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A sweeping new White House report concluded that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) has become a taxpayer-backed institution of “ideological capture” and “extreme political activism.”

“The report concludes that the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic,” the White House Domestic Policy Council wrote in its July 4 report following up on President Donald Trump’s March 27 executive order. “By the intention and at the direction of current Museum and Smithsonian leadership, NMAH has become subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love.”

According to the 162-page “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” report, delivered on America’s 250th birthday, NMAH treats the American story as a political tool rather than a shared national inheritance.

“At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, visitors young and old should encounter the story of the United States told with honesty, seriousness, and pride,” the report’s executive summary began. “In particular, it should help the American people understand where America came from, what makes it distinctive, and why it is worth preserving.”

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Instead, the museum has moved “away from straightforward historical education and scholarship” and toward activism, the report found.

“Anthea Hartig, NMAH’s director since 2019, has explicitly stated that she sees history as a ‘prime tool of social justice’ and one of her roles as connecting ‘research and scholarship to activism and advocacy,'” the summary noted.

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“Hartig has also stated that ‘we work to reframe the traditional celebratory narrative of U.S. history for visitors.’ She claims to have had a personal head start ‘propped up as I was and I am by the cushions of whiteness and the pillows of the bourgeoisie,'” the report said. “These are not the words of an objective historian, but rather those of an activist advancing an ideological agenda contradictory to the Museum’s founding purpose of fostering patriotism.”

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The report made five key conclusions about the museum:

• It attempted to “subvert” America’s founding and cancel America’s founders, with only mentioning them in the context of ties to slavery.
• It “‘problematized’ the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.”
• It changed the words to loaded modern political activist terms and not ones from history.
• It “abandoned historical scholarship for political activism.”
• It failed “obligations” to American people.

“One of the most significant findings in this report concerns what is missing,” the report stated. “A visitor to the Museum today will find no major exhibit dedicated to America’s Founding era, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, other Founding Fathers, the Continental Congress, the Pilgrims, the Puritans, or major moments of the American Revolution, such as Washington’s crossing of the Delaware.

“Instead, visitors will find Founders, such as Benjamin Franklin, introduced chiefly through their connection to slavery while their decisive roles in building the Republic and their anti-slavery efforts are minimized or ignored.”

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The NMAH presented revisionist history, using terms that exist now but not then, including “a popular term-of-art to ‘Critical Social Justice,'” the report found.

“The Museum is not merely neglecting America’s central story,” it stated. “It is intentionally withholding and subverting it.”

Noted was the political revision of “its mission statement under current leadership, which replaced the phrases ‘infinite richness’ and ‘American history’ with language about empowering people to create ‘a more just and compassionate future’ by exploring ‘the complexity of our past.'”

“The Museum has shifted from scholarship to activism,” the report read, “pointing to Museum leadership’s own public statements tying ‘research and scholarship to activism and advocacy,’ dismantling inherited narratives, using history as a ‘prime tool of social justice,’ calling for American history to be ‘reframed,’ and describing museum work in terms of ‘reparations,’ ‘restorative history,’ ‘systemic intervention, ‘decolonization, ‘social justice.'”

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The report also criticizes the museum’s approach to race, immigration, gender and sexuality, alleging that exhibits and programming have been shaped by modern activist priorities rather than neutral historical scholarship.

The Smithsonian Institution receives more than $1 billion annually in taxpayer support and its ideology does not comport with Trump’s executive order and initiatives to remove political influence in government entities, according to the Domestic Policy Council.

“As this report shows, confirmed in the words of Museum leadership, this ideological capture has moved the Museum’s mission away from straightforward historical education and scholarship toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country,” it wrote.

President Donald Trump said in a Sunday Truth Social post that he had “overturned” a decision to cancel festivities in Washington D.C. on Saturday due to weather.

“The Crowd at 7:05 in the evening was 422,000 people! All were forced to leave because of the weather, the event was cancelled, and everyone was gone because of lightning. When I heard that it was cancelled, I immediately overturned that decision, and waited a while for people to come back. Incredibly, at least 150,000 people returned, and it was an even more spectacular evening than it would have been as normalized! It showed work under pressure,” Trump declared in the post.

“Congratulations to the Secret Service and Law Enforcement on being able to get so many people back into the Arena in such rapid fashion! It was an amazing evening made even more spectacular by the fact that, immediately after the Great Fireworks ended, the rains came down, full blast!” he added.

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People flocked to attend Independence Day festivities in D.C. as Americans around the nation celebrated the country’s 250th anniversary, but attendees were asked to evacuate and take shelter on Saturday evening.

“Due to approaching severe storms, Freedom 250, United States Secret Service, United States Park Police, National Park Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and all public safety partners are asking all guests to evacuate event grounds and seek temporary shelter in a nearby building,” Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez noted in part of a Saturday evening statement.

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But in another post on X later that night, Freedom 250 declared, “At President Donald J. Trump’s direction, gates to the National Mall will reopen at 9:45 PM.”

Trump ultimately delivered a speech later on Saturday night, which was followed shortly thereafter by a massive fireworks show that began at about midnight.

AMERICA 250 KICKS OFF IN NATION’S CAPITAL AS AMERICANS BRAVE WEATHER TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY

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“I would like to congratulate Freedom 250, a Great White House Commission, and Pyrotecnico, on producing the Most Spectacular Fireworks Show I have ever seen, and I’ve seen them all. Congratulations on a job well done!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Sunday.

President Donald Trump says he’s attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, for one reason: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“I’m going because of Erdoğan,” Trump told reporters June 24, calling the Turkish leader “a friend” and “a respected leader” while signaling that closer defense cooperation between Washington and Ankara could be on the horizon.

The summit will begin Tuesday in Ankara, Turkey.

The remarks underscore a striking shift in the relationship between Washington and Turkey. Just a few years ago, after Turkey took delivery of Russia’s S-400 air defense system in 2019, Washington expelled it from the multinational F-35 fighter program and, the following year, imposed sanctions on Turkey’s defense procurement agency, cementing its reputation as one of NATO’s most difficult allies.

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Today, despite many of those disputes remaining unresolved, Turkey has become increasingly difficult for the alliance to sideline as NATO confronts Russia, instability across the Middle East and an increasingly contested Black Sea, analysts and former officials say.

“Turkey is crucial to the Trump administration,” former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, who served as Trump’s special representative for Syria during his first term, told Fox News Digital.

“President Trump has a great relationship with President Erdoğan of Turkey, who has been an incredible partner in the region,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital in a statement, adding that Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Erdoğan at the NATO Summit. 

Jeffrey said Trump’s affinity for Erdoğan is genuine but reflects more than personal chemistry.

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“The first reason, which is unique to Trump, is he really likes Erdoğan, and Erdoğan likes him,” Jeffrey said. “It’s the idea of a tough guy who is decisive.”

But Jeffrey argued the strategic rationale extends well beyond the relationship between the two leaders, describing Turkey as “essential to maintaining the U.S. perimeter around Eurasia” because of its military strength, geographic position and willingness to project power.

NATO is returning to the fundamentals of collective defense after decades focused largely on counterterrorism, said Hudson Institute think tank Senior Fellow Can Kasapoğlu Kasapoğlu, placing renewed pressure on allies to bring significant military capability to the table.

“When the alliance is back to its Cold War default, the question of what you are bringing to the table is getting more important,” he said.

“The nations bringing hard-power capability to NATO are going to get VIP treatment.”

NATO agreed to a defense spending target of 5% of GDP for all allies in 2025, after years of Trump complaining that European allies and their weak defense spending were “ripping off” the U.S.

Both Trump’s attacks on NATO and the Russian war on Ukraine changed the calculus.

Turkey fields NATO’s second-largest military after the United States. It controls the Bosporus and Dardanelles, borders Syria, Iraq and Iran, and has built one of NATO’s largest defense industries.

“There is no real security for NATO without full integration of Turkey,” Rich Outzen, a former State Department advisor and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said during a recent NATO summit preview.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, instability across the Middle East and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria have only heightened Turkey’s strategic value, analysts say.

Jeffrey argued Turkey “has been essential to Ukraine staying in the fight,” citing Ankara’s enforcement of the 1936 Montreux Convention, which prevented additional Russian naval reinforcements from entering the Black Sea, its early provision of Bayraktar drones to Kyiv and its role as an intermediary between Ukraine and Russia.

“You can’t contain Russia in the Black Sea without Turkey,” Jeffrey said.

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime also has brought Washington and Turkey into closer strategic alignment after years of disagreements over Syria.

Jeffrey argued Turkey played a central role in backing the opposition that ultimately toppled Assad, dealing a major blow to both Iran and Russia.

“One of Iran’s big losses in the past three years has been Syria—and that’s all Erdogan,” he said.

Not everyone is convinced Turkey’s growing strategic value should outweigh those concerns.

Critics argue Turkey’s foreign policy has increasingly diverged from that of many NATO allies under Erdoğan. They point to Turkey’s vocal support for Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, its continued possession of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, and its efforts to deepen ties with non-Western blocs such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, organizations in which China and Russia play leading roles.

“Turkey is the only member country inside of NATO that has applied for membership in entities such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS,” Sinan Ciddi, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said during a press briefing Wednesday. He also argued Turkey is unique within the alliance in openly supporting Hamas while seeking expanded access to advanced U.S. defense technology.

Erdoğan repeatedly has defended Hamas and rejected efforts to classify the group as a terrorist organization, putting Turkey at odds with Washington and many other NATO allies. Critics argue that position complicates efforts to deepen U.S.-Turkey defense ties — despite Trump’s personal affection for the Turkish leader.

“The only thing that really stands in the way against Erdoğan’s wishes is essentially the United States Congress,” Ciddi said.

The Trump administration faced congressional pushback, largely from Democrats, over its decision to move forward with a $700 million arms sale to Turkey.

The administration already has faced congressional pushback over the proposed $700 million arms sale. 

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the State Department of failing to justify the decision or adequately address concerns about Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian-made S-400 system.

The Turkish embassy could not immediately be reached for comment. 

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Jeffrey said the proposed $700 million sale of F110 fighter engines is a more manageable issue than restoring Turkey to the F-35 program, arguing the latter remains constrained by the S-400 because operating the Russian air defense system alongside America’s most advanced stealth fighter could compromise sensitive technology.

“The F-35 is a different issue,” Jeffrey said, arguing that operating the Russian-made S-400 alongside America’s fifth-generation fighter presents a technical — not merely political — problem because it could expose sensitive U.S. technology.

Manny Rutinel, a far-left state legislator and House candidate in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, voted in support of a bill that instructed courts to take pronoun use into consideration as a factor when deciding child custody cases.

In particular, the Kelly Loving Act required courts to deem “deadnaming” and “misgendering” as a kind of coercive control

“A court shall consider reports of coercive control when determining the allocation of parental responsibilities in accordance with the best interest of the child,” the bill initially read when Rutinel voted for it.

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Rutinel’s past vote in favor of the package is drawing scrutiny as he wages a bid to unseat incumbent Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., in one of the country’s most competitive congressional races, raising questions about his position on parental authority when it comes to issues like gender.

To at least one Republican strategist, the vote speaks for itself.

“Far-left liberal Manny Rutinel wants the government to take away your kids if you don’t adopt his radical transgender agenda. Disgusting and disqualifying. Rutinel will be resoundingly rejected by Coloradans this fall,” Zach Bannon, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Rutinel’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bill or what led him to support it.

The Kelly Loving Act, named after a 40-year-old transgender woman who was one of the five victims in the 2022 Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, deals largely with how the state plans to handle preferred pronouns.

It would allow residents to change the sex designation on official documents like birth certificates and state identification and, for schools that make policies about names, instruct education providers to include “all reasons” that a student might adopt a name different from their legal one.

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The bill would also make it a “discriminatory practice” and unlawful to publish materials that misgender a person.

The bill passed out of the Colorado House of Representatives in a 40-24 vote.

At the time of its passage, the bill drew criticism from groups like the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network that filed lawsuits against the bill, citing First Amendment concerns.

“The Act’s new definition of ‘gender expression’ is unconstitutionally overbroad,” their lawsuit read.

“Because it covers any treatment based on the use of a ‘chosen name’ or other forms of preferred ‘address,’ it punishes many forms of constitutionally protected speech.”

Notably, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, like Rutinel, did not issue a statement at the time of its passage despite controversy that had made it a matter of national attention.

Although the bill passed both chambers of the Colorado State legislature and was signed into law in May 2025, some of the most controversial provisions, including misgendering, were stripped out weeks after Rutinel’s vote. A number of cases, including the one from Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, are still under consideration.

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Having clinched the Democratic nomination for his congressional bid last week, Rutinel will face off against Evans in the state’s general election on Nov. 3.

Evans won his seat in 2024 in a 49.0% to 48.2% victory over Democratic incumbent Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo.

Mallory McMorrow announced Sunday that she is suspending her campaign for the U.S. Senate.

The Michigan state senator’s decision leaves the Democratic primary as a two-way race between Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed. 

McMorrow’s name will remain on the ballot for the Aug. 4 primary as ballots have already been printed and distributed to absentee voters, according to Bridge Michigan.

In a video posted on X announcing her decision, McMorrow did not provide a specific reason for ending her campaign. She instead thanked her staff and supporters for helping build what she described as a campaign powered by small-dollar donations and no corporate PAC money.

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McMorrow also pledged to fully support whichever Democrat wins the Aug. 4 primary and will likely face Mike Rogers in November, in what is expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races.

“So here’s what we do next. Every day through November 3rd. We win this Senate seat and send Mike Rogers back to Florida for good,” she said. “Whoever wins this primary on August 4th will have my full support.”

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Following McMorrow’s announcement, Stevens praised her fellow Democrat by calling her an “important voice” for policies that benefit Michigan families. 

Stevens then argued that she is the strongest Democratic candidate to win the primary and defeat Rogers in November. 

“As we enter the final month of the primary election, I’m excited to continue to make my case to Michiganders why I’m the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November, lower costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up to Trump’s abuses of power.”

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In his statement, El-Sayed praised McMorrow for having the “courage” to challenge what he described as a rigged political system, accusing Democratic Party insiders of spending millions to influence the primary. While he did not name specific groups, the remarks appeared to reference corporate PACs and party leaders such as Chuck Schumer, who has endorsed Stevens. 

He then invited McMorrow’s supporters to join his progressive movement to combat big money in politics and defeat the political establishment. 

“Throughout this campaign, Senator McMorrow showed what it looks like to fight back against politics that rigs the system against too many of us. While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers,” he said. 

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“The same party insiders she had the courage to challenge have been bullying anyone who opposes their chosen candidate. After spending $30 million to drown Senator McMorrow and me out, they’re now spending even more to attack me. It’s everything we are standing up against.”

“I welcome her supporters to our movement to stand up against money in politics, to put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for All. We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.” 

President Donald Trump and his Interior Department are declaring an America 250 victory over algae in the Lincoln Reflecting Pool.

Trump shared photos on Truth Social on Sunday showing the pool and the reflection of the Washington Monument appearing clear and blue, and made a call out with a “Wanted” poster for vandals.

“The U.S. Park Police is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the individual in the notice below in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation related to the Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social.

Trump also shared an Interior Department statement crediting “advanced nanobubbler technology” and National Park Service cleanup work.

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“The advanced nanobubbler technology very effectively killed the algae that has plagued every Lincoln Reflecting Pool reopening — most infamously Obama’s reopening — since 1922,” Dei Gratia Minerals founder Greg Wischer, Interior’s deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management, wrote in a letter shared with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Trump.

“The Reflecting Pool water is crystal clear, and our National Park Service team is now vacuuming up the dead algae resting on the bottom of some parts of the Reflecting Pool — just like the destroyed Iranian Navy resting on the bottom of the Persian Gulf.”

The photos shared by Trump show the Reflecting Pool stretching toward the Washington Monument under blue skies. One image appears to show the pool from the Lincoln Memorial end, while a second closer view shows the Washington Monument reflected in the water.

Trump also shared a U.S. Interior Press social media post hailing the technological success, quoting that Wischer memo.

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“The vacuuming is the final maintenance step after refilling the pool, and it will be complete in a few days,” his memo continued. “Already, the section of the Reflecting Pool closest to the Lincoln Memorial has been vacuumed up, and the beautiful American Flag Blue coating on the bottom of the pool can be seen clearly.”

Trump’s Interior Department has praised the technology for overcoming past challenges on keeping the pool clear, including dunking on former President Barack Obama.

“Previous administrations — most notably under Obama — failed to maintain the Reflecting Pool, and after refilling the pool, the water would quickly become murky and thick with massive clumps of algae floating on the surface,” the memo concluded.

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“The photos below show how the nanobubbler technology and vacuuming have been incredibly effective, making the water crystal clear with the American Flag Blue coating shining brightly on the bottom of the pool.

“As our National Park Service team noted, the Reflecting Pool is now so ‘blue’ that the Fake News Media, which has been staked out at the Reflecting Pool for weeks, has fled!”

The 6.75 million-gallon pool has been targeted by Trump critics and leftist anti-Trump activists for attacks both verbally and physical, Burgum discussed with ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

“The Reflecting Pool has been a big success,” he said. “And we’ve got 340 million people in this country that are celebrating 250. We did have a few vandals, but all that’s going to be repairable, and that’ll all be fixed in the coming weeks as we go forward.”

Burgum now believes that the pool might not require a full draining after its “multiple gashes that add up to 350 feet,” he added.

“We don’t know if we need to drain the whole thing or not because, you know, the cutting happened on the edge, and, of course, it slopes from the edge,” according to Burgum.

“We may be able to partially drain it and do the repair. To be able to fix it, we may not have to drain the whole thing, but it could go very quickly.”

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While the media and Trump critics are pointing to added costs of the reflecting pool refurbishment, Burgum pointed to the vandalism causing that.

“We weren’t expecting that we were going to have a small group of people that wanted to try to destroy effectively what is part of the Lincoln Memorial,” Burgum told ABC. “There’s plenty of cameras around the Lincoln statue and around the memorial, but the Reflecting Pool had gone for, you know, decades without vandalism.”

Former President Bill Clinton took a swipe at President Donald Trump in a statement posted to X marking the nation’s 250th birthday, urging Americans to reject division and embrace the country’s founding ideals without mentioning Trump by name.

In the statement, released Saturday, Clinton reflected on the nation’s founding and warned that the United States was experiencing another period of deep political division.

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“Today, we celebrate this milestone amid another period of deep division, renewed questions about America’s future and role in the world, and serious threats to our own institutions and to our democracy itself,” the former president wrote.

Clinton, whose wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was defeated by Trump in the 2016 presidential election, did not mention the president by name during his remarks.

“The people in charge have unleashed masked agents on American communities to seize people from their homes, workplaces and the street,” Clinton said. 

“They have started an unconstitutional war on a whim, with no clear objectives or exit strategy, and zero regard for the consequences to the lives of millions of people around the world,” he added.

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The former president then broadened his criticism to the federal government and the courts.

“With the help of lifetime appointees to the Supreme Court and a compliant Congress, they have weaponized government to settle personal scores, prosecute enemies, stamp out free speech and made the federal government a new profit center for themselves and their allies,” he added.

Clinton’s statement came as Trump presided over separate America250 festivities in Washington, D.C., where he touted what he called America’s “Golden Age” and highlighted his administration’s accomplishments, the U.S. military and the country’s economic outlook.

Clinton encouraged Americans to think about the nation’s future as it enters its next 250 years, arguing that preserving democratic institutions requires citizens to value common purpose over political grievance.

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Trump, meanwhile, used his Independence Day address to celebrate the nation’s founding while touting his administration’s achievements, criticizing progressive Democrats and promoting priorities including election integrity measures, border security and a renewed emphasis on patriotism.

While both men celebrated the nation’s founding, their messages highlighted vastly different views of the country’s current political climate.

America’s 250th birthday is a milestone in the nation’s history that, in Washington, D.C., was marked by thunderous fireworks, flyovers and a fair on the National Mall.

But at the granular level, families across the country have celebrated July 4 in their own way for generations, crafting traditions that they revisit year after year. Trips to the lake, sizzling hot dogs, bottle rockets, picnics in the park and burgers — all hallmarks of America’s celebration of independence.

Lawmakers, when the partisan barbs end, the floor speeches quiet and Congress ditches Washington for the weekend every year, have their own traditions like the everyday working American.

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Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said his favorite tradition was “loving America.”

“So, all of our children, we raise them to love this country because we tell them the truth about this country, and they understand that America is the most awesome place that has ever existed in the history of the planet,” Van Orden said. “So, we get together, we barbecue some hot dogs and then we watch some fireworks. It’s great.”

And of course, there’s beer.

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“I’m from Wisconsin,” he said. “Of course. Miller Lites and Hebrew National hot dogs are great. They’re all beef and wonderful. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a mix of, you know, pork and beef for a hot dog, but I like the Hebrew Nationals myself.”

Geography does play a factor in some lawmakers’ traditions, like Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., whose family heads to the tiny town of Harlowton, Mont., to a friend’s ranch, where a lake and ranch hand routine take center stage.

“We all camp there. The kids play in the water. And, you know, usually that’s right around branding [season],” Downing said. “So branding is usually when you castrate. And, so, I’m usually in charge of doing all the calf fries after the castrations.”

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Then there’s the barbecue, which is a staple in Rep. Ralph Norman’s home state of South Carolina.

“Eatin’ barbecue and relaxin,” Norman said.

When pressed if there was any beer in between, Norman quipped, “I’m not old enough to drink beer.”

“I have to get a — I’ve got a fake ID I’ve gotta show,” he said. “No, drinking beer, barbecue and having a good time with family.”

Others take the opportunity to celebrate President Donald Trump alongside their annual traditions.

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“My neighbor, nice guy, great guy, my twin brother Trevor, are going to come over. We’ve got flags flying in our backyard. We’re going to have some lobster tail, maybe some nice, fat ribeyes, a lot of fat on the ribeyes,” Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas said.

“We like the marbling on the ribeyes and just celebrate the Fourth and just look at the birds and the flowers and just be thankful that we were born in the greatest country on earth, right,” he continued. 

“And celebrate the greatest president in the lifetime of this great country, Donald J. Trump. That’s what I’m thankful for, and that’s what I’ll be celebrating.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s claims that President Donald Trump’s Justice Department launched a politically motivated “fishing expedition” against him are facing new scrutiny after multiple reports indicated key federal investigations predate Trump’s second administration.

The timeline has emerged as a central point in the dispute. While Newsom argues the current Justice Department is weaponizing the investigations against a political rival, multiple news organizations, citing sources familiar with the matter, have reported that at least some of the investigative activity began before Trump returned to the White House.

According to CalMatters, at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom’s orbit have been underway for about a year in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. The outlet, citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, reported the investigations originated from whistleblowers and local complaints in Sacramento, while one inquiry involving former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson was opened during the Biden administration. CBS News, Axios, the Financial Times and The Guardian have also reported similar timelines, citing sources familiar with the investigations.

Newsom has maintained that the current Justice Department has expanded or politicized the investigations, even as the reported chronology has fueled questions over whether the inquiries themselves originated under Trump’s administration.

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The outlet also reported that one investigation involving former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson was opened during the Biden administration. Williamson pleaded guilty earlier this year to corruption charges in a case that did not implicate Newsom. CBS News, Axios, the Financial Times and The Guardian have also reported, citing sources familiar with the investigations, that at least one federal inquiry began roughly a year ago and originated in California rather than at Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

Despite that reported timeline, Newsom has maintained that the current Justice Department is weaponizing the investigations in retaliation for his criticism of Trump and his national political profile, describing the inquiry as a politically motivated “fishing expedition.” His administration has also sought records through the Freedom of Information Act in an effort to determine who ordered or directed the current investigation.

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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on that characterization this week. While declining to comment on any ongoing investigations, Blanche told reporters he was “not sure [Newsom’s] words are in any way grounded in fact,” adding that the California governor “would have to address that.” Blanche did not confirm or deny whether any investigation exists.

Newsom’s office responded by mocking Blanche on social media, posting a meme captioned, “Why you always lyin,” while the governor’s press office said, “Trump goons know that it’s not a crime to lie to a reporter.”

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According to CalMatters, Newsom’s office contends federal prosecutors expanded their inquiries after failing to build a case from the Williamson investigation, broadening their scrutiny to include Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the couple’s finances and their associates.

The outlet reported investigators have examined the first partner’s tax filings, nonprofit organizations and certain behested payments, though it did not allege those payments were unlawful.

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Fox News Digital previously reported, citing federal sources, that investigators have opened inquiries involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom, but that Fox News had not learned of any federal investigation directly targeting Gov. Newsom himself.

The Department of Justice, the White House and Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

President Donald Trump delivered a 37-minute speech for America’s 250th birthday after a weather delay in the dark of night that was lit up by a Guinness world-record-setting fireworks display stretching from July 4 into July 5 at Washington, D.C.’s National Mall.

While thousands outlasted the rain and dodged nature’s thunderstorm light show, many Americans might have missed the president’s historic remarks.

Here is a recap of some of the highlights.

AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN

‘No dream in history is bigger’ than the American experiment

“In this country, we could achieve the wildest and most impossible dreams, and no dream in history is bigger or more incredible than the one that started on July 4th, 1776,” Trump said. “The war for independence was launched by minutemen, farmers, blacksmiths, tradesmen who took up their muskets against the mightiest army on earth, the most powerful army and unbeatable army – until they met us.”

“No one made them do it. They fought because they knew that a free people must have a free country. Over 250 years, the world has seen the great empires, vast kingdoms, mighty nations and terrible tyrants: They came and they went, but after 2 1/2 centuries, this American republic still stands tall and strong,” the president added.

TRUMP HAILS AMERICA AS ‘MOST EXCEPTIONAL NATION EVER TO EXIST’ IN MOUNT RUSHMORE SPEECH

‘America is a nation of winners’

“Americans won the West and built the modern world, because America is a nation of winners, and today our country is winning again, and we’re winning like never before,” Trump said just before the midway point of the speech. “America is back and we want to keep America great.”

“Together, we are also reasserting the truth that American strength and power is not something to be ashamed of. It is something that we are very, very proud of,” Trump continued. “This country has been the greatest force for peace and justice on earth in the last century. We defeated tyrants, demolished evil, and saved freedom again and again and again.”

‘Nothing Americans cannot do’

“There is no challenge Americans can not overcome,” Trump said before his concluding remarks. “There is no place we cannot go. There is no goal we cannot reach. And there is nothing that Americans cannot do.”

Thanking those staying into the late hours

“If you think that was easy, it wasn’t,” Trump began in an unscripted salute to the patient and devoted crowd. “And I want to thank everybody because they did the right thing. They saw lightning. And I said, ‘there’s no way; if we have to speak in front of one person at 4 in the morning, I’m going to be here.’

“There’s no way we can be deterred. And they estimated they had 375,000 people before everybody had to leave, and they now have 150,000 people. It’s the craziest thing anyone’s ever seen.

“And I want to just thank you. And I feel so badly about some people. They left it; they couldn’t get back. But, you’re very special people, and we have a very special country. Thank you very much.”

’56 patriots put everything at risk’ for ‘victory for the ages’

“They declare that all men are created equal; that they are endowed with sacred unalienable rights by the hand of our creator, and that among these are life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Trump said, “and signing their names to the roster of freedom.”

“Those 56 patriots put everything at risk. Stepped onto the stage of destiny and seized a victory for the ages. And that’s what it was,” he said. “And this is an evening for the ages. I believe this is something very special. This is bigger than if we didn’t have the lightning blaring. We had lightning blaring. But this is bigger, little more inconvenient, but it’s bigger, I think, in its own way it’s more beautiful. From the beginning, we were a nation that live by the motto victory or death and live free or die.”

‘We will always be the best’

“God bless the immortal patriots of 1776, and long live the cause of independence,” Trump said. “May it reign forever and ever and ever. We will always be on top. We will never let our country fall. We will always be the best.”

“Our founders not only won our liberty, they secured it with the most righteous political document ever conceived: It’s called the Constitution of the United States,” Trump said. “Very special, and it’s because of their genius that we remain the finest people on the planet.”

Honoring 11 Gold Star families

“We are honored to be joined by 11 Gold Star family members,” Trump said. “The Gold Star family – that is one of the great tributes. It’s one of the great honors, a tough honor. There’s nothing tougher than that. But these are amazing people.”

Next stop, the moon, then a mission to Mars

“We’re going to be going to Mars very soon, and I think that’s something that we do have in my mind,” Trump said, hearkening to the historic John F. Kennedy going to the moon speech excerpt.

“And we’re going to do the moon and we’re going to go from there. We’re going to go to Mars, and we’re going to continue to be way ahead.”

Defeating communism: We ‘cast the hammer and sickle into oblivion’

“All these talks from the communists, they haven’t got a chance – not even a chance,” Trump said; a theme he reiterated multiple times in the speech. “We don’t want communists in our country. Never worked and it never will work.”

Communism will always be “a loser,” Trump added later.

“Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world only to have that menace rears its ugly head right back here in America. We’re not going to let it happen. We like to stop a threat like that immediately and before it begins,” Trump said. “It’s like a cancer. You got to cut it out. You got to cut it out fast.”

Trump added a warning to potential future communist opposition around the globe.

“The Stars and Stripes cast the hammer and sickle into oblivion before,” Trump said, “and we will do it again if necessary.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I think people have learned. They’ve learned what to do and how to handle it, and we’ll get a handle it very well.”

‘Our destiny is written by God’

“We have thrived and flourished because our founders were great, our cause was just, our people are brave, our culture is exceptional, and our destiny is written by God,” Trump said near the end of the speech he apparently cut short after vowing earlier this week to deliver an hours-long address to the world.

“And as we can see here tonight, after 250 years, the spirit of 1776 still lives within us all. It still roars in the hearts of our nation’s capital. It still burns in the heart of every patriot, thunders through every city and town, and is still lights the entire world with the glow of American liberty. And there is nothing like that.”

250 and ‘just getting started’: ‘Best is yet to come’; ‘dawn of the golden age’

“At 250 years old, we may be the oldest constitutional republic on earth, but our country is just getting started because the best is yet to come: This is only the dawn of the golden age of America,” Trump said in his conclusion, leading directly into the National Mall fireworks display.

“And on this 250th 4th of July, we declare, just as they did two and a half centuries ago, that for our country and for our children and for the cause of liberty, we are going to take our country to new levels, to levels not reached,” Trump continued. “We’re going to make it bigger, better, stronger, and we’re going to love it even more.”

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“And I just want to thank you,” he added, finishing with words off the script. “The inconvenience of lightning can do that, but lightning will never stop you. And I want to thank everybody and we love you all. And it’s an honor to be your president. Thank you. God bless you all.”

WASHINGTON, DC – As dozens of travelers arrived at Union Station Wednesday morning, many stopped to photograph historic Ford Motor Co. cars, trucks, tractors and artifacts celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and the automaker’s role in shaping the nation.

For two weeks, Ford is hosting “Driving America Forward: A Ford Experience at Union Station,” a free public exhibit showcasing vehicles and artifacts from the Ford Heritage Vault in Dearborn that trace the company’s legacy, from the Model T, the iconic mass-produced car, to a 1934 Ford pickup on loan from legendary late-night host Jay Leno.

The exhibit, part of Ford’s marquee America 250 celebrations, features 10 vehicles displayed behind museum-quality glass, including a 1941 Ford GP prototype that helped lead to the military Jeep, a 1951 Ford 8N tractor, a 1954 F-100 from Virginia’s Red Truck Bakery and a 2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One car. Visitors can also create a free postcard at an interactive photo station and shop for Ford merchandise.

“America’s celebrating its 250th anniversary,” Ted Ryan, Ford’s archives and heritage brand manager, told Fox News Digital. “We’ve been here for almost half of that journey, and we’ve had such a material impact on America.”

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“Whether it’s industrializing, building the moving assembly line, mass transportation with the Model T, the best-selling car in the world for a number of years, or even the tractor that transformed farming. Ford has been there.”

Ryan said the exhibit was designed to turn heads and reveal surprising stories about the company’s influence on American industry, transportation and pop culture over the past 123 years.

“I was challenged to create an exhibit that would stop people in their tracks to take pictures or learn new facts about the Ford Motor Company,” he said. “So we have 10 amazing vehicles that go throughout our entire 124-year history… These are cars that are stopping people in their tracks, and then the exhibit cases are full of material that will tell people stories they don’t expect to hear.”

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In a news release, Ryan said Union Station was a fitting location because it has “a particular kind of magic.”

“For more than a century, it has served as the front door to the nation’s capital, a place where presidents have arrived to be inaugurated, where soldiers have shipped off to war, and where ordinary Americans, by the millions, have stepped off a train and into the heart of their democracy,” he wrote.

But Ryan said Ford’s contributions to America go far beyond building cars.

“Ford built Mission Control at Johnson Space Center,” he said. “We developed tracking beams for airplanes. Ford invented the mail sorter. Hopefully we’re teaching people about the critical role that Ford has played in America during half of its 250 years.”

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Ryan said the vehicles are meant to spark memories for visitors, whether they remind someone of their first car, a family road trip or a vehicle passed down through generations.

“I hope people take wonderful photos of cars that remind them of vehicles Ford has produced that they fell in love with, and that they’ll leave with information they didn’t know ahead of time,” he said.

Through wars, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan said Ford has consistently stepped up to support the country through its “Answering the Call” initiative, which highlights the company’s long history of helping the nation during times of need.

“Ford is always there and always will be there to answer the call whenever America or our local communities need us,” he said.

As visitors walk through the exhibit, Ryan hopes they leave with a deeper appreciation for Ford.

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“America’s turning 250, and it’s a great time to celebrate,” he said. “Ford has been here for half of it, and we’re doing our best to tell our story and the role we’ve played in America.”

The exhibit is open daily through July 14, with no tickets or registration required.

A national security expert who fled to the U.S. from Cuba is warning that one “vicious cycle” currently dominating American politics could lead to “communists in double digits” serving in Congress.

Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation who fled communist Cuba in the 1970s, said in an interview with Fox News Digital that the socialist “threat is real now.”

Gonzalez likened this trend to a “takeover of a host body, the Democratic Party,” saying, “It’s being taken over by body snatchers and they’re not able to mount any defense of it whatsoever even if they wanted to.”

Under the current political environment, Gonzalez predicted, “We’re going to get communists in double digits in the House of Representatives at least, there’s no doubt of that.”

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Over the course of a year, New York City elected a socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, while three of his endorsed socialist congressional candidates — Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier — defeated establishment Democrats, including two incumbents. On the other side of the country, Seattle elected a socialist mayor, Katie Wilson. Just this week, Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, further illustrating socialists’ ability to topple entrenched party figures.

While these politicians identify as socialist, Gonzalez pointed out that to the authors of the communist manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “there was no difference between socialism and communism, they were interchangeable.”

“These people are communists, and when you catch them unawares, they actually say, ‘Oh, yeah, I know we want communism,’” he said.

According to Gonzalez, the widespread success of socialist candidates in races across the U.S. is due to several factors, including the breakdown of immigrants assimilating to American culture, increased hatred of the U.S. and even White guilt combined with a real affordability crisis in cities like New York.

“A very important component of this and one that conservatives sometimes forget is that a lot of these votes are White votes, White young kids who have come in from the suburbs, who feel guilty about a number of things,” he explained.

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“They have gone to very expensive Ivy League schools and they’re trying to make a living in New York City without being a banker. And you can’t make a living in New York City if you’re not a banker, sorry, you’re going to have an affordability crisis.”

This, Gonzalez said, makes socialist promises of handouts, such as free tuition, free bus fares and public-run grocery stores, an easy sell.

“So, they end up voting for this. This is a very bad vicious cycle that is taking place and that is going to produce communism in this country if we’re not careful.”

Meanwhile, Neetu Arnold, a young immigrant to the U.S. who now works as a policy analyst for the Manhattan Institute, emphasized that the socialist trend is not just isolated to cities like New York but becoming increasingly prevalent in cities across the U.S.

“The rise in the socialism in America, it’s going to shape our politics. I think it’s going to make things more extreme,” Arnold said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

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“What the socialist candidates have tapped into are real frustrations and grievances, but the solutions that they’re offering is essentially more government involvement rather than trying to address the underlying problems,” she explained. “What a lot of younger people are finding out is that it’s not that easy to get housing. They’re in student debt, they are struggling to find stable jobs, and so the things that they were promised are not necessarily coming true.”

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As a naturalized U.S. citizen, Arnold said she hopes both sides of the political aisle recognize that “socialist policies are a threat to the American way of life.”

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“In this country we value merit, we value wealth, and the ability to move upward in this society,” she said. “I’ve seen my life change before my eyes by being here in this county, by having the opportunities that I did, and that I saw for my family, and I think that was only possible because of free markets and the opportunities that we had in this country.”

“Socialist policies essentially restrict what we are able to do,” Arnold continued. “So, I do take it seriously and I hope that Democrats, Republicans, they all take the rise of socialism seriously.”

As America marks its 250th anniversary, 9/11 Memorial and Museum President and CEO Elizabeth L. Hillman said this year’s milestone coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, highlighting the nation’s past and its resilience.

“This year, America’s 250th birthday coincides with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which means that what’s happening at our site is very much connected to the history of the country and to the recognition of this important milestone,” Hillman told Fox News Digital.

“9/11 is an important part of our nation’s history, but especially now as the nation turns 250.”

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

SECRETS OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLEFIELDS EMERGE 250 YEARS AFTER AMERICA’S FOUNDING

Hillman said it is more important than ever for future generations to learn about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to understand how they helped shape the nation and “where we are today.”

“Now, 25 years have passed since that date, so if we don’t elevate 9/11 in the eyes of the 100 million Americans who were born since or were too young to remember 9/11 when it happened, we’ll lose the opportunity for them to understand what happened on that day and how the world came to heal, how the nation came together, and how this city and the other sites, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, worked to recover afterward,” she said.

Hillman said the nation’s recovery after 9/11 shows that even after a devastating tragedy, people can come together, heal and rebuild.

“I think everyone’s hungry for evidence that we can survive things that are difficult,” she said. “There’s nothing like 9/11 to help people realize, given how the nation has recovered since, that it is possible to persevere, to heal, to recover, even in the face of really unfathomable loss, and that’s what 9/11 has the chance to teach us.”

Reflecting on the museum’s role, Hillman said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks affected not only New York City but the entire country, calling the museum “a testament to the resilience of the city” and to “the perseverance that enabled us to actually rebuild.”

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“At the center of the rebuilt World Trade Center is a monument to the people who were killed that day and a testimony, really, to what we can do when we come together after that kind of catastrophe,” she said.

This year, the museum opened “Our Flag Was Still There,” an exhibition featuring flags, artifacts and photographs that tell stories of resilience from first responders, veterans and Americans who lived through 9/11. The exhibit includes the Ground Zero flag raised by FDNY firefighters, the flag draped over the Pentagon by soldiers and firefighters, a flag raised over the last column of the South Tower, and one carried during the mission that killed Usama bin Laden.

“It reveals how important the flag was in the healing and the coming together that happened after 9/11,” Hillman said.

Hillman said commemorating 9/11 is especially important at a time when “many things seem to be splitting us apart.”

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“The opportunity to bring people together around a symbol like the flag and around a symbol like the rebuilding of the World Trade Center after 9/11, it’s a great opportunity, especially right now,” she said.

On July 4, Hillman said the museum will place an American flag at each victim’s name on the memorial, “to recognize how important the flag was as a symbol of the country on its birthday, but also of the recovery from 9/11 that happened and continues to happen now as we remember that day at this site.”

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Looking ahead to fall, Hillman said the museum will also start offering free admission to veterans whose “willingness to serve after 9/11” helped rebuild the World Trade Center and unite the nation.

“If there’s one message that we feel we can elevate now that we couldn’t do 25 years ago because we didn’t know enough about what would happen afterward, it’s that so many people were inspired to serve their country, serving in the military,” she said.

President Donald Trump is set to deliver what the White House is calling a “historic” speech Saturday night before a massive fireworks display celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

Trump is still expected to take the stage at 10 p.m. at the conclusion of the Salute to America celebration on the National Mall, though timing of events may fluctuate due to adverse weather, per a senior White House official.

The president’s address is expected to look back on America’s history since its founding 250 years ago, a senior White House official told Fox News.

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Trump will deliver a “unique” speech featuring the stories of American heroes.

“It will be a unique speech unlike any other he’s given before,” the official added.

Earlier Saturday, Trump celebrated what he described as a “stronger than ever” America in a Truth Social post, praising the “incredible” crowds gathered in Washington despite the heat and storms.

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The president also highlighted the air shows over the nation’s capital, saying the pilots and aircraft were “at a level never seen before.”

Trump also addressed recent vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, calling those responsible “Vandal Thugs” and promising the pool would be drained and repaired after the holiday weekend.

The president’s remarks come one day after he delivered a patriotic speech at Mount Rushmore, where he called the United States the “most exceptional nation ever to exist” and warned that communism posed the nation’s greatest threat.

TRUMP HAILS AMERICA AS ‘MOST EXCEPTIONAL NATION EVER TO EXIST’ IN MOUNT RUSHMORE SPEECH

“Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — it is death, tyranny and the pursuit of evil.

A severe thunderstorm swept through Washington on Saturday evening, prompting emergency officials to urge people on the National Mall to seek shelter.

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Freedom 250, the event organizer, said it would provide updates on the evening’s schedule as weather conditions developed.

OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman is considering offering 5% of his company to the U.S. in a deal negotiated with President Donald Trump if his other AI competitors agree to do the same, the Financial Times reported Thursday.

Altman reportedly met with Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about a plan to make OpenAI public to some degree, according to the report.

Altman also met with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who recently proposed broad public ownership of AI companies, suggesting U.S. taxpayers should own up to half of the companies.

Altman reportedly believes that giving the public partial ownership of AI companies is the best way to spread the benefits of the rapidly growing sector to the American people.

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Altman, however, would also want to see AI competitors like Meta, Google and Anthropic contribute 5% of their companies to the public in order to commit to giving up a portion of OpenAI.

Anthropic, makers of ChatGPT rival Claude, recently renewed its relationship with the White House and President Trump after being on the outs with the executive branch. The company was recently removed from a Pentagon supply chain risk blacklist and is now working with government officials.

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Altman, according to the report, is seeking with his public gambit to avoid the fate of Anthropic and place himself and OpenAI in Trump’s good graces by adding his company to America’s growing corporate portfolio.

The article cited the microchip manufacturer Intel, which the U.S. bought a 10% stake in in August 2025. The Financial Times cited the purchase and Trump’s previous criticism of Intel and its CEO, noting that since Trump made the investment on America’s behalf, his relationship has been smooth sailing.

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The Intel purchase followed a purchase of 15% equity in the company MP Minerals, and Trump has since acquired stakes in U.S. Steel and a number of quantum companies.

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Both Altman and Anthropic are reportedly moving to take their companies public soon, a factor that the Financial Times also cites as motivation for Altman to link up to the government as, in the early days of the AI boom, helping influence policy decision on AI may be crucial to the success or failure of the industry’s biggest players.

Fox News digital contacted OpenAI and the White House for comment.

Pope Leo XIV urged Americans to embrace the U.S.’s history of welcoming immigrants in a virtual address to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Friday while accepting the 2026 Liberty Medal in recognition of his commitment to religious freedom.

“In these past 250 years, for so many peoples throughout the world, it was the firm resolve to achieve the noble vision of the nation’s founders that made America a byword for freedom, as the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to play their part in shaping the future of the nation,” Pope Leo, the Catholic church’s first American Pope, recited.

“I would just like to recall the words signed by the founding fathers of the nation 250 years ago in Philadelphia in the Declaration of Independence. It said that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men have received fundamental rights from our creator, and they include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” he continued.

AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN

“As a son of this great country, founded by courageous men and women who dreamed of liberty and of a better life for themselves and for their children, I join you in asking God’s blessings upon America’s future, that the lofty ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice and peace,” Leo said.

“Today, as we look to the future, this historic anniversary presents us with the opportunity to reflect once again on the nation’s founding principles in the hope that America will remain ever true to the dream that has earned it the title of land of the free and home of the brave,” the Pope continued, bolstering a steady commitment to advocating for immigrant and migrant rights, a position he’s taken a strong stance on since ascending to the papacy in 2025.

“The moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to support, protect and cherish the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable and those whose worth is questioned,” Leo concluded.

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Following his virtual address to the Philadelphia crowd, which he delivered remotely from The Vatican, the Pope departed for Lampedusa, an Italian territorial island off the coast of north Africa that’s become a hotspot for migrants seeking to gain entry into Europe.

There, again, Leo urged the world and Europe to accept more migrants.

“Here you have seen not just one, but thousands of human beings fallen into the hands of robbers who have taken everything from them, beat them brutally and walked away, leaving them half-dead. The sea has claimed the lives of others, those who did not manage to reach their hoped-for destination. Yet we feel their presence, which challenges us no less than that of those who have landed in need of attention and aid,” he said.

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“There are also those who choose not to be a neighbor and those who choose not to make a decision. Those who have lost their lives in this sea are victims both of decisions that were made and of decisions that were not made. Indifference to the common good and corruption in their countries of origin; a global economic system that generates poverty and exclusion; fear that fuels prejudice and contempt; the belief that such problems do not concern us; the criminal calculations of those who profit from the suffering of others; the slow and difficult transition from mere emergency management to the development of comprehensive and shared policies,” the Pope continued.

“Thanks to its geographical location and institutional framework, Europe is capable of addressing the crisis, in this region, in a comprehensive manner, integrating immediate relief efforts into a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants, while at the same time assisting developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate.”

“Indeed, for many a vacation is merely a distraction, a time of lightheartedness and carefree enjoyment. It then seems as though an invisible wall has to be erected between the sea of shipwrecked migrants and the vacationers. Have the courage to think differently,” the Pope concluded.

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Leo’s strong stances on immigration and war have often put him at odds with Western leaders, particularly President Donald Trump.

Trump has called Leo “terrible for Foreign Policy” and “weak,” while Vice President JD Vance, a converted Catholic, has also criticized the Pope’s public comments.

President Donald Trump pardoned nine people convicted of violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with diesel vehicle emissions-control systems.

On Friday, Trump announced six of the pardons on Truth Social, arguing that the men he granted clemency to were “persecuted by the Biden Administration” and punished for “fixing their car.”

Eight of the people Trump pardoned were diesel mechanics or car tuners who were prosecuted for selling and installing so-called “defeat devices” into trucks, according to a Fox News review of federal court records.

These devices reprogram trucks to bypass federally required emissions controls and suppress diagnostic warnings. Without them, many diesel trucks can enter a “limp” mode that limits speed — sometimes to as little as 5 mph — until the emissions system is restored.

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Trucks can also enter this limp mode when emissions controls fail. These failures are extraordinarily common and have been causing massive headaches for truckers and farmers for years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

People are more than willing to pay top dollar to mechanics who can do the job of disabling the emissions-limiting systems.

Matthew Geouge, one of the pardon recipients, ran two companies that sold illegal tuning devices. Just from the sale of those devices alone, his firms grossed more than $10 million, according to his December 2021 plea agreement.

Emissions-capping technology, specifically Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) systems, is also prone to malfunctions in extremely cold weather.

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Brad Bylsma, a state equipment fleet manager for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), said in March that DEF systems account for a “significant portion of our maintenance issues and costs” with state-owned diesel vehicles.

Frederic Sifuentes, the president of Alaska-based transportation service, put it more bluntly.

“The percentage of breakdowns we have here in Alaska with the DEF systems is roughly 85 percent of the time,” he said.

Another pardon recipient, MacKenzie “Mac” Spurlock, was a mechanic in Alaska who modified emissions controls on vehicles for exactly this reason, according to Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.

“Four years ago, about 30 armed EPA agents conducted a military-style tactical raid of Matanuska Diesel, owned by Mac Spurlock — a devoted husband and father, small business owner, and veteran of the Alaska Air National Guard,” Sullivan said in a statement celebrating Spurlock’s pardon.

“His shop had assisted trucking businesses by modifying several diesel emissions-control systems mandated by a one-size-fits-all Obama-era emissions regulation, ensuring the vehicles wouldn’t shut down in Alaska’s harsh, subzero conditions,” Sullivan added.

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The other men who received pardons for similar conduct included Ryan and Wade Lalone, Tim Clancy, Joshua Davis, Barry Pierce, Aaron Rudolf, and Jonathan Achtemeier, CBS News reported.

In late January 2026, the Trump administration announced it would no longer pursue criminal charges for manufacturers, distributors and users of defeat devices. Civil penalties could still apply.

Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., is blasting North Carolina’s state government’s decision to boycott the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., accusing the state’s Democratic governor of injecting politics into America’s 250th birthday celebration.

Edwards said Gov. Josh Stein, D-N.C., chose partisanship over patriotism by declining to sponsor a booth representing the Tar Heel State, rejecting the state’s explanation that budget constraints drove the decision.

“I think it’s unbelievably unfortunate that our governor chose to not send representation from North Carolina to help celebrate such a momentous occasion and show patriotism,” Edwards, who represents a large swath of western North Carolina, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

“But I know a lot of North Carolinians back at home, I know the folks in my district are patriots, and they certainly will be celebrating,” he continued.

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The state government cited fiscal issues for declining to participate in the 16-day fair, which is currently underway on the National Mall until July 10. Every state was given exhibition space and each day features a different theme celebrating American history and culture.

“Our limited resources are focused on America 250 events across North Carolina, including one at the State Capitol in Raleigh on July 4,” a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources told The New York Times.

“I don’t buy that at all,” Edwards said when asked about the alleged budget concerns. “I think it’s a political statement.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Stein’s office for comment.

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Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington are among the other blue states that opted out of the Great American State Fair hosted by the Trump-aligned organization, Freedom 250.

Govs. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., and Tina Kotek, D-Ore., are among the Democratic governors who opted out over concerns the event would be overly partisan.

The fair is one of several high-profile events marking the 250th milestone in the nation’s Capitol.

Still, several private sponsors stepped in to fund the North Carolina booth.

Amid Stein’s snub, the state’s booth drew controversy after the inclusion of several Confederate flags as part of the display. The symbols have since been removed from the booth by fair organizers.

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Stein criticized the display in a written statement obtained by NBC News.

“This flag does not represent the North Carolina that we love,” the governor said. “America 250 is about unity and bringing our nation together. We are pleased the flag that did the opposite has now been taken down.”

North Carolina joined the Confederacy during the Civil War, but the Confederate flag was never incorporated into the southern state flag’s design.

Top Democratic governors, including Minnesota’s Tim Walz, California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’s J.B. Pritzker are urging Congress to reject legislation that would shield oil and gas companies from climate-related lawsuits, arguing taxpayers should not bear the costs of pollution.

“Communities all across our nation, in red states and blue states, have suffered and face staggering costs from fires, floods, storms, and heat waves that, according to scientists, are becoming more destructive as a result of the burning of fossil fuels,” reads a letter penned by 10 Democrat governors.

The top state leaders, along with Democrat attorneys general, are pushing Congress to reject the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026, arguing it would protect oil and gas industries by granting immunity from lawsuits at the expense of taxpayers. Republicans argue the bill protects American energy from lawsuits that could bankrupt the industry, lead to job loss and drive up the cost of electricity and gasoline.

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“Such a guide is sorely needed as litigation involving climate science only grows in prevalence and urgency in our courts. Furthermore, the chapter’s removal does not change the scientific reality of climate change,” wrote more than 20 attorneys general in their letter to Congress.

Jason Isaac, American Energy Institute CEO, told Fox News Digital that this is a “coordinated legal campaign to bankrupt lawful American energy producers through junk litigation.”

“These companies legally produced the energy that heats and cools homes, powers hospitals, and fuels the American economy — and now a coalition of activist attorneys general and climate advocacy groups want to make them pay retroactively for doing exactly that,” said Isaac.

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The act was first introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., in April. If passed, the act would clear over a dozen lawsuits filed against oil and gas industries brought by local and state governments.

“After many failed attempts to enact EU-style climate measures, activists have turned to suing energy companies in a thinly-veiled effort to impose a global carbon tax through the courts,” Civitas Institute research director Michael Toth told Fox News Digital. 

“This climate lawfare threatens to hijack the federal government’s authority over matters that bear directly on our national security.”

California sued several major oil companies in 2023 as part of a broader Democratic effort to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate change. The lawsuit, which remains tied up in litigation, reflects Gov. Gavin Newsom’s longstanding opposition to the fossil fuel industry despite California being one of the nation’s largest oil-producing states.

“These companies knew about the catastrophic consequences of fossil fuels. They covered it up. Suppressed scientific data. Spent millions to cast doubts on climate science. Time for them to pay,” Newsom wrote on X at the time.

The letters from Democratic members and attorneys general come as the Supreme Court will hear a case in their fall term on ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy brought on by officials in Boulder, Colorado.

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More than 70 House Republicans are urging the Supreme Court to reject the bid to hold major oil companies liable for climate change damages, calling the lawsuit a costly “war on American energy,” Fox News Digital previously reported.

The case would decide whether federal law preempts localities from seeking relief for alleged climate damages in state courts. Boulder sued ExxonMobil and Suncor in 2018, alleging they contributed to climate change and misled the public about its risks.

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Alliance for Consumers Executive Director O.H. Skinner told Fox News that elected officials need to “push back against climate lawfare, stopping left-wing activists from using their woke lawfare playbook to push unpopular political beliefs through the courts.”

“These activists push a woke agenda that hurts consumers by driving up costs and limiting what is on store shelves for consumers. This is the Biden playbook all over again,” said Skinner.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is defending President Donald Trump’s many initiatives to address infrastructure in Washington, D.C., calling it a visible reminder that the country needs to actively press back against decline.

“Nations don’t crumble by fate — they decline by choice,” Burgum told Fox News Digital.

“From rehabilitating and installing historic memorials, statues, and fountains to removing hundreds of instances of graffiti and cleaning up crime on our streets, this administration is proving that American greatness is built through action,” he continued.

Burgum’s reasoning, which came ahead of the United States’ 250th Independence Day anniversary, addresses criticisms of the administration that have surfaced in recent weeks, casting doubt on whether Trump’s many renovation and construction initiatives in Washington, D.C. have been worth their price tag.

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As part of the 250th celebration, Trump has spent $14.7 million to restore the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool, allocated $250 million to restore the Kennedy Center and is on track to spend over $400 million on the construction of a ballroom at the White House.

Trump, in a Truth Social update about the reflecting pool, framed the efforts as part of a larger effort.

“We’ve cleaned, renovated and beautified over 45 monuments and memorials, 28 statues and 22 fountains in Washington, D.C. Things are really looking good in our nation’s capital. 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.

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The Department of the Interior, which has overseen many of the improvements, further updated its accomplishments ahead of July 4.

The city has removed 510 instances of graffiti, removed 154 homeless encampments, applied 212 tons of repair materials to roads and parkways, restored 280,000 square feet of roadway paving, rehabilitated 1,301 benches and fixed 1,913 lights.

Burgum said the repairs were emblematic of the administration’s aggressive posture towards addressing problems that had gone ignored in the past. In addition to these major improvements, DOI has restored and cleaned dozens of monuments and statues around DC. 

DOI also recently helped transform Meridian Hill Park, which got high praise on social media by DC residents, into a desirable place to visit with a restored fountain that had been under construction for years with very little movement. They also cleaned and restored some of the statues in the park, including the Joan of Arc statue and the James Buchanan Memorial.

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“While others accept decline, President Trump and the Department of the Interior are restoring the heart of our nation’s capital,” Burgum said. “The Golden Age of America isn’t just a slogan, it’s being rebuilt, one landmark, one street and one victory at a time.”