Former Olympian among those charged with vandalizing Reflecting Pool, Trump vows immediate repairs: report
Multiple people have been arrested this weekend after allegedly vandalizing the newly refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, prompting a strong response from President Donald Trump and an increase in security at the site. Journalist Emily Miller posted a two-minute video on X Friday showing a man in lime-green racing gear questioning a National Guardsman before being handcuffed by U.S. Park Police. The Washington Post later identified the man in Miller’s video as David Hearn, 67, a former three-time Olympian who was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property. TRUMP SAYS VANDALS USED CHEMICALS TO DAMAGE NEWLY RENOVATED REFLECTING POOL NEAR LINCOLN MEMORIAL Hearn told the outlet he had just finished a 52-mile bike ride when he noticed a “partially detached piece” of the new pool liner and “reached into the water to see what it felt like.” While Miller claimed in her post that Hearn “grabbed” a hose that National Park Service workers were using to remediate algae growth, Hearn told The Washington Post the hose “may” only have been touched by his bike tire. “I didn’t vandalize anything,” Hearn told the outlet. TRUMP TAKES MOTORCADE INTO REFLECTING POOL, BLASTS PAST ‘$38M DISASTER’ FIX UNDER OBAMA Hearn, who was arrested in 1996 on charges of canoeing on the Potomac River, but later had them dropped, said, “I didn’t destroy, break, or peel anything. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already being handcuffed.” Miller reported Saturday that seven people were detained in separate incidents on Friday for getting into the pool, which has led to a major security surge. Trump addressed the recent incidents Saturday afternoon on Truth Social, confirming Park Police arrested “multiple” people for vandalizing “our Nation’s magnificent Reflecting Poll.” “Who would do such a thing?” the president wrote in the post. “These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.” Trump on Friday noted Park Police has had “real problems” with vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, as the administration faces scrutiny over peeling paint and algae growth just weeks after a $14.8 million restoration project was completed. The White House, U.S. Park Police and Miller did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Obama Presidential Center follows widely-mocked ‘stolen land’ acknowledgment with Native American dance show
CHICAGO — After officials kicked off the opening weekend of the Barack Obama Presidential Center with a widely mocked “land acknowledgment” — a nod to the political far-left that believes the United States was built on “stolen land” — a traditional Native American dance show was featured during Saturday’s scheduled events. The Black Hawk Performance Company is a Native American dance troupe based in the Chicago area, composed of dancers from several Indigenous tribes. Saturday marked the third day of the Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening, which featured musical and cultural performances ranging from international superstars like John Legend to local drum lines. The lively Native American display, held in John Lewis Plaza on the center’s campus, featured a drum circle, several traditional dances and songs, including one honoring a Native American flag. The performance lasted for about an hour, and toward the end, included many of the hundreds of people who watched in the plaza. OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER’S OPENING CEREMONY RIDICULED FOR ‘LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT’ BEFORE STAR-STUDDED SHOW But Thursday night, the opening ceremony for the center began with an awkward admission that the center itself rests on land that rightfully belongs to Native Americans. Valerie Jarrett, the former senior advisor to Obama when he was president and the current CEO of the Obama Foundation, kicked things off. “We’d also like to take a moment to recognize the original inhabitants of the land upon which we are gathered today,” she said. “We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa and the Potawatomi nations.” WATCH: DNC OPENS SUMMER MEETING WITH LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, CLAIMS THAT US SUPPRESSES INDIGENOUS HISTORY Some of Saturday’s performers were from the Ojibwe tribe. Land acknowledgments like Jarrett’s are sometimes criticized as woke performative gestures that often ring hollow, as noted by a huge number of X users after Jarrett’s speech. “Obama Presidential Center grand opening begins with acknowledging they’re on stolen land. And then they kept the land,” one X commenter said. “Pretty sure Indians would remove the apocalyptic looking Soviet bloc style dumpster building from their land first thing.” CARVILLE REBUKES DNC OVER WOKE ‘LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT’ LAMENTING TREATMENT OF NATIVE AMERICANS Conservative commentator Glenn Beck unleashed on the hypocrisy. “The sheer arrogance of the Obama Foundation using the $850 million Obama Presidential Center to lecture us about standing on ‘stolen land’ is HILARIOUS,” he said. “They’re basically saying, ‘Yeah, we acknowledge we stole this land. IT’S SO WRONG. But the gift shop is to your left, and tickets are 30 bucks.’ If they genuinely believe they’re holding stolen property, they should either GIVE IT BACK or shut the hell up.” Town hall senior strategist Siraj Hashmi roasted Obama and company with a reference to infamous Chicago rapper Chief Keef. “Pretty disrespectful for the Obama Presidential Center to not acknowledge the current tribe leader of the South Side of Chicago: Chief Keef,” Hashmi quipped. Further, the center features a placard recognizing that the land actually belongs to “indigenous peoples.” The sign says that the Obama Foundation acknowledges “the sovereign Indigenous peoples who have, since time immemorial, inhabited and stewarded the lands many of us call home.” It also says that “Indigenous peoples” have worked to “combat and rightfully reverse the forces of settler colonialism” and features a 2009 Obama quote reflecting on broken treaties, lost lands and the treatment of Native Americans. “Treaties were violated. Promises were broken,” Obama said at the time. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Obama Center embeds ‘Indigenous’ land message on controversial site
Following its Juneteenth opening, the Obama Presidential Center is embracing a message tied to one of the modern left’s most contentious ideas that America was built on land “stolen” from Indians. During Thursday’s dedication ceremony, Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett opened proceedings by acknowledging the American Indian tribes who originally inhabited the land where the center now stands. But the acknowledgment extends well beyond the opening ceremony. Just a few feet from the center’s landmark museum tower and near the Obama statue, visitors encounter a permanent display, “Acknowledging Indigenous Peoples’ Land and Territory.” OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER’S OPENING CEREMONY RIDICULED FOR ‘LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT’ BEFORE STAR-STUDDED SHOW The sign states that the Obama Foundation acknowledges “the sovereign Indigenous peoples who have, since time immemorial, inhabited and stewarded the lands many of us call home.” Another section of the sign states that “Indigenous peoples” have worked to “combat and rightfully reverse the forces of settler colonialism” and features a 2009 Obama quote reflecting on broken treaties, lost lands and the treatment of Native Americans. “Treaties were violated. Promises were broken,” Obama said. Land acknowledgments have become common at universities, museums and public events, but critics often mock them as performative exercises associated with the view that America was built on “stolen land.” Supporters argue they serve as an important recognition of the history of American Indians and their connection to the land. SUBCONTRACTORS SAY THEY’RE OWED MILLIONS, FACE FINANCIAL RUIN, AFTER HELPING BUILD OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER But the land acknowledgment also underlines a glaring irony, one that was largely absent from Thursday’s opening ceremony, according to some critics. The Obama Presidential Center, operated by the private Obama Foundation, sits on public land transferred to the foundation by the city of Chicago for just $10 under a controversial agreement. “People here in future years are going to hear about how this land was stolen from the Native Americans,” Illinois GOP Chair Bob Grogan told Fox News Digital outside the center last week. “But, underneath, you should all be reading into this, that it was actually stolen from the citizens of Illinois, not from the Native Americans.” The criticism stems from a yearslong legal and political battle over the transfer of 19.3 acres of Jackson Park public land to the Obama Foundation under a 99-year agreement requiring the one-time $10 payment. Critics also argue that what was originally presented as a presidential library evolved into a campus that serves as the home of the Obama Foundation. Grogan said visitors should view the display through the lens of the center’s own history. He argued the land was created after the Great Chicago Fire through landfill and public works projects and belongs to Chicago taxpayers. “This land actually was recaptured from the Great Chicago Fire. They took a bunch of rubble and actually created this land,” he said. “So, it has nothing to do with the Native Americans, but it has everything to do with stealing it from the taxpayers of the city of Chicago.” Grogan argued the land fight cannot be separated from the broader controversy surrounding the center, which has seen construction costs approach $1 billion and required millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded infrastructure improvements around Jackson Park. He also pointed to the Obama Foundation’s unfulfilled pledge to build a $470 million endowment fund intended to protect taxpayers from future operating costs. Critics point to another irony. In addition, the center was promoted as a catalyst for economic opportunity on Chicago’s South Side and a vehicle for supporting minority-owned businesses. Yet a recent Fox News Digital investigation found several subcontractors — including minority-owned firms — claiming they are owed millions of dollars for work on the project. The Obama Foundation did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
Dem who sued to remove Trump’s name from Kennedy Center now says venue becoming ‘lifeless husk’ in fresh fight
Those in charge at the Kennedy Center have been accused by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, of purposely allowing the Washington, D.C., venue to languish into a “lifeless husk” by not resuming regular shows and programming. Beatty, an ex officio board member of the Kennedy Center, initially filed the lawsuit against President Donald Trump in December 2025, when the board decided to install signage displaying his name alongside Kennedy’s on the building. According to a court filing Friday, Beatty’s legal team argued the current board, with Trump as chairman, is in violation of a May court order by “refusing to take any steps to maintain the Center’s operations, and will effectively close the Center as a performing arts venue come July 5, 2026.” “They plan to turn the Kennedy Center into a lifeless husk,” Beatty’s lawyers wrote. JONATHAN TURLEY: TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER NAME CHANGE WILL KEEP LAWYERS BUSY FOR YEARS Lawyers for the Kennedy Center responded by saying, “The Court’s order did not affirmatively require the Board to reschedule programming that had previously been canceled or to seek new programming.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Kennedy Center and the White House for additional comment. The order from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper prevented the Kennedy Center from initiating its planned two-year closure for renovations. Cooper also ordered Trump’s name taken off the building, which happened last weekend. Cooper’s 94-page order last month did not explicitly say that shows must immediately resume, given that there are “at least some plans to restart rehearsals, performances and educational programming.” FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP’S NAME REMOVED FROM KENNEDY CENTER, SAYS ONLY CONGRESS CAN RENAME IT He did say that the board “bears an affirmative duty to carry out the Center’s programming and maintain a memorial to President Kennedy. It may not simply stop putting on shows altogether.” The Kennedy Center said its management would begin presenting recommendations for plans to reopen. The venue’s lawyers said the board is considering several options, including a full closure with no programming, a partial closure that would keep some areas open to the public and allow performances in unaffected spaces and a phased repair plan that would revive a full programming schedule. A vote on these options, which they say have not been finalized, will be held in mid-July, Kennedy Center lawyers said. TRUMP FIRES KENNEDY CENTER BOARD MEMBERS CITING DRAG SHOWS, APPOINTS HIMSELF CHAIRMAN The battle over the Kennedy Center began in February 2025, shortly after Trump was inaugurated for a second time as president. He replaced several trustees on the board, while also appointing himself a trustee. The new Trump-allied board then elected him chair, enabling him to fire the previous president of the center, Deborah Rutter. In a speech in May 2025, he claimed that, under Rutter’s leadership, the board “wasted millions and millions of dollars and handed us a budget deficit of $26 million.” “In addition, the programming was out of control with rampant political propaganda, DEI, and inappropriate shows. We had some very inappropriate shows, to put it — I think, to put it very nicely,” Trump added. Also in May 2025, the new board stripped all 23 ex officio members of voting rights. Members of this category include notable Democrats, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Education Secretary Linda McMahon among them. In February, Trump announced the two-year closure on Truth Social, which was later blocked as a result of Beatty’s lawsuit. The saga culminated on June 13, when workers began removing Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center. The sign previously said “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts.”
Biden scores temporary court victory as Trump-appointed judge delays release of Hur investigation materials
Former President Joe Biden has won another three weeks to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts tied to special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction while a federal appeals court reviews his challenge. The recordings stem from Biden’s interviews with Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter of his 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad.” U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, on Friday issued an injunction pending appeal that prevents the Justice Department from releasing the materials while the D.C. Circuit considers the case. The order came just hours after Friedrich denied Biden’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have stopped the release altogether. The legal battle could determine whether Americans ever hear the recordings that helped shape Hur’s decision not to prosecute Biden over his handling of classified documents. The audio has been the subject of intense scrutiny because Hur raised questions about Biden’s memory in explaining why he declined to bring charges against Biden for mishandling classified documents. GREGG JARRETT: RELEASE THE BIDEN TAPES AND LET AMERICANS HEAR THE TRUTH FOR THEMSELVES Although the Justice Department previously released audio from Biden’s interviews with Hur, the recordings at the center of the current legal battle involve separate conversations between Biden and Zwonitzer. Hur’s 2024 report repeatedly referenced Biden’s recorded conversations with Zwonitzer. The special counsel described some exchanges as “painfully slow” and said Biden at times struggled to recall events and relay information, observations that fueled scrutiny of the Biden’s cognitive abilities during an election year. The Heritage Foundation and its Oversight Project director, Mike Howell, have spent more than two years seeking the recordings and transcripts through FOIA requests. Heritage Foundation officials have argued the public has a strong interest in reviewing the materials referenced throughout Hur’s report, particularly because the special counsel relied on the recordings in explaining his decision not to pursue criminal charges. Biden has been fighting to keep the potentially embarrassing recordings under wraps. CNN HOST SUGGESTS ROBERT HUR ‘UNDERSOLD’ EXTENT OF BIDEN MEMORY LAPSES DURING SPECIAL COUNSEL INTERVIEW After Friedrich denied Biden’s motion for a preliminary injunction Friday, Biden’s legal team immediately sought emergency relief to preserve the status quo while appealing the decision. In an emergency filing, Biden’s attorneys argued that disclosure would effectively end the case before appellate judges could review the legal questions involved. They maintained that once the recordings are released, any privacy protections would be permanently lost, and the appeal would become largely moot. The filing also stressed that the FOIA litigation has already been pending for more than two years and argued there was no urgent public need requiring immediate disclosure of conversations that occurred roughly a decade ago between Biden and his ghostwriter. Biden’s attorneys noted that the former president is now a private citizen who neither holds nor is seeking public office. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT The Justice Department initially withheld the recordings and much of the transcript material under several FOIA exemptions. Earlier this year, however, the department reversed course and determined the records could be released with redactions after concluding that significant public interest existed in understanding evidence relied upon by Hur during his investigation. After the Justice Department announced plans to release the recordings, Biden filed suit in May to stop the disclosure, claiming the audiotapes contain private conversations that should remain protected from public release and, if released, would be in violation of the Privacy Act. His legal team argued that the department’s decision violates the Privacy Act and constitutes arbitrary agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act. Leading Biden’s legal effort is Amy Jeffress, a partner at Washington-based law firm Hecker Fink and a former Justice Department national security official. Jeffress has served as the primary attorney advancing Biden’s challenge to the release of the materials and signed the recent emergency filing seeking to prevent disclosure while the appeal proceeds. Jeffress has also drawn attention because she is married to U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee who recently ruled against the Trump administration in a high-profile dispute involving the Kennedy Center. Cooper’s ruling prompted criticism from some Trump allies and conservative commentators who pointed to the judge’s family connection to Biden’s attorney, suggesting a conflict of interest may be at play in Cooper’s work.
Explosive report unearths prominent union money trail labeled a ‘stunning betrayal’ of MAGA members
FIRST ON FOX — A major railroad union is under fire after a watchdog report alleged its leadership funneled money to support Democratic causes that opposed the Trump administration, undermining many of its own MAGA members while also spending millions on questionable expenses. Leaders of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED-IBT), one of the nation’s largest rail unions representing 37,000 members, are accused of using union resources to support Democratic priorities through their spending, according to a report released by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF). “The leadership’s progressive alignment is a stunning betrayal of the large proportion of its working-class members who support the MAGA agenda and President Trump’s leadership,” the report said. “BMWE’s one-sided partisanship is evidenced by its attacks on the Trump agenda and its broad support for Democratic causes.” NATION’S 2 LARGEST TEACHERS UNIONS FUNNELED NEARLY $50M TO LEFT-WING GROUPS, WATCHDOG REPORT SAYS The report described the union’s leadership as “leftward bent,” citing attacks on Trump during his first term, including claims he was “undoing Obama’s legacy” and that his deregulation efforts were “dangerous.” Additionally, the report found the union supported left-leaning causes such as Black Lives Matter, abortion and universal health care, while opposing Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and maintaining ties to Democratic organizations and prominent Democrats, including Reps. Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill., and Dina Titus, D-Nev. The report added that the union’s leaders have displayed a “stunning betrayal” and abandoned “the will” of their large MAGA member base, underscoring a growing disconnect between organized labor leadership and many “rank-and-file” union members. “While the broad support for the Trump-Vance agenda by industrial union members has been widely reported on, news of this nearly decade-old realignment has apparently yet to reach the leadership of the Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way Employees Division (BMWE) union whose dues-paying members repeatedly cast ballots for President Trump,” the report said. Beyond the union’s political alignment, the report examined BMWED-IBT’s spending practices. LARGEST PUBLIC-SECTOR UNIONS SPENT EYE-POPPING AMOUNT ON LEFT-WING POLITICS — 86% FUNDED BY MEMBER DUES The union allegedly sent more than $441,098 to “left-wing” organizations, including the Center for American Progress, a leading progressive think tank; more than $100,000 to the National Democratic Club across multiple years; and the National Teamsters Hispanic Caucus, according to the report. The report said both the National Democratic Club and the National Teamsters Hispanic Caucus are known for their stances against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The report further examines the Teamsters’ Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education (D.R.I.V.E.) PAC, which BMWED-IBT joined after its political action committee merged into the PAC in 2004, saying the PAC heavily favored Democrats in its political spending by donating about $13.76 million to Democratic Party committees compared with about $729,846 to Republican committees. Recent polling shows that labor unions like BMWED-IBT consist of a large number of workers who support Trump, including Teamsters polling that shows a 60-40 breakdown in favor of Trump and exit polling from the 2024 election that shows working-class voters without a college degree went 56% for Trump and 42% for Harris. Not only did the report point to the union’s Democratic associations, but also what it described as “massive wasteful spending,” claiming that roughly two-thirds of headquarters employees earned six-figure salaries in 2024, while the average BMWED-IBT member earned $61,692. SENIOR TRUMP OFFICIAL REVEALS VISIT THAT SET ‘TRAJECTORY’ FOR ELECTION VICTORY The report said BMWED-IBT President Tony D. Cardwell earned $233,492 and Secretary-Treasurer Dale Bogart earned $206,709 that year, adding members of BMWED-IBT Local Lodge 1020, a local union, pay nearly $100 per month in dues “that goes to subsidizing the salaries of union leadership.” Additionally, the report alleges BMWED-IBT spent more than $18 million from 2017 to 2024, including $7.25 million on hotels and conferences, $5.44 million on legal fees, $2.71 million on promotional items and merchandise and $2.11 million on travel. The union allegedly spent $2.33 million at casinos and resorts alone during the same period, including a $522,281 payment to Caesars Entertainment in 2023, according to the report, which argues the spending shows leadership’s priorities are not in the right place. “While hardworking rank-and-file members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way Employees Division Union are busting their backs, making an average of $60K per year, woke union bosses live like kings and have wasted millions in union dues on progressive activism, hotel stays and casino trips,” AAF President Tom Jones told Fox News Digital. “The BMWE Union is completely out of touch with its members and is actively betraying the very Trump-supporting workers it claims to support.” The union pushed back strongly against the report in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Since taking over leadership of the BMWED-IBT in 2022, our union has operated at a budget surplus,” Cardwell said. “In fact, it was one of our most prioritized goals to become fiscally responsible and diligent stewards of the memberships’ money. We are accomplishing this goal.” Cardwell said the union’s work “on Capitol Hill or in any statehouse nationwide” is focused on “securing the best policy and protections” for members, saying that it donates to lawmakers from either party who support railroad workers because “party affiliation is not a determining factor for our political arm – support of working railroaders is the only thing that matters.” “No dues dollars are allocated to political lobbying,” Cardwell said. “The only money donated to politicians comes from our Teamster PAC, which is and has always been voluntarily funded. It is vital that we have a voice in the political realm and this is how we accomplish it, with impartiality and the goal of achieving the best policies and legislation possible for our members.” Despite the union’s Democratic ties, BMWED-IBT has collaborated with Republicans on key rail safety legislation, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who recently introduced the Secure Tracks Act, which would require railroad companies to use both human and automated track inspections. Cardwell said the union has “garnered more Republican support on the Hill than in
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.