Trump declared ‘fully fit’ for all presidential duties after annual physical shows ‘excellent health’
President Donald Trump remains in “excellent health,” his physician said in a memo released Friday following the president’s annual physical earlier this week. The report came after Trump underwent his annual examination Tuesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “President Donald Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function,” Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the president’s physician, wrote in the memo. “His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being,” Barbabella continued. “Cognitive and physical performance are excellent.” JAKE TAPPER REFUTES JILL BIDEN’S CLAIM SHE FEARED FOR HUSBAND’S HEALTH AT CNN DEBATE “He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” he added. The evaluation included diagnostic studies, laboratory testing and consultations with 22 specialty providers. Trump, who turns 80 in June, is 75 inches tall and weighs 238 pounds. He has a resting heart rate of 73 beats per minute, a blood pressure reading of 105/71 mmHg and an oxygen saturation level of 98% on room air, according to the report. WASHINGTON POST DECLARES AMERICANS DESERVE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO BIDEN’S HEALTH, POSSIBLE COVER-UP The examination did not identify any major health concerns. Barbabella noted scarring on Trump’s right ear from the gunshot wound he suffered during an assassination attempt in 2024. The physician also reported mild lower-leg swelling, which he said had improved from the previous year. WHITE HOUSE EXPLAINS BRUISE ON TRUMP’S HAND SEEN DURING MACRON MEETING Trump underwent a neurological examination that demonstrated “normal mental status,” including cognitive screening in which he scored 30 out of 30, according to the report. Barbabella also noted bruising on the president’s hand “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking in the setting of aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention.” The physician reported no significant abnormalities in Trump’s laboratory results. Trump’s “lifelong abstinence from tobacco and alcohol” was also highlighted in his medical history. According to the memo, Trump currently takes three medications: Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe for cholesterol management, along with aspirin for cardiovascular prevention.
Donna Brazile brushes off Biden’s stroke fears, says Democrats must ‘focus on the future’
Former acting chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Donna Brazile was not interested in talking about former first lady Jill Biden’s comments on being “frightened” watching her husband in the 2024 presidential debate. Jill Biden recently told CBS that while watching her husband’s debate performance against President Donald Trump, she feared he was suffering a medical emergency and thought he might be having a stroke. Her comments renewed attention on concerns about then-President Joe Biden’s age and health, which intensified after his widely scrutinized debate performance. JILL BIDEN SAYS SHE THOUGHT JOE WAS HAVING A STROKE DURING HIS DISASTROUS 2024 DEBATE PERFORMANCE “I don’t want to talk about Jill Biden right now,” Brazile said when Fox News Digital asked her to share her thoughts on the former first lady’s recent comments on her husband’s debate. Fox News Digital pressed Brazile to respond as conversations have been circulating around the 2024 election and what went wrong — particularly following the calling for and release of the 2024 DNC autopsy report, an internal review of the party’s 2024 defeat and the factors that contributed to it. Brazile, referring to herself in the third person, urged Democrats to deny any calls to look to the past, and instead focus on the future of the party and upcoming elections. “Donna Brazile will not focus on the past,” she said. “Donna Brazile want to focus on the future.” She argued Democrats already made their decision in 2024 when Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE FLIP FLOPS, PULLS PLUG ON ITS 2024 ELECTION ‘AUTOPSY’ “We made that decision in 2024 when the then-president decided to step down and pass the torch to Kamala,” Brazile said. A longtime Democratic strategist, Brazile served as interim chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2011 and again in 2016. She has remained an influential voice within Democratic politics through multiple presidential election cycles and has frequently weighed in on the party’s direction following major electoral setbacks. There has been widespread criticism over how Democrats handled concerns about Joe Biden’s age and his cognitive health, and whether that impacted the party’s performance in 2024. DEMS FACE A LITMUS TEST OVER BIDEN’S COGNITIVE ABILITIES There has been continued debate within the Democratic Party about how it handled concerns about Biden’s age and cognitive health for office before he ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Harris. Brazile’s comments highlight a divide between Democrats seeking a fuller accounting of the events that led to Biden’s withdrawal and the party’s 2024 loss and those who believe the focus should shift toward rebuilding ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and future presidential contests. But Brazile made clear where she stands. “Anyone who’s focusing on the past is not focused on the future,” she said. “I’m actually focused on ’26, ’28, ’32.”
Maryland Lt Gov rejects Trump’s corruption claims over mail-in voting error: ‘It happens’
Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller pushed back on President Donald Trump’s call for a Justice Department investigation into a state mail-in ballot error, rejecting allegations of corruption and arguing election administration mistakes occur in almost “every election.” Trump called for the DOJ to open an investigation into some Maryland voters receiving incorrect mail-in ballots for the upcoming primary elections, after election officials admitted to an error by the state’s election board. This prompted Trump to put the blame on Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, accusing him of corruptly interfering with the election process to ensure a win for Democrats. The Maryland State Board of Elections announced that it had been “made aware of an error by our mail-in ballot vendor,” Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc. TRUMP CALLS FOR DOJ PROBE INTO MARYLAND MAIL-IN BALLOT ERROR, SUSPECTING ‘CORRUPT’ GOV. WES MOORE TIES “This was done by the Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore,” Trump wrote on Truth Social May 18. “He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win. Miller told Fox News Digital that the Maryland State Board of Elections operates independently from the governor’s administration and characterized ballot-distribution errors as a recurring issue in election administration. “The administration, they’re a separate body from us, the board of elections,” Miller said. “And it happens, sometimes,” she continued. “Ballots get mailed the wrong way. It happens almost in every election. While election administration errors have occurred in Maryland, including a voter-roll software glitch in 2018, there is no publicly available evidence showing that incorrect mail ballots are an “every election” occurrence. The state elections board will send out new ballots to all voters who were mailed one before May 14, acknowledging that many voters receiving new ballots may not have been affected by the mishap. The state elections board said there was “no risk of duplicate voting as a result of this issue,” claiming the state has safeguards in place to avoid this from happening. Trump also questioned how the issue would be resolved without any potential threat of duplicate voting. POLITICAL STINK: MARYLAND GOV. WES MOORE CALLS TRUMP’S SEWAGE SPILL BLAME ‘ABSURD’ “In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent.” “In addition, many of these Ballots went to Democrats, so any Republican running in Maryland doesn’t have a chance!” Miller rejected the idea that this issue was intentional or was the result of corruption within the state. “I don’t think it was in malice, in any bad way that this happened,” she told Fox News Digital. “I think it was just error by the vendor.” State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis also denied Trump’s claim that any “illegal” ballots were distributed. MARYLAND BALLOT BLUNDER TRIGGERS GOP PUSH FOR FEDERAL REVIEW OF BLUE STATE’S VOTER ROLLS Trump said he has asked Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department to investigate the ballot error, but the DOJ has not publicly announced the opening of an investigation. Miller also said that she has not had any information shared with her by the DOJ into what the investigation will entail. “We’ll see what the investigation shows,” Miller said.
FBI arrests protester who threatened to kill ICE officer’s family at NJ detention center protest, Blanche says
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday said that a man who made death threats against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer and his family at a protest in New Jersey Thursday night had been arrested. The arrest came just hours after Blanche promised the protester, who was captured on video, would be found and arrested. “That’s a federal crime,” Blanche said on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show” on Thursday. “Not only threatening the ICE officer — but think about how disgusting this individual is by threatening his wife and his children with death. In the video, the protester can be heard taunting the officer: “I will kill your whole f—ing family. Your whole f—ing family is dead. Your children and wife all dead. I have your face mother—er! All dead!” ANTI-ICE AGITATOR SCREAMS ‘I’LL KILL YOUR WHOLE F- FAMILY’ DAY AFTER DEM GOV PRAISES ‘PEACEFUL PROTESTING’ Blanche said the officer was just doing his job and “standing there.” On Friday evening, Blanche wrote on X: Told you. @FBI just arrested the man who threatened to kill ICE officers and their families. FAFO.” He has not yet been identified. ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY The clash occurred Thursday evening outside of Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center where protesters were accused of biting, kicking and punching agents. Agents responded by deploying pepper spray and beating back agitators as the protest continued into its sixth night. Nine rioters were arrested during the clashes Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH Approximately 100 protesters mobbed the area surrounding the detention center, chanting “F— ICE” and brandishing black umbrellas, gas masks and other gear to protect themselves from pepper spray and various anti-riot measures. On Wednesday evening, DHS reported that approximately 100 anti-ICE protesters gathered around the Delaney Hall ICE facility. While rioters assaulted and threw objects at law enforcement, DHS said “local police refused to help our officers.” Six rioters were arrested Wednesday night for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers. “We called local police, we called state police multiple times. Listen, I know the law enforcement there would love to respond, but because of Governor Sherrill’s behavior what the governor is doing, she’s not allowing public officers and state officers to respond,” Mullin said during a Thursday morning appearance on Fox & Friends. Demonstrations over conditions for detainees began Friday, May 22, after detainees penned an open letter claiming they were being denied access to medical care, being insufficiently fed and detained without due process. DHS has denied those claims. Fox News’ Charles Creitz and Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
Dan Sullivan vs. Dan Sullivan: GOP blasts clone candidate as lookalike enters Alaska Senate race
FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic strategist has deployed a candidate look-alike that Republicans fear may act as a decoy and create confusion around their real nominee. Campaign material metadata reveals that Amber Lee, a progressive consultant, authored a press release announcing the Senate bid for a second “Dan Sullivan” — a figure Republican strategists say has nothing to do with incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. “Mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer know they can’t beat Senator Sullivan on his record, so they’re resorting to deceitful political maneuvers that attempt to trick Alaskans and buy a seat,” National Republican Senate Committee Spokesperson Nick Puglia told Fox News Digital. Although Republicans have months to clarify the situation to voters before the state’s primary in August, the filing shows efforts to create confusion to sway a high-stakes Senate race. FORMER DEM REP. MARY PELTOLA ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE RUN: “PUT ALASKA FIRST” The campaign website leans into the name overlap. “Dan Sullivan challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, urges Alaskans to defeat incumbent, elect a Sullivan who stands up for Alaska,” it reads. According to his biography, this second Sullivan spent his early career working blue-collar jobs like logging, construction, bartending and forestry, but decided to enter his bid for Senate after growing frustrated with government mismanagement. “Over time, he became increasingly frustrated with what he saw as federal inefficiency and a lack of long-term thinking in government,” the biography reads. The campaign’s Instagram page has no posts and just two followers. The campaign did not immediately respond to questions if Sullivan had been asked to run, whether the campaign had made filings with the FEC, or if he intends to run as an independent. Both Sullivans will appear in Alaska’s open primary system, where the top four candidates advance to the general election. If selected among them, the second Sullivan may appear on the ballot in November — a development that could prove especially confusing to Alaska’s many rural communities. Despite the comedic nature of the thinly-veiled ploy, the filing is especially relevant in Alaska — one of only two states that have implemented ranked choice voting. The system allows voters to select multiple candidates in order of preference. Under this model, voters can still apply their vote to a second, sometimes even a third option if their first choice is eliminated from contention. FORMER TALK RADIO HOST DIALS INTO ALASKA’S RACE FOR GOVERNOR, SAYS ENERGY IS KEY The system, sometimes called “instant runoff voting,” greatly increases the influence of candidates that may not otherwise be a voter’s first choice. Although Lee, the Democratic strategist, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, documentation of her political leanings appears to rule out an earnest attempt to campaign for another Senate hopeful who just happens to share the “Dan Sullivan” name. In addition to being called a backer for Mary Peltoa, Sullivan’s Democratic challenger, by the New York Times, Lee’s consulting firm, Amber Strategies, lists a number of progressive clients, including Alaska Women Ascent. The group aims to “train women who are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ rights, pro-union, anti-racist and pro-racial justice” to serve as candidates and volunteers. In the past, Alaska has historically voted Republican, but recently elected Peltola to its lone, at-large district in 2022. 10 SENATE RACES THAT COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF THE CHAMBER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS Sullivan, who previously served as Alaska’s attorney general, first came to the Senate in 2015 and last won reelection in a 53.9% to 41.2% victory over nonpartisan challenger Al Gross. Alaska will hold its primary on August 18.
Virginia bus crash that killed five involved driver who doesn’t speak English, Sean Duffy says
The driver of a bus involved in a deadly Virginia crash that killed five people doesn’t speak English, authorities said, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy who called it “unacceptable.” Five people were killed and dozens were injured when the driver of an E&P Travel bus heading from New York to North Carolina failed to slow down near a work zone and slammed into several cars on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, the Virginia State Police said. The crash happened around 2:35 a.m. Friday. A 13-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy, who were in the car ahead of the one the bus hit, died along with a 45-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman after their car caught fire. They were all from Massachusetts. EMERGENCY CREWS RESPOND TO TOUR BUS ROLLOVER WITH DOZENS OF PATIENTS IN NEW YORK A 25-year-old woman, who was in the car immediately in front of the bus, was also killed. At least 44 others were taken to hospitals, including three in critical condition, police said. The driver of the bus, identified as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was injured in the crash. Police say charges are pending. Ding is a naturalized citizen originally from China who received his commercial driver’s license in New York two years ago. FORMER US ATTORNEY CHARGED WITH FELONY HIT-AND-RUN AFTER HOUSTON CRASH, POLICE SAY “Unacceptable. This is exactly why we are holding states’ accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English,” Duffy wrote on X. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.” Duffy added that the Transportation Department is investigating “New York licensing records, training documentation, and the driver’s history. Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny.” Federal law requires commercial drivers to speak English well enough to do their job safely. In February, Duffy announced that all truckers and bus drivers would be required to take the test to get their license in English. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Virginia State Police.
Dem Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed recounts smashing vodka bottle after beard criticism
In a recent podcast appearance, Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed admitted to destroying property in a liquor store in Detroit over remarks about the length of his beard, a sign of religious observance among Muslim communities. “He says, ‘Are you Muslim?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Well, your beard is too short.’ I said, ‘Ok you’re gonna judge me? Ok, give me a second, I forgot something,’” El-Sayed said while on left-leaning YouTube show “Intellectually Petty.” “So, I walk back, I get a fifth of vodka, and put it on the counter. He’s like, ‘Hey, you can’t buy that,’ and I was like, ‘You’re right, and you can’t sell it.’ So, I smashed it on the ground and walked out.” The account is emerging as a new line of attack for some Republicans in the closely watched Senate race. SQUAD MEMBER SUMMER LEE CALLS ‘UPPER CLASS’ THE ‘ENEMY’ AT EL-SAYED RALLY Hunter Lovell, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee (RNC), believes it displays a willingness to become aggressive over matters of faith. “Abdul El-Sayed thinks he gets a free hall pass by using his religion as a way to promote violent extremism,” Lovell said. “In reality, Michigan voters see a deeply disturbed man with anger management issues who belongs nowhere near the United States Senate.” El-Sayed’s campaign, when asked about Lovell’s comments, did not address the incident in the liquor store. “Yes — Abdul is angry on behalf of the people. Unlike Trump who seems more focused on drapes in a ballroom, Abdul gets mad when everyday people get exploited,” Roxie Richner, a spokesperson for the campaign, told Fox News Digital. El-Sayed finds himself in a heated three-way Democratic primary to replace outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. Voters will soon have to pick between him, fellow progressive Mallory McMorrow, a state legislator, and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a more establishment-leaning candidate. HOUSE DEM JUMPS INTO CROWDED MICHIGAN SENATE RACE El-Sayed has positioned himself as the most leftward-leaning of the three, espousing positions such as “Medicare for all,” free college education and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Notably, El-Sayed has attracted criticism for his opposition to the current U.S. partnership with Israel, citing humanitarian concerns during the war in Gaza. He’s also drawn scrutiny for campaigning with Hasan Piker, a political commentator and media personality who has described Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror group, as the “lesser of two evils,” in its war with Israel and said that the U.S. “deserved 9/11.” El-Sayed himself has clearly said he condemns all forms of religious violence. In the wake of an attack on a synagogue in Temple Israel Michigan earlier in 2026, El-Sayed called it an act of “terrorism.” MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT DEFENDS APPEARING WITH HASAN PIKER, DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM PODCASTER’S CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS “He was an Arab American and a Muslim. I condemn what he did. There is never a justification for attacking innocent people or houses of worship. Never,” El-Sayed said in a press release. The Michigan Senate primary will be held Aug. 4.
Coast Guard ending race-based admissions for officer commissioning program under Trump DEI crackdown
EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. Coast Guard will be ending admissions for college students wanting to commission as officers that take race into consideration as part of the Trump administration’s continued anti-diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, Fox News Digital has learned. “The Trump Administration is more focused than ever on eliminating unconstitutional DEI policies like this one,” DHS General Counsel James Percival said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital on Friday. He added, “Racial quotas, like those included in this program for students who want to enlist and commission as officers in the U.S. Coast Guard, are a direct violation of the United States Constitution’s equal protection requirements. By getting rid of these unconstitutional diversity quotas, we are returning the Coast Guard’s focus to military readiness, upholding the law, and making America a safer place.” The College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI), program previously included a preference for students from schools that had met quotas for including students from specific racial groups. PETE HEGSETH DIRECTS MILITARY ACADEMIES THAT ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS WILL BE BASED SOLELY ON MERIT The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced at end to those requirements on Thursday. “Eliminating racial quotas in federal programs remains a priority of the Justice Department,” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said. “Access to opportunities like the Coast Guard’s pre-commissioning initiative should be based exclusively on merit, not the racial composition of your college. This resolution helps ensure that equality of opportunity.” ROGER GOODELL SAYS NFL WITH COOPERATE WITH FLORIDA AG PROBE INTO ROONEY RULE AND DEI HIRING PROGRAMS The Trump administration has taken similar steps to end DEI policies in the federal government and in the military as a whole. Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke at the graduation ceremony at West Point, telling the cadets, “The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can’t throw your pronouns at the enemy. Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it.” He also accused West Point’s leadership of having attempted to turn West Point into a “woke Princeton.” Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report.
CodePink’s Medea Benjamin confirms getting ‘serious’ Treasury Department query over Cuba trip
CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin publicly confirmed for the first time that her organization received an inquiry from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), seeking detailed information about its March trip to Cuba. The inquiry, which is often called an administrative subpoena, comes as the Trump administration signals a broad effort to increase federal scrutiny of nonprofit organizations operating in foreign-policy and activist spaces. Last October, after the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to strengthen enforcement against nonprofit entities that facilitate support for political violence. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced that message this week, arguing that nonprofit organizations and fiscal sponsors can’t shield themselves from legal accountability when resources, funding, organizational infrastructure or grants are used to support unlawful activity and political violence. “We’ve made substantial progress, and I think in the weeks and months ahead, we’re going to have a lot to report,” Bessent responded to a question in the White House press gallery. He said, for example, that under new changes, the IRS will “demand that nonprofits know their grant recipients.” FEDS SUBPOENA HASAN PIKER, MEDEA BENJAMIN OVER CUBA TRIPS “So, if a grant recipient is violent, if they are suppressing people’s rights, then you are responsible for that,” Bessent said. “I think that’s a very good first step.” The shift reflects a growing administration focus on whether nonprofit networks are exercising sufficient oversight over the projects, activists and international campaigns they sponsor. Against that backdrop, the inquiry by the Office of Foreign Assets Control into the Cuba convoy fits within an effort by Treasury officials to examine whether activist organizations are complying with laws and other federal restrictions, such as sanctions laws. Speaking on camera in a video promoted by a far-left media platform, BreakThrough News, Benjamin said she and political streamer Hasan Piker first learned about the query when Fox News Digital broke the news last Saturday evening that Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control had launched an investigation into the financial and logistical details of CodePink’s and Piker’s trip to Cuba trip. DC DINNER TURNS CHAOTIC AS CODEPINK ACTIVISTS CORNER TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: ‘BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS’ The Office of Foreign Assets Control enforces U.S. sanctions on Cuba, which restrict Americans from engaging in many financial transactions with the communist government and require travelers and organizations to comply with licensing and record-keeping requirements for authorized activities. “I actually didn’t get anything, and neither did Hasan Piker,” Benjamin said. “I mean, we heard this on Fox News, that there was this subpoena out, and I was going outside my front door, looking around for somebody to serve me.” Benjamin said the inquiry arrived by email and had been sent to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans. Fox News Digital has learned that CodePink D.C. Coordinator Olivia DiNucci, who regularly harasses politicians as they are having dinner in D.C. restaurants, is also expected to get a query. “It turns out that it was an email that was sent to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans, and it was so unofficial that it landed in our spam box,” Benjamin said. “So it was a letter, and it came from the Treasury Department, from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as OFAC.” FAR-LEFT ACTIVISTS STAY IN 5-STAR CUBAN HOTEL AS ISLAND SUFFERS TOTAL BLACKOUT While criticizing the manner in which the inquiry was delivered, Benjamin acknowledged that the request itself was serious because of the volume of information federal officials are seeking. “And I don’t want to say it’s not serious. It is serious, because they are asking for all kinds of information,” Benjamin said. “And this is a kind of intimidation tactic that means we have to get a lawyer, that we have to spend a lot of staff time, a lot of energy.” According to Benjamin, the inquiry includes roughly a dozen detailed questions about the trip and its participants. “They’re asking about 12 very detailed questions that include things like, ‘How did you get there? Where did you stay? What did you do every hour that you were there?’” Benjamin said. “I guess we have to tell them how many hours we slept.” Benjamin said approximately 170 people participated in the convoy and suggested the scope of the inquiry could require organizers to account for the activities of every participant. REVOLUTIONARY TOURISM: INSIDE THE $600M MARRIAGE OF DARK MONEY AND FAR-LEFT AGITPROP “There were 170 people, so I don’t know if they want to know what every single person did every single minute of the day,” she said. Benjamin also confirmed that organizers brought humanitarian supplies to Cuba. “What we brought — and we brought about $600,000 worth of aid — so it’s a lot, a lot of information that they want,” Benjamin said. Benjamin framed the inquiry as an effort to discourage Americans from traveling to Cuba or participating in humanitarian missions to the communist island, but said organizers would continue their activities despite the federal scrutiny. “And of course, this is to make people think, ‘Uh oh, should I go to Cuba? Uh oh, should I keep doing humanitarian aid?’” Benjamin said. “And the answer to that is, yes. We can’t be intimidated. In fact, we have to use this as another reason that we’re so angry at the U.S. government and redouble our efforts.” Meanwhile, Piker has insisted that he hasn’t received the Treasury Department query. He stirred up another set of headlines speculating that the “real goal” of the investigation is to target American Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who has pumped $285 million since 2017 into a network of groups including CodePink and BreakThrough News, allegedly spreading pro-China propaganda and sowing discord with massive anti-American street protests. CodePink and BreakThrough News have been fixtures in those street protests, and Piker has supported them on his hours-long livestreams.
Federal judge orders Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center, says only Congress can rename it
A federal judge on Friday ordered that President Donald Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, said the iconic venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress, ruling that the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees overstepped its “statutory bounds by unilaterally renaming” the building. As part of his ruling, the Trump administration will be required to take down all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and eliminate any references to a “Trump-Kennedy Center” from official materials. TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER’S BOARD VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE $257M RENOVATIONS AND TWO-YEAR CLOSURE “The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so,” Cooper wrote. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.” In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump criticized Cooper and Democrats for opposing changes to the iconic center. “I took great pride in taking over a losing Institution, and looked forward to making it into a Great and Prestigious WINNER for Washington, D.C., and indeed, the United States of America,” Trump wrote.. “Unfortunately, Judge Cooper and the Radical Left would rather see it DIE than have President Trump transform it into something that everyone could be proud of.” Roma Daravi, the Trump Kennedy Center vice president of public relations, said the board plans to appeal the decision. “We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi said. “With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.” The ruling was part of a lawsuit filed by U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. BOARD VOTES KENNEDY CENTER TO BE RENAMED ‘TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER,’ LEAVITT SAYS Cooper previously denied a request for a preliminary injunction filed by a preservation group to block the planned two-year closure of the Kennedy Center for a rehabilitation project. Trump secured $257 million from Congress as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to address disrepair and deferred maintenance of the Kennedy Center, which critics say has been neglected and mismanaged before Trump intervened. The funds appropriated by Congress are spent on maintenance, repairs, security, and capital projects related to the building and site. “Based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite President, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center, almost all of which lose large amounts of money throughout the Country, we are going to be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it,” wrote Trump. He noted that Cooper received a presentation by building and construction experts as to how structurally dangerous the Kennedy Center is, he wrote, noting problems with the venue, including rotting beams, parking areas that are subject to collapse, and various other safety issues. “But he was not ‘swayed,’ and said he wants the Building to, incredibly, remain open and, therefore, dangerous,” Trump said. “Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself!” Beatty, who serves as an ex officio member of the board, praised Friday’s ruling. “Today’s ruling rightly affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law,” Beatty said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity. I am proud to have fought for the rule of law and to protect this sacred institution.” Trump’s name was added to the venue last December following a unanimous decision by the board. In February 2025, Trump was elected chairman of the Kennedy Center board after removing 18 trustees appointed by former President Joe Biden.