over 100 years,” Noem also told Fox News Digital. “So it’s real results, people are feeling it in their communities, and it’s too bad that ill-informed famous musicians make statements like that without truly knowing what great Americans our ICE and Border Patrol officers are.” MUSIC’S BIGGEST STARS PROTEST ICE AT GRAMMY AWARDS Pop star Billie Eilish was among several celebrities who used the stage at Sunday’s Grammy Awards to criticize the Trump administration and ICE. “No one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said while accepting the Grammy for Song of the Year. “I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter.” “And f— ICE, that’s all I’m gonna say, sorry,” she added. HUNDREDS OF ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS SHUT DOWN STREETS IN PORTLAND Wearing an “ICE OUT” pin, Eilish also emphasized the urgency of continued activism during her remarks. Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny also took direct aim at ICE during his Grammy acceptance speech, using the moment to denounce the agency and defend immigrants’ humanity. “ICE out,” Bad Bunny said while accepting the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans.” Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty contributed to this report.
Top teachers union under fire as lawmakers push to strip union of unique federal charter: ‘Lost their way’
With the National Education Association being thrust into the spotlight after increasing its public opposition against the Trump administration and having been accused of financially backing far-left agenda items, two Republicans are taking steps to revoke its federal charter. The National Education Association holds a rare distinction in Washington, D.C., as the only labor union granted a federal charter, a status it received from Congress in 1906, and critics have argued that the functions of the NEA then and now are much different. Republican Reps. Buddy Carter and Mary Miller have been vocal critics of the NEA in recent years and are calling for that charter to be revoked, a move that Carter tells Fox News Digital would be “significant” and “carries with it a lot of clout.” “Let’s face it, the NEA is nothing more than a liberal political organization masquerading as a teachers union,” Carter added. “Remember in 1906, Congress gave them this charter to elevate the profession. They’re not elevating the profession right now.” TEACHERS UNION PRESIDENT CALLS TRUMP A ‘DICTATOR’ ON UNEARTHED CALL WITH ANTIFA-LINKED GROUP The NEA has been actively opposing President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, labeling him a “dictator” and organizing protests nationwide against ICE. “You only have to look at their actions here recently to see that they have turned into a liberal political organization,” Carter told Fox News Digital. “Calling President Trump’s policies fascism, calling for allowing biological men to participate and grow sports, going against the Anti-Defamation League, which is trying to stamp out anti-Semitism. All the policies that they’re enacting, 98% of their donations are going to Democrats now, and the liberal Democrats. And then, of course, what they’ve done in Minneapolis and in Minnesota — all of those actions lead us to believe that they should be, that their charter should be pulled.” Fox News Digital has extensively reported on criticisms of the NEA in recent months, including in November when a federal labor filing showed the organization sent millions to far-left causes. Last month, an NEA whistleblower told Fox News Digital the organization operates like a “cult” and views conservatives as the “enemy.” UNCOVERED DOCS SHOW TOP TEACHERS UNION GUIDING GENDER TRANSITIONS, BASHING CONSERVATIVES: ‘INSANE ASYLUM’ “They’ve lost their way. They are not about educating the kids,” Miller told Fox News Digital. “This is a social engineering program. That’s what the NEA has become.” “For a long time, I’ve been calling out the NEA as being a disastrous organization,” added Miller, who has cosponsored legislation to remove the NEA’s federal charter. “I think they have done immeasurable damage to our country in light of losing the focus of educating our children, and they’ve gotten into social engineering and completely political.” While the NEA’s actions have been gathering increased scrutiny in recent months, Miller told Fox News Digital her objections to the NEA go back decades. “Back in the 90s, I got a hold of the NEA’s resolutions from their annual convention, and I was horrified when I saw those. I was actually a teacher. After that, I had my alarm bells up. I ended up home educating my children because of the curriculum, and the NEA is definitely trying to drive that curriculum.” Miller continued, “But instead of pushing the basics in education — so our children are literate, so that they can do math and they know our history, they understand our civics, they are educated in science, and basic education, what American parents want — they’ve gotten into pushing DEI, weird sexual stuff, they don’t want parents involved. They’re anti homeschooling. They’ve called for boycotts of corporations they felt weren’t pushing their cause. They’ve gone off onto things like calling for the statehood of District of Columbia. I mean, so many things that have nothing to do with education. They lost their way and that’s why I want their charter revoked.” If Miller’s legislation were to pass through Congress, she told Fox News Digital that it would “send a strong message that people and lawmakers are rising up to the NEA.” Fox News Digital reached out to the NEA for comment.
A single Trump announcement sparks billions in losses across gold and silver
A single announcement out of Washington sent gold and silver prices plunging, erasing billions of dollars in market value and catching investors off guard almost overnight. The dizzying boom ended abruptly Friday morning after President Donald Trump confirmed Kevin Warsh as his pick to lead the Federal Reserve, sending the dollar to its strongest level in months and reshaping expectations for U.S. monetary policy. Warsh is widely viewed as a free-market, inflation hawk who breaks with much of the current Federal Reserve leadership. Influenced by his studies under economist Milton Friedman, he has long argued that inflation is driven by printing too much money. That view departs from years of Federal Reserve policy focused on keeping borrowing costs low. TRUMP NOMINATES KEVIN WARSH TO SUCCEED JEROME POWELL AS FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR For investors, Warsh’s record has signaled a more disciplined approach to inflation and monetary policy. Addressing inflation under that framework would likely require tighter monetary policy, including higher interest rates. And higher rates typically strengthen the U.S. dollar, giving investors less reason to seek refuge in gold and silver and prompting a selloff in both metals. WHAT TRUMP’S NEXT PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEANS FOR YOUR WALLET For months, a gravity-defying rally had pushed gold and silver prices to fresh highs, as investors piled into the traditional safe-haven assets amid inflation, trade tensions and concerns about the long-term stability of the dollar under Trump’s economic policies. Hours before Trump announced Warsh’s nomination, gold and silver were still holding onto recent gains. The news sparked a swift bust, with gold suffering its worst selloff since 2013 and silver posting its steepest one-day drop since 1980. The sudden reversal rattled investors who had turned to gold as a hedge against inflation and policy uncertainty, including many retirement-age Americans who viewed the metal as a safer place to park their savings. The sharp swings also raised questions about how much more volatility could lie ahead, as markets brace for further policy signals from Washington and potential changes at the Federal Reserve. TRUMP’S ECONOMIC WINS ARE REAL — NOW HE NEEDS TO CONVINCE THE COUNTRY Even so, longer-term demand for gold has been supported by steady buying from foreign central banks, including China, which has been diversifying reserves away from the U.S. dollar amid geopolitical tensions.
Trump–Kennedy Center details massive repairs, warns venue won’t survive without fixes
The massive renovations at the Trump–Kennedy Center that are expected to shutter Washington’s premier performing arts venue for two years will focus on correcting deferred maintenance — including overhauling its heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems and fixing its broken elevators, Fox News Digital learned. “In less than 1 year, Trump has balanced the budget, raised over $130 million from donors, and secured $257 million from Congress,” Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble.” “Decades of gross negligence left this institution with a broken budget, $100 million operating deficit, $26 million bottom-line deficit, and $250 million of deferred maintenance needs,” she continued. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the venue would close July 4, which coincides with America 250 celebrations honoring the nation’s semiquincentennial anniversary of the U.S.’ founding. FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER, THE GILDED MAKEOVER EXPANDS “If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!” Trump said on Truth Social Sunday explaining why the complex needs to shutter for two years. A Trump–Kennedy official told Fox News Digital that the complex, which first opened in 1971, has suffered decades of neglect by former leadership that has left the building in “extremely poor condition.” The official described the renovations as “a restoration and beautification project,” that will include updating its broken elevators, updating its HVAC system and taking on $250 million in maintenance issues that the official said were ignored by previous leadership. Presidents historically have played direct roles in Kennedy Center governance, appointing most of the institution’s board of trustees to six-year terms under federal law. Trump appointed a new board in 2025, which then elected him their chairman. The official said the Trump–Kennedy Center would simply not survive if the maintenance was not done. OSCAR-NOMINATED COMPOSER LATEST PERFORMER TO PULL TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE OVER ‘CONFLICT’ WITH VALUES Trump said Monday that the renovations will cost an estimated $200 million while underscoring the building is not being torn down. “I’m not ripping it out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’ll be using the steel. So we’re using the structure.” “We’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down, but when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful,” he said. “We’re going to have all brand-new air conditioning, heating.” Daravi continued in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that the temporary closure for an “intensive restoration and beautification project” is “the most logical choice to allow for comprehensive renovations, efficient project completion, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.” “With President Trump’s proven record of delivering projects under budget and ahead of schedule, the finished Center will reflect the true beauty of America,” she added. “The short-term inconvenience of a temporary closure will result in a revitalized cultural landmark built to serve generations to come.” Ambassador Richard Grenell serves as the Trump–Kennedy Center’s president and praised Trump and Congress for appropriating $257 million for the renovations. He added that leadership is not only focused on saving the center from ruin, but to “make it the finest Arts Institution in the world.” WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA TO DEPART TRUMP–KENNEDY CENTER AMID REPORTED FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES “It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense – it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive,” Grenell said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “It also means we will be finished faster. President Trump has a reputation for delivering large construction projects on time, under budget and beautifully finished.” The renovations come after the center’s board of trustees unanimously voted to rename it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” in December 2025. The name change set off swift rebuke among Democrats, with nonvoting board members including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others claiming the move was illegal as it did not earn congressional approval ahead of time. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced legislation in January that seeks to bar sitting presidents from putting their own names on federal buildings, linking it to the Trump-Kennedy Center name update. “For Trump to put his name on federal buildings is arrogant, and it is illegal,” Sanders said in a press release Tuesday. “We must put an end to this narcissism — and that’s what this bill does. The center said that the board agreed Trump saved the institution from financial ruin during his second term. Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Scouting America ‘on the clock’ to roll back DEI, War Dept says
The Department of War is moving to overhaul its partnership with Scouting America, saying the organization must return to “core values” and eliminate DEI policies to remain eligible for federal support. The review focused on the department’s financial relationship with Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, including its involvement in the organization’s National Jamboree, Sean Parnell, assistant to the Secretary of War for public affairs, said in a statement posted on social media. Parnell described Scouting America as “a great organization” that has “lost its way” in recent years. “But, for more than a decade now, Scouting America’s leadership has made decisions that run counter to the values of this administration and this Department of War, including an embrace of DEl and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances. This is unacceptable,” he wrote. HEGSETH TELLS TROOPS TO RESIGN IF THEY OPPOSE HIS PLAN TO SCRAP ‘WOKE’ POLICIES AND RESTORE WARRIOR ETHOS Parnell referenced an executive order that President Donald Trump signed at the start of his second term that focused on “terminating radical DEl preferencing in federal contracting,” adding that all organizations affiliated with the department must meet that standard. DOW and Scouting America are nearing a final agreement, according to Parnell. “Scouting America remains far from perfect, but they have firmly committed to a return to core principles,” Parnell wrote. “Back to God and country—immediately!” PETE HEGSETH AXES DEFENSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE SERVICES, CITING DIVISIVE AGENDA Scouting America told Fox News Digital in a statement via email that the organization was “encouraged” by Parnell’s post. “For nearly 116 years Scouting has stood as a cornerstone of American ideals, good citizenship, service, and adventure for American youth,” Scouting America said. “We are encouraged by [Monday’s] social media post by the Pentagon, and we look forward to providing more details as we move ahead.” Parnell, however, added that the partnership would continue only on condition that Scouting America “rapidly implements the common-sense, core value reforms” the Trump administration has put forth. “They are on the clock, and we are watching,” Parnell wrote, adding that officials may have more to announce soon.