Trump says Meloni ‘wants to be friends again’ after Italy refused to help US amid Iran war
President Donald Trump once again mocked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for allegedly asking him over and over again for a picture at the G7 Summit in France this week, before slamming her for not doing enough to support the U.S. war in Iran. “Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday morning, reiterating what he told an Italian outlet on Friday. Meloni told Reuters on Friday that Trump “completely made up” this claim and that she was “astonished.” “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover,” she said. RUBIO MEETS MELONI AS TRUMP-POPE CLASH ESCALATES US STRAINS WITH KEY EUROPEAN ALLY In his social media post, Trump went on to criticize Meloni for failing to assist the U.S. when the war in Iran was in full swing several months ago. “She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!),” he wrote. Trump added that he was frustrated with Meloni for not letting U.S. forces use Italy’s landing strips and runways, calling it “a great logistical inconvenience.” Italy denied the use of an air base in Sicily to U.S. warplanes that were carrying weapons that would be used in the campaign against Iran, The Guardian reported in March. Italy denied the use of an air base in Sicily to U.S. warplanes that were carrying weapons that would be used in the campaign against Iran, The Guardian reported in March. Trump routinely criticized other NATO allies in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany and France, for failures to provide what he viewed as substantive military support. Italy’s refusal to help, Trump wrote, is “despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies.” “Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!” Trump concluded his post. MORE KEY US ALLIES BLOCK MILITARY FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR RIFT WIDENS WITH TRUMP Late Saturday morning, Meloni posted a lengthy response to Trump’s post on Instagram, condemning him for his “senseless” and “constant” attacks on her. “As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done,” she wrote. “That is also what I did regarding the American military bases in Italy. Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am Prime Minister.” She continued, “Italy remains a sovereign nation. In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.” Trump once had strong ties to the Italian head of state, with Meloni being the only European Union leader who got an invite to his inauguration in January 2025, according to NPR. Like Trump, Meloni is a conservative who favors traditional family values and often pushes back against “woke” ideology. Cracks began to form in their relationship when Trump deployed his worldwide tariffs. Despite Meloni’s attempts to get trade relief for Italy, the U.S. still has a 15% tariff on most EU imports. In April, when Trump attacked Pope Leo for his foreign policy views on Iran, Meloni issued a rare public rebuke, calling the president’s comments “unacceptable.” IRAN ‘ALREADY AGREED’ TO GIVING UP NUCLEAR WEAPON AMBITIONS, TRUMP REVEALS Before the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that halts hostilities for 60 days, Meloni repeatedly insisted Italy would not join the war. “Italy is not participating and has no intention of participating,” Meloni told the Italian Senate in March. Still, Meloni has long been critical of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and has suggested restraining the regime through diplomatic means. “We all agree on the fact that Iran cannot equip itself with a nuclear weapon,” Meloni said at last year’s G7 Summit. “The goal we are all working towards is to have negotiations that will truly prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.” The U.S.-Iran talks that were scheduled for Friday were temporarily postponed amid renewed fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group. Talks were later set too resume in Switzerland between the U.S. and Iranian delegations after Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire. One of the key points of the MOU signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian required an end to military operations across all fronts, including in Lebanon, as part of the broader conditions for the agreement to remain in effect.
Vance says ‘United States wins either way’ as he defends Trump’s Iran deal against GOP skeptics
Vice President JD Vance pushed back Saturday on criticism that the deal signed between President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian would hand Tehran economic benefits without requiring meaningful changes in the terror-sponsoring nation’s behavior. In a morning interview on “Fox & Friends,” Vance brushed aside concerns raised by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and other Republicans who say Iran could eventually use the memorandum of understanding’s economic incentives to rebuild its military and nuclear programs. The MOU is meant to serve as a framework for a long-term peace agreement. “I like Roger, he’s a friend of mine, but I think that he’s wrong on this,” Vance said. “What the MOU says is that if the Iranians behave over a long period of time, they could get some of the benefits of this bargain.” Critics on both sides of the aisle have charged that the agreement signed earlier this week misses key objectives for the United States, including the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities and enriched uranium stockpiles, limits on its ballistic missile program and a requirement that Tehran end its support for regional proxy groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL ‘GIVING A LOT MORE TO GET A LOT LESS’ THAN OBAMA’S, SENATOR SAYS Wicker claimed that the 60-day ceasefire agreement set forth in the MOU undermines the United States’ victories in Operation Epic Fury “in ways that are completely out of step with the president’s goals.” “Specifically, the $300 billion fund for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran – though not funded by U.S. taxpayers – would make Iran’s payoff under President Obama’s 2015 deal look like a pittance by comparison,” Wicker said in a statement. Wicker argued that easing sanctions on Iran while requiring Israel to cease military action against Hezbollah is misguided, given the group’s continued attacks on Israel’s northern border and its backing from Tehran. VANCE TOUTS DESTRUCTION OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS TRUMP ANNOUNCES ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE “The Iranian regime has not renounced its ultimate goal — ‘Death to America, Death to Israel,’” Wicker said. “The regime will invest every penny it receives to further that aim.” But Vance said critics have incorrectly assumed Iran would receive economic benefits regardless of its conduct. Sanctions relief and regional economic aid would only be considered after Iran demonstrates sustained compliance with the agreement and abandons efforts to advance its nuclear program, Vance said. “The United States has all the cards,” Vance said. “The [Strait of Hormuz is] now open, the Iranian military is now destroyed, the Iranians have committed to, of course, destroying that stockpile of the rich material, but we have a lot of economic pressure applied to the Iranians that we would be willing to relieve if they do what we need them to do.” Vance said the agreement is already delivering tangible results, citing the movement of 16 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday after the waterway reopened to commercial traffic. He said the administration is focused on ensuring Iran is permanently blocked from restoring its nuclear program. “We’re going to go after that enriched stockpile of uranium,” Vance said. “We’re going to try to reset the situation that we have, so that the Iranians don’t just have a destroyed nuclear program now, but so that we can say with some confidence, through a combination of inspections and verification, that they’re never going to be able to rebuild that program.” Vance also expressed confidence that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel would hold long enough for negotiations to continue. U.S. officials are preparing for talks involving Iranian, Qatari and Pakistani representatives, which could begin within days, according to Vance. “There’s a fork in the road here,” Vance said. “The United States wins either way, but I think that what ultimately happens from here is very much up to the Iranians.”
Trump says Iran missiles ‘aren’t the problem’ after White House made them central to war rationale
For months, senior Trump administration officials argued that Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal helped shield Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and was a key reason the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury attacks on the country. Now, President Donald Trump is suggesting Iran having missiles may not be a problem at all. “If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some. If Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and they all have some, I would say that in relative proportion, I think it’s okay,” Trump said at the G7 international forum Wednesday. “Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but (Iran) can’t have them? It doesn’t work that way.” “Missiles aren’t the problem. They hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet.” “The Gulf nations will address the nonnuclear issues, as we’ll be talking about the ballistic missiles,” the president added. “And we’ll talk, also, about the terrorist proxies that they have that — we don’t want that to happen.” ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN Trump made the remarks while discussing whether Iran should be permitted to retain missile capabilities in a news conference at the G7 in Évian-les-Bains, France, just as details of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran were being released. The comments strike a much different tone than arguments repeatedly made by senior administration officials in recent months, who described Iran’s ballistic missile force as both a major threat to regional security and a protective shield for Iran’s nuclear program. “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and we will not allow Iran to hide behind the immunity of a massive short-term ballistic missile inventory, or the ability to make them or launch them,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in a press conference March 3. “What they are trying to do, and have been trying to do for a very long time, is build a conventional weapons capability as a shield to hide behind.” TRUMP VOWS TO HIT IRAN ‘VERY HARD’ AFTER OBLITERATING NEARLY ’90 PERCENT’ OF REGIME MISSILES Other senior officials repeatedly described degrading Iran’s missile capabilities as a central objective of Operation Epic Fury. In remarks at the White House on March 2, days after the start of the operation, Trump said, “Our objectives are clear. First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities … and their capacity to produce brand new ones.” War Secretary Pete Hegseth later said March 4 the mission was “laser-focused” on obliterating Iran’s missiles and the facilities that produce them, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the same day one of the administration’s primary goals was to “destroy the regime’s deadly ballistic missiles and completely raze their missile industry to the ground.” Rubio repeatedly returned to the theme throughout the operation, arguing that degrading Iran’s missile force was necessary to prevent Iran from using conventional military power as cover for a future nuclear weapons program. TRUMP SAYS US, ISRAEL SHATTERED IRANIAN MILITARY CAPABILITIES, PRESSES LEADERS TO SURRENDER: ‘CRY UNCLE’ “This is about very specific objectives,” Rubio told reporters March 30. “The President laid them out on the first night of the operation… Here they are — you should write them down. No. 1, the destruction of their air force. No. 2, the destruction of their navy. No. 3 the severe diminishing of their missile launching capability. And number four, the destruction of their factories so they can’t make more missiles and more drones to threaten us in the future. All of this so that they can never hide behind it to acquire a nuclear weapon. That was our objective from the beginning; that remains our objective now.” Leavitt made similar comments the same day, saying the objectives of Operation Epic Fury included “destroying their ballistic missiles” and dismantling the infrastructure used to produce them while ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. Trump’s remarks at the G7 also raised questions about the administration’s approach to Iran’s nuclear program, another issue that administration officials had previously described in far less flexible terms. Trump’s comments also come as the administration pursues a memorandum of understanding with Iran that leaves unresolved one of the central disputes in the nuclear negotiations: the future of Iran’s enrichment program. Under the framework agreement unveiled in recent days, the United States and Iran agreed to spend 60 days negotiating the fate of Iran’s nearly 900-pound stockpile of near-weapons-grade 60% enriched uranium and any future enrichment activities. Administration officials said the minimum outcome under discussion would involve down-blending the material under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision, while acknowledging that key details of a final agreement remain unsettled. Officials described Iran’s willingness to dilute its stockpile as a significant concession, but also acknowledged that the memorandum does not resolve whether Iran will ultimately be permitted to retain any enrichment capability. TRUMP REAFFIRMS HARD LINE ON IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL: ‘WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM’ Trump appeared to strike a more accommodating tone when discussing Iran’s access to nuclear power at the G7. “It is a little hard, though, when you say that somebody wants it, other people have it, other, adjoining states have it. And you’re not letting them have it for purposes of electricity and things like that,” Trump said. “It’s always a little tough. You have to use a little common sense.” The administration previously had drawn a much harder line on Iran’s nuclear program. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said the United States could not allow Iran to retain “even 1%” enrichment capability, while White House officials repeatedly described the end of Iranian enrichment as a red line. The White House referred back to Trump’s recent remarks on missiles when asked for additional comment. “ “We are going to let the President’s comments stand,” a State Department spokesperson said when asked for comment. The Pentagon could not immediately be reached for comment.
Top GOP group pumps $37M into fight on key issue dominating midterm races: ‘Much more to come’
America Action Network (AAN), a conservative nonprofit advocacy group associated with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has surpassed $37 million in messaging on cost-of-living issues, according to its leadership. “The cost of living is the number one issue on the minds of working families right now. American Action Network invested $37 million, highlighting how conservative policies deliver real relief,” Chris Winkelman, AAN’s president, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The renewed spending further solidifies affordability as a key issue that is expected to play a pivotal role in the 2026 midterms. While inflation has risen in recent months, AAN believes that Republicans can continue to press the affordability message as an effective way to reach voters and have highlighted the issue in several ads, narrowing in on the work Republicans have done through Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill. PENCE LAUNCHES GOP MESSAGING BLITZ ON ‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AHEAD OF MIDTERMS The group has been advancing messaging on the bill since it was passed in July of last year. “The American comeback is here. President Trump and House Republicans are delivering for the American people, keeping their promises and delivering the change they demanded. Giving working families the tax cut ever, cutting taxes on tips and overtime and strengthening our border,” an ad states. “It’s a new America,” the added continued. A recent Fox News poll shows 58 percent of voters view cost of living as their top economic worry, up from 50 percent of voters in Fox’s February poll. Democrats have also targeted affordability, pointing to President Donald Trump’s promises of lowering everyday costs that have run into hurdles amid the fallout of the war in Iran and higher gas prices. Inflation rose 4.2% in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — a data point House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has repeatedly pointed out. GAS SURGE TIED TO IRAN CONFLICT HITS SWING STATES, TESTING TRUMP’S LOW-PRICE PITCH “Inflation just hit a 3-year high, gas prices are out of control and life under Donald Trump is unaffordable,” Jeffries said in a recent post to X. Even so, AAN and other Republican groups have blasted Democrats for opposing relief measures included in the Big Beautiful Bill, noting that, if successful, their opposition would have likely led to widespread tax increases. That’s the view of Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). “House Democrats continue proving they’re out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans. Republicans are focused on affordability, public safety, and securing the border, while Democrats remain captive to the far-left agenda that’s failing working families,” Hudson said. In one $3 million ad blitz in Florida, Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District and Washington State, AAN slammed Democrats in those areas. “Marie Gluesenkamp Perez must have a short memory. She clearly forgot about us when she voted for the largest tax hike in American history. Perez voted against giving more money to hardworking Washington families,” the ad states in one example. VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS HAMMERED WITH SCATHING AD HANDCUFFING THEM TO MAMDANI, JEFFRIES The group hinted that, even with the $37 million that’s already been spent, its efforts aren’t finished. “Keep an eye out — we have much more to come later this summer,” Winkelman said.
Talarico says the divide is ‘top vs. bottom’ — then heads to one of America’s richest donor enclaves
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who has built a reputation for his anti-corporate rhetoric and criticism of tech, reportedly spent mid-April traveling around the San Francisco Bay Area soliciting donations from deep-pocketed tech executives. Talarico attended at least four California fundraisers organized by major Democratic fundraisers linked to the tech industry in April, according to invitations obtained by Politico as well as a source interviewed by the outlet. The Democratic Senate hopeful criticizes the tech industry on his campaign website, accusing it of profiting off “predatory algorithms” that amplify extremism and promising to protect workers against “intrusive AI surveillance.” The fundraisers took place in Palo Alto, the Mission District of San Francisco, Oakland and Marin County, according to Politico. Among the attendees were venture capitalists, including at least one who advises AI start-ups, wealthy Democratic donors and political staffers. TALARICO TOUTS TEXAS ROOTS AS OUT-OF-STATE CASH POWERS SENATE CAMPAIGN Talarico’s proximity to wealth creates tension with how he has presented himself on the campaign trail. He has stated that “the biggest divide in this country is not left vs. right. It’s top vs. bottom,” argued that the “people at the top work so hard to keep us angry and divided because our unity is a threat to their wealth and power,” characterized lawmakers that take donations from “megadonors” as “puppet politicians,” accused “billionaires are waging war on the rest of us,” and expressed a strong desire to hold corporations accountable. He has also vowed not to accept corporate PAC funding, though he has taken money from corporate executives — the individuals who typically fund and control corporate PACs. PROGRESSIVE TALARICO KNIFES BIDEN’S OPEN BORDER, TRIES MODERATING STANCE ON KEY ISSUES IN TEXAS SENATE RACE While Talarico has raised over $40 million, the second most of any Senate candidate this cycle, the vast majority of that has come from small-dollar donors. Additionally, Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, has a history of accepting large-dollar donations — though he hasn’t taken a stance against the wealthy in the same way as Talarico. “The only way to get Big Money out of our politics is to vote out politicians like Ken Paxton who want corporations and billionaires to decide our elections, not Texans,” Talarico campaign spokesman JT Ennis told Fox News Digital. “James is the only candidate who’s outlined a comprehensive agenda to ban super PACs, ban corporate PACs, ban congressional stock trading and tax billionaires so we can fix this broken, corrupt political system. If anyone supports taxing billionaires more and limiting Big Money’s influence on our politics, they’re welcome to help defeat politicians like Ken Paxton, who rake in millions of dollars from special interests then enrich wealthy donors while working Texans struggle,” he continued. Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy told Politico that the fundraisers are “just another chapter in James Talarico’s saga of lying and hypocrisy as he runs a flip-flopping campaign across the state of Texas.” ABBOTT SPOTLIGHTS NO-SHOW TALARICO, LAUNCHING TEXAS-SIZED CRIME CRACKDOWN Fox News Digital previously reported that Talarico is far more reliant on out-of-state donors than Paxton, a trend common among Democrats challenging Republicans in swing states. Democrats have sought to flip Texas blue for decades, often spending large sums of money in ill-fated attempts to dethrone Republican gubernatorial and senatorial incumbents. Some in the party feel that 2026 could be different from their past failures in the Lone Star. Talarico’s open Christian faith, for one, is seen as something that could provide him with cross-party appeal. That, combined with his incredibly strong fundraising numbers, tendency to generate viral clips and an unpopular Republican in the White House, could propel Talarico to an upset victory. In any case, the race for Senate in Texas is shaping up to be an expensive one. One Democratic fundraiser projected that the contest could cost north of half a billion dollars across all sides.
Trump’s new Iran deal faces nuclear blind spot over uranium stockpile, experts warn
President Donald Trump’s new Iran framework is drawing warnings from nuclear experts who say the deal could leave Tehran too much control over its uranium stockpile unless inspectors first locate, secure and verify the material. The concern centers on language in the reported U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) saying the two sides will resolve the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile through a still-to-be-negotiated process. The MOU identifies on-site “downblending,” which means diluting enriched uranium so it is less usable for a nuclear weapon, under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision as the minimum acceptable method for dealing with the material. The MOU does not explicitly say Iran will retain a civilian nuclear program, but it says the two sides will discuss enrichment and other matters related to Iran’s “nuclear needs” in a final deal. “Unfettered verification is everything,” Chuck DeVore, Chief National Initiatives Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “There can be no denial for teams to inspect on the ground. Remote, technological means can achieve a lot, but nothing beats in-person inspections.” TRUMP NUCLEAR TALKS FACE DEFINING QUESTION: WHAT HAPPENS TO IRAN’S URANIUM STOCKPILE? The warnings from experts come as the MOU has already been signed, while planned follow-up talks in Switzerland aimed at launching technical negotiations were postponed Friday. The delay leaves key nuclear details unresolved as the agreement begins a 60-day window for negotiating a final deal. IAEA supervision would only be meaningful if inspectors first regain enough access to fully account for Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and ensure Tehran does not retain unchecked control of the material, nuclear experts who spoke with Fox News Digital warned. Meanwhile, a recent IAEA report released this month underscored the agency’s limited visibility into Iran’s declared nuclear program after last year’s military strikes, saying that aside from a single inspection at an Iranian nuclear power plant, the agency “has not received information from Iran” about the status of its other declared nuclear facilities or associated nuclear material. “Nor has the Agency had access” to those sites for in-field verification, the report noted. A senior administration official told Fox News Digital on background that the MOU required Iran’s regime to reaffirm that it will not procure or develop nuclear weapons, calling that a critical first step under Iran’s new Supreme Leader. The official said the U.S. has reached understandings with Iran when it comes to its uranium stockpile, and the new deal is the first step of turning these understandings into real results, which include progress on enriched uranium stockpiles, dismantlement of nuclear sites, an enrichment ban and inspection access. The official added that the U.S. has already had productive discussions with Iran on those issues and, now that the MOU is formally in place, negotiators will work to make quick progress. US-IRAN TALKS POSTPONED IN SWITZERLAND AMID ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH TENSIONS; HORMUZ REMAINS A KEY ISSUE The official also referred Fox News Digital to comments Vice President JD Vance made Thursday, when he said the deal’s benefits depend on Iran following through on its promises. “They have promised not to enrich. They have promised that they would allow inspectors in to destroy that highly enriched stockpile. And then, of course, it’s not usable anymore. You take it somewhere else,” Vance said. “They promised a number of things, and that’s why the deal contemplates a number of benefits if they do those things. But it doesn’t do anything if they don’t actually meet those promises.” Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation Program, told Fox News Digital that any credible agreement must begin with recovering and safeguarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, and not allowing Tehran to keep control of the material while it is diluted inside the country. “Without verifiably dismantling and destroying all of Iran’s fundamental nuclear capabilities — nuclear material, facilities, centrifuges, manufacturing capabilities, equipment, documentation, and weaponization capacities, and ensuring scientists are redirected to civilian work — Iran’s pledge on paper is meaningless,” she told Fox News Digital, noting that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile could, if recovered and further enriched, provide enough weapons-grade material for roughly 22 nuclear weapons. HOW DOES TRUMP SOLVE KEY ‘NUCLEAR DUST’ HANG-UP IN NEGOTIATIONS TO END IRAN WAR? DeVore was more cautious about assigning a single number to Iran’s potential weapons capacity, saying the estimate depends heavily on the sophistication of the weapon design. He said the same stockpile could translate into fewer basic weapons or be stretched further by a more advanced nuclear program. He said on-site downblending, if properly verified, would be aimed at making Iran’s roughly 1,000 pounds of 60% enriched uranium unavailable for further enrichment. DeVore cautioned that the material would still need additional processing to be turned into weapons-grade uranium and said he does not believe Tehran can currently do that because key facilities were destroyed in last year’s strikes. Asked what would be needed to make any Iran deal enforceable, DeVore told Fox News Digital the U.S. must avoid repeating what he described as a key weakness of the Obama-era nuclear deal: allowing Tehran to restrict access or keep certain sites off limits. He said the “ultimate question” is on-site verification, warning that Washington cannot allow itself to be pushed into “an agreement for agreement’s sake.” TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN RIPS INTO TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL, SAYS $300B MAKES OBAMA DEAL LOOK LIKE ‘A PITTANCE’ DeVore also said the Obama-era JCPOA gave inspectors too much notice and too little freedom to inspect suspicious locations as well, arguing that any new deal must avoid a system where Iran can delay, limit or steer inspections before the IAEA gets on the ground. DeVore told Fox News Digital that his concern is informed by his experience as a young special assistant for foreign affairs in the Reagan administration, when he worked on verification issues surrounding Cold War-era nuclear agreements with the Soviet Union, including the Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty and the Threshold Test Ban Treaty. In those negotiations, DeVore said, the danger
Obama Center engineer fires back at online critics ripping architecture as ‘monstrous insult’
CHICAGO — One of the people who helped design the towering Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s South Side told Fox News Digital that boldness was the 44th president’s goal in the construction of what has become a polarizing finished product. “The architects knew with the client that they wanted to do something bold at the top of the tower, and the vision of the speech came to life,” Chris Bird, a Washington, D.C. based structural engineer told Fox News Digital just before the site opened to the public Friday. Specifically, Bird designed the upper quadrant of the tower comprised of quotes from various speeches delivered by Obama during his two terms in office. The 91 words wrap around a corner of the building and make for a unique look that has been both praised and ridiculed. There are 433 individual letters, which Bird said each stand at around five feet tall. “Working with the design architects and also their graphic designers to figure out how to shape and move a speech, splice it and put it on a building is actually really unprecedented,” Bird said. “There’s no architectural precedent, in my opinion.” OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER BREAKS SILENCE OVER CONTROVERSIAL BUILDING DESIGN Fox News Digital spoke with more than a dozen of the thousands of people who packed the 19.3 acre campus during its public opening Friday, who used words like “phenomenal,” “breathtaking,” “amazing,” “futuristic” and “unique” to describe the center’s design. The center has been ripped by online detractors as a “monstrous insult to architecture, a “concrete nightmare” and a “monstrosity.” But Bird is pleased by the result and undeterred by criticism. OBAMA CENTER OPENS AFTER YEARS-LONG SAGA AS LOCALS WARN ‘MONSTROSITY’ COULD PRICE THEM OUT “Now that it’s complete, it feels like it really anchors this site and this neighborhood,” he said. “You know, it’s able to blend in with the park in a way that’s really nice. I mean, the landscape architecture — as well as the building — the landscape architectures is incredible.” He said it invokes emotion in the people he met during the opening festivities. “I mean, it’s nothing but smiles and some tears sometimes. I think everyone finds a bit of themselves that they knew or didn’t know they needed here, which is really special,” he said. Bird certainly disagrees with the characterization that the building is a “monstrosity.” “So, the tower itself is an incredible gesture in the rest of the park,” he said. “We’re reaching toward the sky, it is tall, but it’s not much taller — I mean it’s kind of matched in size by lots of the buildings around this area.” “I think to say that it’s a monstrosity is wrong. I would say that it’s a really grand gesture and a bold statement.”
JD Vance reveals what drew him back to God after seeing Christians had life ‘figured out’
EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance said years spent chasing academic, professional and financial success ultimately left him searching for something deeper, leading him back to Christianity and eventually to the Catholic faith he practices today. “I was really worried about where I went to school and what kind of job I had and what kind of money that I made. But I felt like that wasn’t making me a good person, whereas the Christians in my life seem to have it figured out,” Vance told Fox News Digital in an interview as his new memoir, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” hit bookshelves. Whether they were rich or poor, whatever their background or education was. They were just much better people; they were much more gracious and much more kind.” Vance’s book debuted on Tuesday, recounting the path that took him from a Protestant childhood to atheism — and ultimately to the Catholic faith he embraces today. Vance’s reflections come as he is increasingly regarded as one of the Republican Party’s strongest potential presidential candidates for 2028. JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM “There have been so many people who have been very good to me, but I just felt at home in the churches that I was going to with my Catholic friends and that’s a big part of why I converted,” Vance told Fox News Digital. He came to believe that the joy, kindness and character he saw in the Christians around him stemmed from their faith. “Some of those people call the Catholic Church their home. So I’d go to church with them or I’d talk to them about various things that were on my mind… sometimes God puts people in front of you,” said Vance. SECOND LADY USHA VANCE ON MOTHER’S DAY AND WHAT SHE STRIVES FOR AS A MOM He shared that he loves how American Christianity is “dynamic” with the various denominations. Vance drew headlines in October when he spoke out about his wife’s Hindu faith, sharing his desire for her to convert. “Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that,” Vance said at the time. In his book, the vice president points out that it is his wife who helps usher the children off to Sunday Mass even though she does not practice Catholicism. JD VANCE DEFENDS WIFE USHA AGAINST ‘DISGRACEFUL’ ATTACKS OVER INDIAN HERITAGE: SHE’S ‘WAY OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE’ “Usha and I talk about everything. She really is my best friend, and she’s the most interesting person,” said Vance. The Vances have three children, Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 4, and are expecting a fourth child in July. Vance said he was surprised by the backlash to his comments last year, arguing that it is “common sense” to want the people you love to share your faith. Illinois Democratic representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is Indian-American himself, took aim at the vice president. “At a time when Hindu and Indian-American communities are confronting a climate of rising prejudice, talk of mass deportations, and growing anti-Hindu sentiment—even against members of his own party—it’s deeply disappointing that the Vice President would add to that climate through his recent comments while remaining silent in the face of hate,” the congressman wrote on X. Vance shared that their family life is still centered around faith no matter what faith it is. “She definitely participates in the rituals of the church with us, and I really love that. That’s part of our family life that is very good. Whether we do church at home or whether we go out to a church, she’s the person who’s helping me get the kids ready, and the kids are always late, and it takes forever to get their shoes on. “Even though she’s not a Christian, she’s been very much a part of my faith journey in ways big and small,” said Vance.
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.