NationalWatch

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 Friday on X 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 that seven people were detained Friday and five people were detained Saturday in separate incidents, which has led to a major security surge.

Trump addressed the recent incidents Saturday afternoon on Truth Social, confirming that the 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.

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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.

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 and 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.” 

Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy told Politico 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.

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Talarico’s open Christian faith, for one, is seen as something that could provide him with cross-party appeal. That, combined with his 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.

FIRST ON FOX — A major railroad union is under fire as a watchdog report alleges its leadership funneled money to support Democratic causes that opposed the Trump administration, thus 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 PERCENT 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 that 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,” BMWED-IBT President Tony D. 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, as “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.”

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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 that the union has “garnered more Republican support on the Hill than in the past” and that its relationship with President Donald Trump “has been strengthened,” saying Vice President JD Vance also supported rail safety legislation while serving in the U.S. Senate representing Ohio.

A review of the BMWED-IBT’s social media accounts by Fox News Digital shows the union reposting and applauding Trump and Vance’s push for the Railway Safety Act, legislation the union has fought for after a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, three years ago, causing a major chemical spill.

Earlier this year, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) released a similar report involving the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), one of the nation’s oldest labor unions, alleging the organization is run by leaders who are endorsing and promoting Democratic policies and candidates despite a membership base that data suggests largely supports the president.

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 Friday court filing, Beatty’s legal team argued that 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 cancelled 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 be 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 — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Education Secretary Linda McMahon among them.

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In February of this year, 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 read “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts.”

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.

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 then-president’s cognitive abilities amid an election year.

GREGG JARRETT: RELEASE THE BIDEN TAPES AND LET AMERICANS HEAR THE TRUTH FOR THEMSELVES

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 that 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 on 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.

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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.

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.”

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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.”

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.

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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.

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.”

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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. 

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

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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.

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 was that the minimum level of verification sought by defense and intelligence officials could become the starting point for diplomats, meaning the final deal could end up below what experts believed was necessary.

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“Once you say, ‘This is the minimum we need,’ then that becomes the starting point, so anything agreed to is less than that,” DeVore said. “That’s what I fear.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the IAEA asking whether the agency can currently account for Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and whether it has any comment on the verification questions raised by the reported framework.

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.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are split on President Donald Trump’s Iran peace deal, with some concerned the deal entails little enforcement, with some praising it as progress toward preventing a nuclear-armed Iran while others warned it could provide Tehran with billions of dollars and insufficient safeguards.

Sen. Thomas Tuberville, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital he believes the deal shows progress from the beginning of the war, particularly in disbarring Iran’s nuclear program.

“They never can have nuclear weapons and we don’t have troops on the ground and we made a lot of progress,” Tuberville said.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS SWEEPING TERMS OF PROPOSED IRAN AGREEMENT

But many are skeptical on whether the deal is harsh enough in substantially ensuring Iran’s nuclear program will be destroyed throughout the 60-day negotiation period. It postpones nuclear conversations and lacks the authority to completely prohibit Iran from refusing compliance with the framework of the deal.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., shared that exact concern with Fox News Digital, as well as the potential for the $300 billion toward economic reconstruction included in the deal to be used to fund terrorist groups.

“I am deeply concerned that we are giving Iran the benefit of hundreds of billions of dollars that can be spent on Hezbollah and other maligned proxies, as well as rebuilding its nuclear program,” Blumenthal said. “And the lack of any inspection or verification.”

He continued, “I am deeply concerned that this deal looks like unconditional surrender for the United States, not for Iran.”

TRUMP DEFENDS WAR DEAL IN MARATHON PRESSER, USING SEMANTICS ON WHY IRAN IS GETTING $300 BILLION

The deal that was signed on Thursday would also provide immediate sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian funds. 

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said he believes the framework of the deal could position the U.S. to be successful — on the condition that negotiations with Iran are properly enforced. 

“From the beginning I said the key is going to be enforcement,” Hoeven said. “So as we go through this negotiation, the key is going to be how do we enforce it?”

He called on American allies to take responsibility in helping with enforcement throughout the 60-day period.

“I think some of our allies need to step up and join us,” Hoeven said.

“They have a big dog in this fight so they need to join with us because that enforcement mechanism is going be key, I believe, to getting the kind of outcome that we want,” he said.

WHAT ISRAEL WANTS FROM AN IRAN PEACE DEAL: NO ENRICHMENT, MISSILE LIMITS AND STRICT ENFORCEMENT

Many senators claimed they had not read through the memorandum of understanding (MOU), declining to comment at all about their opinion on the deal.

“I’m going to disappoint you,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. “I’m about a half way through reading the actual MOU and I want to read it several times to try to digest it.”

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Many Democrats are arguing that the current deal seems worse and less effective than the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump withdrew this 2015 nuclear deal during his first term.

“I think it looks worse than the Obama deal right now,” Blumenthal said. “More money goes to Iran, lifting of sanctions, no verification.”

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.

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 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.

EXCLUSIVE: As Democrats across the country criticize education programs in red states, Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is touting a major achievement in her state she hopes will serve as an education blueprint for all states, regardless of politics, nationwide.

“The thing we’re most excited about is the fact that so many Arkansas students are doing better now than they would have been doing pre-LEARNS legislation,” Sanders told Fox News Digital on the day her office announced a “major breakthrough” in education following implementation of a 2023 Republican-backed statewide education overhaul, known as the LEARNS Act.

The law also raised the minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000, created performance-based teacher bonuses, boosted literacy support, funded school safety initiatives and banned critical race theory and classroom teachings related to critical race theory, gender identity, sexual orientation and sexually explicit materials.

Arkansas public school students are seeing sharp gains on a new statewide exam, with proficiency rates rising more than 7% across all grades and subjects in just three years under the state’s conservative education reforms. Since 2024, student proficiency has increased by more than 7% and by more than 5% since 2025, according to the governor’s office.

MISSISSIPPI’S SCHOOL MIRACLE SHAMES FAILING CHICAGO LEADERS ON EDUCATION

“We want our kids to do well,” Sanders said. “We love the fact that kids in Arkansas are learning, that they’re moving up. The growth and achievement that we’re seeing from our kids is exactly what we want to happen.”

In 2026, 42.2% of students met proficiency standards, up from 36.9% in 2025. Mathematics proficiency increased from 36.4% in 2024 to 44.2% in 2026, science proficiency rose from 35.6% to 44.0%, and English language arts proficiency climbed from 33.8% to 39.5%.

Students performing at the lowest levels also fell across all subjects, dropping from an average of 27.3% in 2025 to 23.1% in 2026. Reading performance among third-graders improved as well, with proficiency rising from 36% in 2024 to 43% in 2026.

Students in kindergarten through second grade, the first to learn under the state’s education reforms, exceeded 50% proficiency in nearly every subject and grade level, while maintaining upward momentum.

Sanders said transformational reform is driven by better teaching and a unified focus on student needs, saying “a comprehensive, aligned approach” makes a difference.

“Not any one thing, but it’s the collective process of really transforming the way that we approach education,” Sanders said. “Realizing that every single kid can learn when given the right environment, when given the right tools, and letting failure not be an option.”

TEXAS’ LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT SEES TEST SCORES SOAR AFTER STATE TAKEOVER DESPITE RACISM CLAIMS

Democrats in recent years, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and prominent teachers’ union officials, have targeted red-state education policies, but Sanders told Fox News Digital she hopes the education program sends a message across the country.

“I’m hopeful absolutely that red states will use what we’re doing here as a blueprint, but I also hope that blue states will look at the success that you’re seeing in places like Arkansas, Mississippi and others and try to follow suit because we want all kids to do well,” Sanders said.

“Seeing kids achieve and do better and be successful, that’s not a red state or blue state issue. That’s something everybody should care about.”

WHY AMERICA’S ONLY SCHOOL CHOICE SUPER PAC IS PUTTING SOME REPUBLICANS IN THE HOT SEAT

Sanders said the results are “showing what works,” adding there is no need to “reinvent the wheel.”

“We know that raising the bar, providing those resources and support for our students, for our teachers, for our superintendents makes a difference,” Sanders said. “We’ve got a recipe here that’s working and absolutely hope it not only changes the conversation but frankly changes the system, changes the culture and education.“

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“The LEARNS Act was a bold, innovative, and comprehensive approach to improve education,” Jacob Oliva, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education, said in a press release. “It was built on research, urgency, and the desperate need for change. These scores prove that listening to teachers, administrators, and parents wasn’t just valuable but also essential. The plan is working. Arkansas students are reading, learning, and benefitting.”

Former Congresswoman Elaine Luria’s record on congressional stock trading — and a net worth that skyrocketed during her time in office — is clashing with her campaign rhetoric in one of the country’s most competitive districts.

Luria, the Democrat who previously represented Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District from 2019 to 2023, told attendees at a recent candidate forum that she would “support” legislation to ban members of Congress from owning or trading stocks.

“I will say that this is an issue where I’ve changed my opinion over time. I will support the STOCK Act,” Luria said, referring to proposals to limit trading for lawmakers.

She framed her position as a matter of public trust.

WATCH: DEM CANDIDATE GRILLED ON STOCK TRADING AFTER BEING DUPED WITH SELFIE REQUEST

“At first, I thought, well, you know, you elect people to Congress, they make important decisions. Don’t you trust them? And will you trust them with personal finances? And I came to see that, over time, really everything that Congress is doing has eroded that trust.“

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a campaign spokesperson echoed that framing.

“Elaine has seen the corruption in Washington that has allowed Jen Kiggans and Donald Trump to raise health care premiums, drive-up energy costs, and use their offices to benefit dark money donors and political interests. That’s why Elaine will continue to call for a ban of Members of Congress on trading stocks in office, fight to end the corruption in Washington perpetuated by Jen Kiggans and the Trump administration, and lower costs for working families,” the campaign said.

However, the new position stands in stark contrast with her own past comments on the issue and highlights how candidates in competitive districts are being forced to grapple with the issue.

When asked about a stock ban proposal in 2022, Luria told reporters that the “whole concept is bulls—.”

Luria’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her changed stance.

At the time she left office, she had a number of documented financial positions, including $250,000 in stocks with Alibaba, a Chinese company — the most of any Democrat in the House of Representatives in 2021.

MARINE VET TAKES AIM AT TRUMP, MUSK IN VIDEO LAUNCH FOR KEY SWING HOUSE SEAT

In another instance, Luria’s husband purchased between $1,000 and $15,000 in Tesla Inc. stock as President Joe Biden’s signature Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was making its way through Congress, according to disclosure records.

Among other provisions, the bill appropriated $7.5 billion in funding for electric vehicle charging stations, aiming to incentivize buyers away from combustion engines and reduce carbon emissions.

According to disclosures, Luria’s husband made the purchase in March 2021 — eight months before Luria ultimately voted for the bill and before Tesla’s stock jumped nearly 50%.

In total, Luria’s net worth skyrocketed during her time in Congress, going from $1.13 million to more than $22 million.

HOW MIKIE SHERRILL’S FAMILY MADE MILLIONS AFTER SHE WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS

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Luria’s time in office came to an end when she lost in a 51.6% to 48.2% bid against Republican challenger Jen Kiggans.

Luria and Kiggans will face off again in the 2026 general election on Nov. 3.

A longtime Senate Democrat declined to directly condemn illegal immigration as a national security threat after it was revealed the terror plot to ambush the UFC White House event Sunday night was schemed by an immigrant from Mexico.

Abraham Alvarez is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who overstayed his visa, according to Homeland Security information first obtained by Fox News Digital. He was identified as the alleged “ringleader” of a network of 23 individuals who planned to carry out a “mass casualty event” with explosive drones striking the White House on June 14.

After reports surfaced that Alvarez was the architect of the failed terror attack, Fox News Digital asked Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., if she views illegal immigration as a threat to the national security of the homeland. 

“We have to have good national security grid watch, and we have to stop terrorist attacks,” the Washington Democrat replied, keeping it ambiguous.

SMILING SUSPECT STANDS OUT AS AUTHORITIES RELEASE MUGSHOTS OF 5 ACCUSED IN ALLEGED WHITE HOUSE UFC ATTACK PLOT

“I’ll look more into the specific details. Don’t know about it,” she continued. 

Alvarez, 31, failed to leave the country when his B2 visitor visa expired in 2001 after coming to the U.S. as a child. He was granted Dreamer status — deportation relief — by the Obama administration in 2014 through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and has remained in the U.S. ever since under that program.

Cantwell is not one of the Democrats who has adopted a particularly hard-line immigration stance in Congress. She has, however, repeatedly condemned aggressive immigration enforcement, particularly under the Trump administration.

DEM BORDER REP BRAGS ABOUT VOTING AGAINST LAKEN RILEY ACT

Cantwell has voted several times since President Donald Trump took office to challenge some efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) related to alleged racial profiling by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. She has encouraging immigration enforcement to not detain pregnant illegal immigrants and has backed investigation into the conditions of detention centers.

She also voted against the Laken Riley Act in January 2025, which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain illegal immigrants who have been charged with certain crimes including theft, assault, burglary, shoplifting and more.

Along with Alvarez, five additional individuals have been arrested this month for assisting in the alleged terror plot to attack the White House UFC event over the weekend.

WHITE HOUSE UFC TERROR PLOT ‘RINGLEADER’ IS A MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, DHS CONFIRMS

Federal authorities said the motivation of the attack was related to government corruption, Israel’s influence on American politics and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

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Alvarez, when asked in messages about explosive drones by a co-conspirator, said he wanted “as many and as deadly as we can get.” Investigators also noted the suspect’s goal was to target “capitalist elites,” billionaires and politicians funded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Of the 23 identified in planning the terror attack, 18 have still not been charged.

Each suspect could face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine, with a potential additional five years if also convicted of planning to carry out violence on White House grounds. 

Former President Joe Biden was caught in an awkward moment when he drifted back toward the stage as the dedication ceremony for President Barack Obama’s presidential library wrapped up Thursday.

Video shows Biden pulling down his sunglasses and peering into the crowd as his wife, Jill Biden, and Obama exited the stage, leaving him behind.

At one moment, Biden shouted, “where’s my granddaughter?’”

A person familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Biden was searching for his granddaughter, who was sitting in the audience.

OBAMA LEADING BIDEN OFF STAGE BY THE HAND ‘REALLY PISSED ME OFF,’ HUNTER BIDEN SEETHES

The moment came at the conclusion of a star-studded event celebrating the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which brought together Obama, Biden, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and a host of entertainers and political figures.

The incident also follows renewed scrutiny of Biden’s health and his initial decision to seek a second term in 2024.

During an appearance at New York’s 92nd Street Y this week, Hillary Clinton called Biden’s re-election bid a “terrible mistake,” arguing that Democrats may have been better positioned had there been a competitive primary process before the 2024 election.

HILLARY CLINTON HAMMERS JOE BIDEN FOR 2024 REELECTION BID DESPITE SUPPORTING CAMPAIGN: ‘TERRIBLE MISTAKE’

“Very sadly, I believe whoever emerged from that contest, whether it was the vice president or a governor or a senator or anybody else, would have beaten Donald Trump,” Clinton said. “So I think it was a terrible miscalculation on the part of President Biden.”

Biden faced major pressure from Democratic Party leadership to drop out of the presidential race following his disastrous debate performance against Trump. Despite opinion pieces and public calls for him to exit the race, Biden remained in the contest for more than three weeks after the debate.

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Meanwhile, former first lady Jill Biden recently wrote that she feared her husband may have been suffering a stroke following his widely criticized debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump in June 2024, and suggested he should not have continued his re-election campaign.

The former president is also locked in a legal battle with the Justice Department over the release of audio recordings from his interviews with former special counsel Robert Hur, whose investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents fueled additional questions about his age and memory. In those audio recordings, Hur described then-sitting President Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” a characterization that became a flashpoint in the debate over Biden’s mental fitness for the job.

The 83-year-old former president is currently battling Stage 4 prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.

As data center projects continue to get shut down across the country, “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary and other investors are warning that the facilities are needed to compete with China in the artificial intelligence race.

Data centers are at the forefront of the continued development of AI, serving as the hardware for the large amount of electricity and infrastructure needed to improve response time and data storage. But opponents cite utility costs to local residents and environmental concerns in their efforts to block development of new centers.

“If everybody talks about data centers, too much heat, too much noise, too much water, all that, that was 20 years ago,” O’Leary told Fox News Digital. “Today’s technology is completely different in terms of the heat profile, in terms the water profile, in terms how big these buildings have to be and where they have to be, because we’ve got air-cooled technology and obviously the chip technology’s advanced.”

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O’Leary said China is focused on improving its power grid, which is needed in order to support the massive electricity demands of running a data center. He noted that data centers can function using varied energy sources.

“Most of it is coming from burning nat[ural] gas, which is very clean now, with turbines,” he said. “Hopefully nuclear power one day, some solar, some battery, all of it together. I think the key is that they’re beating us because they’re getting more power sooner, and then they’re building these data centers to train their own AI. The country that has the best AI will have the best economy and the best defense, the best military, and win all the wars because it’s going robotically.”

REPORT: CHINESE PROPAGANDA, SINGHAM NETWORK, FOREIGN DARK MONEY LINKED TO CAMPAIGNS AGAINST DATA CENTERS

President Donald Trump has pushed hard for new data center production. Last July, he signed an executive order titled “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure” which directed agencies to reduce the regulatory burdens that have been slowing data center development.

Earlier this week, Fox News Digital obtained a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., calling for federal investigators to examine whether foreign actors are attempting to shape U.S. public opinion and policy against data centers and AI development as Washington and Beijing compete for dominance in artificial intelligence.

“Recent reports show that Communist China is attempting to influence our policy and public opinion on data centers. The reason is obvious: They want to kneecap our processing power to win the AI race,” Cotton told Fox News Digital.

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Despite the push to put U.S. production ahead of Beijing, some liberals in Congress have been reluctant to get on board with data center development. In March, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., introduced the Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act.

“Congress has a moral obligation to stand with the American people and stop the expansion of these data centers until we have a framework to adequately address the existential harm AI poses to our society,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement about the legislation. “We must choose humanity over profit.”

But some experts tie data center production to economic gains, saying that the jobs created from the facilities benefit communities and local economies.

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“In the first six months Trump was in office, over 90% of all economic growth came from new computer and AI investment, and much of it came from data centers,” Judge Glock, director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital. “Without continued growth in data centers, we would have higher unemployment and lower incomes. Data centers also bring big gains to local communities.”

Leading voices in AI also noted China’s ability to construct data centers at a much faster rate than the U.S. Last November, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the communist country’s building capabilities far exceed that of the U.S.

“If you want to build a data center here in the United States, from breaking ground to standing up an AI supercomputer is probably about three years… they can build a hospital in a weekend.”

O’Leary said the competition with China should alarm Americans, adding that if the U.S. falls too far behind, Beijing could gain the ability to devastate the U.S. economy and national security.

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While production capabilities are in question, widespread data shows that the U.S. currently has a significantly higher number of functional data centers already built compared to the number reported in China.

According to Statista, the U.S. has more than 4,000 facilities as of April, while China has just over 300 — fewer than the United Kingdom and Germany. Still, O’Leary warned that China could outpace the U.S. over the long term if the U.S. slows development.

President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a newly refurbished presidential aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, touting its size, luxury and updated red, white and blue paint scheme as the Air Force prepares the jet for service.

The Boeing 747-8i, donated by the government of Qatar and modified for presidential use, is expected to serve as an interim Air Force One while Boeing continues work on two delayed VC-25B replacement aircraft.

Standing alongside Air Force leaders and service members, Trump said the aircraft’s most noticeable feature is its size.

“The biggest difference is the difference in size. It’s like virtually double the size,” Trump said.

AIR FORCE ONE SCRAPS ICONIC KENNEDY-ERA PAINT SCHEME FOR TRUMP-APPROVED RED, WHITE, BLUE DESIGN

Reporters were later given a brief tour of the aircraft, which featured wood-paneled interiors, gold-toned fixtures and tan-and-gold seating throughout. Spacious cabins, large television screens and polished metallic finishes gave the jet an upscale feel.

Near the front of the aircraft, reporters viewed a private suite with lounge-style seating before passing a conference room featuring a large table, a painting of the Washington Monument overlooking the Reflecting Pool and a decorative bookcase surrounding a television screen.

The aircraft’s press cabin spans the width of the rear section of the jet and includes 24 seats arranged across three sections. Each seat is equipped with its own entertainment screen, and the cabin appeared significantly larger than the press area aboard the current Air Force One fleet.

The Air Force said the aircraft will soon begin commissioning flights, a final phase of testing before entering operational service.

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“The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission.”

Trump said he sought the aircraft after becoming frustrated with delays to Boeing’s Air Force One replacement program and growing comparisons between the aging U.S. presidential fleet and newer aircraft operated by foreign governments.

“I asked the Emir if we could use the brand new 747,” Trump said, noting the aircraft had relatively few flight hours and describing the current presidential fleet as aging.

“Our country has to be represented properly,” he added.

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The aircraft features Trump’s preferred red, white and dark blue color scheme, replacing the light blue-and-white design that has defined presidential aircraft since the Kennedy administration. Earlier this year, the Air Force confirmed the updated paint scheme would become the standard across the presidential and executive airlift fleet, including the VC-25B aircraft currently under development.

Trump also praised the aircraft’s interior craftsmanship and described it as “considered the world’s most luxurious plane.”

Trump said the aircraft could also play a prominent role in next year’s America 250 celebration, predicting it would lead a July 4 flyover over Washington featuring fighter jets and other military aircraft. The president called it “a flyover like no flyover” and said the display could include F-22s, F-35s and other aircraft from across the U.S. military.

The Pentagon accepted the Qatari aircraft last year and has spent recent months preparing it for presidential service. Officials have said the timeline moved more quickly than the broader Air Force One replacement effort because the aircraft’s interior required fewer modifications than the VC-25B program.

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Trump also praised the more than 250 personnel who worked around the clock to prepare the aircraft for service, saying the jet was transformed into what he called a “flying White House” in roughly 10 months.

The jet is expected to bridge the gap until Boeing delivers two next-generation Air Force One aircraft, which are not expected to be completed for roughly two more years.

Fox News Digital’s Andre Tinoco contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is making an 11th-hour endorsement in the final stretch ahead of Tuesday’s high-profile Republican gubernatorial runoff in solidly red South Carolina, saying he “can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other.”

Trump on Friday took to Truth Social to say that he was supporting longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the battle for the GOP nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.

“I can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to Endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!” Trump wrote, adding: “With either one you can’t go wrong.”

The endorsement of Wilson appears to be a move by Trump to hedge his bets, because Trump is already backing Evette, who is also supported by McMaster, a longtime top ally of the president.

The South Carolina runoff had been viewed as the latest test of Trump’s immense grip over the GOP and the power of his endorsements in Republican nominating contests.

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And his decision to back both Evette and Wilson isn’t the first time he’s made dual endorsements in the same Republican race. He’s already backing both Gina Swoboda and Jay Feely in next month’s Republican primary in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.

Most famously, Trump endorsed “ERIC” in the 2022 GOP Senate primary in Missouri, where the two major candidates were Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens. Both candidates claimed the endorsement, with Schmitt ultimately winning the nomination.

In South Carolina, Trump endorsed Evette late last month, a week and a half before the gubernatorial primary.

Evette finished on top of a crowded field of contenders in the primary election, with Wilson second. The field also included Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy. Since no candidate won a majority of the vote, as the top two finishers, Evette and Wilson advanced to the June 23 runoff.

Mace and Norman endorsed Wilson after failing to advance to the runoff. And Wilson was also backed a week ago by Sen. Ted Cruz, the conservative firebrand from Texas.

The runoff between Evette and Wilson has become combustible, and in Tuesday’s final debate both candidates launched personal attacks and accused each other of lying and misrepresenting their records.

Wilson has worked to contrast his tenure as attorney general with what he’s argued is Evette’s largely ceremonial role as lieutenant governor. And he has spotlighted his experience as a combat veteran, prosecutor, and the state’s top law enforcement official.

Evette has showcased herself as an outsider and a Trump-endorsed businesswoman, while casting Wilson as a career politician.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is supporting Wilson and has helped with fundraising, made calls on behalf of Wilson and encouraged the president’s endorsement of the state attorney general, a source familiar told Fox News Digital.

It’s been 28 years since a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in South Carolina, and the winner of the GOP runoff will be considered the clear favorite in the general election against Democratic nominee Jermaine Johnson, a state representative.

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past two months, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped three weeks ago when his last minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

Trump rebounded a week later, as Evette finished first in the GOP gubernatorial primary and longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina won a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff.

Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.

And a couple of days ago, Trump-backed candidates won two of the three top races in Georgia and Alabama, with the one setback coming against a billionaire businessman who shelled out over $100 million of his own money to boost his campaign.

Rep. Barry Moore, a House Freedom Caucus member and longtime Trump supporter who was endorsed by the president, comfortably defeated rival Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL sniper who was supported by some top names on the right, in solidly red Alabama’s GOP Senate runoff.

In battleground Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff, an 11th hour endorsement by Trump this past weekend helped boost Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion, to victory over former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was backed by popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp.

Collins will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the general election in a race that’s among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber in the midterms.

Jones regularly showcased his Trump endorsement, but Jackson, who launched his bid in February long after the president had endorsed Jones, repeatedly said that Trump had inspired him to run.

But in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial runoff, the candidate Trump backed, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was also endorsed by Kemp this past weekend, was defeated by Rick Jackson, who ran as an outsider.

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A Trump political operative, pointing to Tuesday’s loss by Trump-backed Jones, noted that “Rick Jackson set a record for spending in a statewide Republican primary. He spent Tom Steyer level money in a state a fraction of the size of California. That’s going to have an impact.”

And the operative, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, also emphasized that “Rick bearhugged Trump. All of his ads and material was about how he’s going to be Trump’s favorite governor. So the race was not really a referendum on Trump.”

Fox News’ Luke Trevisan contributed to this report