Pence commends Trump for winning freedom of Beijing’s Zion Church pastor Ezra Jin from Chinese detention
Former Vice President Mike Pence publicly praised President Donald Trump on Monday for successfully securing the release of pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, a prominent underground Christian leader detained by Chinese authorities. In a post on X, Pence said Trump “should be commended” for raising the case directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing, adding it was “Truly Treasure in Heaven to see this godly man of faith set free.” Pence also called on Beijing to release jailed Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai, adding, “#FreeJimmyLai.” PRESIDENT TRUMP REVEALS XI JINPING’S RESPONSE TO POSSIBLY RELEASING IMPRISONED CHINESE CRITIC JIMMY LAI Jin, the leader of Beijing’s unregistered Zion Church, was detained in October along with 17 other church leaders. He safely arrived in Los Angeles to reunite with his family, less than two months after Trump pressed Xi on his detention, according to Frances Hui of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. PRESIDENT TRUMP MUST PUT AMERICAN HOSTAGES FIRST IN HIGH-STAKES BEIJING SUMMIT In a statement to the Associated Press, Jin’s family thanked Trump and acknowledged the swift release would not have been possible without Xi’s intervention. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., took to X to thank Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, echoing Pence’s call for Lai’s release. “Great news! Thank you @POTUS and @SecRubio for your leadership in securing Pastor Ezra Jin’s freedom,” Scott wrote in the post. “Still, we cannot stop fighting to hold COMMUNIST CHINA accountable for ALL of their crimes.” “My friend Jimmy Lai remains unjustly imprisoned simply because he stood up for freedom,” Scott continued. “Jimmy Lai is 78 with diabetes and has been in solitary confinement for YEARS. I will never stop fighting for Jimmy Lai and I won’t give up until Jimmy is out of prison.”
Socialist Mayor Katie Wilson silent amid protests over ‘human dumping ground’ ahead of US World Cup match
Seattle socialist mayor Katie Wilson is facing protests ahead of today’s U.S. World Cup match in her city as members of the local Chinese and Vietnamese communities are accusing her of abandoning their neighborhoods to crime and open air drug dealing. One organizer went so far as to accuse progressive Wilson of treating Seattle’s Chinatown International District (CID) as a “human dumping ground” for homeless and drug addicts. While Seattle has hosted some of the World Cup’s biggest matches, including today’s U.S. versus Belgium match, residents and business owners in the CID and “Little Saigon” say their neighborhoods are missing out on the economic benefits due to safety concerns leading people to avoid the area, according to local outlet KIRO 7. Business owners are reporting a significant decline in foot traffic and business despite being less than a mile from Lumen Field. As frustrations mount, many are blaming Wilson’s leadership and taking to the streets to protest against her in front of World Cup crowds. SPENCER PRATT LIGHTS SOCIAL MEDIA ON FIRE WITH VIRAL TAKEDOWN OF ‘VILE, COMMIE MAYOR’ MAMDANI At one rally, Gary Lee, a CID advocate, said into a microphone, “Wilson claims to be an advocate for marginalized communities of color, but all she did was turn the CID into a human dumping ground and we’ve had enough,” KIRO 7 reported. In an interview with the outlet, Lee said, “When I look at the TV, I see that the waterfront is jampacked, Pioneer Square is jampacked. When I go over to Chinatown, it’s just like dead.” “I hate to say it, but it feels like a ghost town,” he said of the CID. Fox News Digital reached out to Wilson for comment, however the mayor did not respond by the time of publication. SEATTLE’S SOCIALIST MAYOR KATIE WILSON SLAMMED FOR CUTTING SHORT INTERVIEW OVER BASIC PUBLIC SAFETY QUESTION When CID residents started venting their frustrations, Wilson responded, “We’ve definitely seen, like, a lot of energy was put into trying to make sure that as visitors are coming, they are, you know, venturing out of that downtown corridor.” In a statement sent to KIRO 7, Wilson’s office said that “crime and disorder issues in the CID have gone unaddressed for far too long. We continue to work with the CID community to address their concerns and ensure it is a safe, active, and vibrant neighborhood.” Meanwhile, Fox 13 Seattle reported that community activist and former city council member Tanya Woo said many businesses in the district are seeing a 10-20% decline in sales. Woo called on community members to join her in walking to the stadium area on Monday to “personally invite fans to eat, shop, and experience the Chinatown-International District.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Many businesses in the Chinatown-International District are reporting sales declines compared to this time last year. Although thousands of FIFA fans are coming to Seattle, our neighborhood has largely become a rideshare pickup and drop-off zone,” she wrote. In another post, Woo wrote, “Seattle’s Chinatown International District should be benefiting from the FIFA World Cup, not being left behind.”
ICE renews hunt for El Chapo’s last two fugitive sons with massive reward
“Two down and two to go” blared the new wanted poster targeting the two remaining fugitive sons of infamous Mexican cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman-Loera, who is serving life-plus-30-years in Colorado’s federal supermax prison. On Monday, ICE posted a new wanted poster for two members of “Los Chapitos” — Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, two of El Chapo’s sons with his first wife, Alejandrina Maria Salazar-Hernandez. After El Chapo’s final capture in 2016, control of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel shifted to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. Following Zambada’s arrest during the Biden administration, leadership passed to Guzman’s four sons. MEXICAN SENATOR ACCUSES SHEINBAUM OF SHIELDING ‘NARCO-POLITICIANS’ AFTER US CARTEL INDICTMENT Both the Trump administration in the U.S. and the Sheinbaum administration in Mexico have said they are focused on cracking down on cartel’s new leadership. “Two down and two to go with $10 million reward,” the wanted poster read, with Xs over the faces of the already captured Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez. The two captured Chapitos are reportedly cooperating with authorities and have not yet been sentenced, but Ivan and Jesus remain “armed and dangerous,” according to ICE. ICE NABS ACCUSED MS-13 KILLER HIDING IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA SUBURB The two fugitives are charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and operating a continuing criminal enterprise. Two of Guzman’s four sons have already been captured through Operation Take Back America, an initiative seeking the “total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations” in order to protect U.S. communities from violent crime. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros said in a recent statement that efforts to capture El Chapo’s sons are the latest steps “in our efforts to bring to justice drug lords and other dangerous criminals who poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs and who otherwise engage in violence and corruption to carry out their and their enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.” US MILITARY KILLS TWO ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC STRIKE ON DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER In his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates committed violence against law enforcement officials, rival drug traffickers and members of their own organization to protect the Sinaloa Cartel’s trafficking operations. Fox News Digital reached out to ICE and DHS for additional comment and information on the mission to capture the two at-large Chapitos.
FLASHBACK: As America turns 250, here’s how the nation celebrated its biggest birthdays
America’s milestone anniversaries have given generations of Americans an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s history, values and progress. From the Centennial in 1876 to the Bicentennial in 1976, celebrations have had parades, fireworks, historical reenactments, speeches and other patriotic traditions honoring the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s founding in 1776. As Americans celebrated the country’s 250th anniversary on July 4, those traditions carried into the semiquincentennial with the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, President Donald Trump’s address marking the occasion, military flyovers, performances by the U.S. Army Band and a Guinness World Record-breaking fireworks display with more than 850,000 fireworks. Fox News Digital looks back at the nation’s biggest birthday celebrations. TRUMP SET TO DELIVER ‘HISTORIC’ SPEECH CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY The nation’s first major milestone came in 1826, marking 50 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Communities across the country organized celebrations and leaders in Washington, D.C., invited former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two of the last surviving signers of the Declaration of Independence, to attend, but both declined due to poor health, according to the National Archives Foundation. However, history took an extraordinary turn when Jefferson and Adams both died on July 4, just hours apart. Many Americans saw Jefferson and Adams’ deaths as a remarkable coincidence that added to the symbolism of Independence Day. A memorial service honoring Jefferson and Adams was held in Washington, D.C., while dinners, patriotic events and other commemorations helped establish the tradition of celebrating America’s birthday. The nation celebrated its 100th anniversary in Philadelphia with the 1876 Centennial Exposition, the nation’s first official World’s Fair, which highlighted America’s post-Civil War industrial growth and introduced millions of visitors to groundbreaking new technologies. The six-month exposition attracted nearly 10 million visitors from around the world to see international arts, cultures and technologies on display, according to the National Archives. The exposition featured Machinery Hall, where visitors saw new inventions, including Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone and Thomas Alva Edison’s automatic telegraph. The fair also had a Women’s Pavilion that highlighted the scientific and artistic achievements of women during the suffrage movement. THE REVOLUTIONARY LANDMARKS WHERE WASHINGTON, ADAMS AND JEFFERSON CHANGED AMERICA President Ulysses S. Grant approved sending the original Declaration of Independence to Philadelphia for display at the Centennial Exposition, according to the National Archives. Concerns over the document’s deteriorating condition later prompted efforts to preserve the nation’s founding document. Fifty years later, Philadelphia again hosted a World’s Fair to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The 1926 Sesquicentennial International Exposition featured historical recreations and patriotic attractions celebrating the nation’s founding. Organizers built an 80-foot replica of the Liberty Bell illuminated by 26,000 light bulbs that became one of the exposition’s signature attractions, according to The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. THE LESSON WE CAN LEARN FROM BICENTENNIAL HISTORY IS TO PARTY LIKE IT’S 1976 Although organizers projected 30 million visitors, fewer than 5 million paid admissions were recorded, and the exposition closed with enormous debts, according to Smithsonian magazine and The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. America’s 200th birthday arrived during a period of recovery following the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. Philadelphia’s bid to host a Bicentennial World’s Fair was canceled in 1972, leaving the city’s Bicentennial commemoration to move forward as national organizers encouraged celebrations across the country, according to the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. About 66,000 recognized events were held across the country, according to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. Signature celebrations included Operation Sail, which brought more than 200 tall ships to New York Harbor, and the American Freedom Train, which traveled more than 25,000 miles across the country carrying historic artifacts, documents and works of art.
Democrats’ civil war heads to Michigan where progressives face biggest test yet in high-stakes Senate showdown
The high-stakes fight between the left-wing and the center-left establishment for the future of the Democratic Party is moving to a much larger stage. After victories by far-left and socialist candidates in dark blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado the past two weeks drew national attention, the spotlight now shifts to battleground Michigan. That’s where moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who is backed by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the establishment; and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing candidate endorsed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are colliding in a crucial Senate showdown. The winner of the Aug. 4, 2026, Democratic primary will face-off in the midterm elections in November against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination. The winner will succeed retiring Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat. CRUCIAL SENATE BATTLE ROCKED AFTER MAJOR PLAYER DROPS OUT OF RACE The seat is a top Republican target and is a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber with a slim, but manageable, 53-47 margin. The leading nonpartisan political handicappers at Cook Political Reporter rate the Senate race in Michigan as a toss-up. Matt Bennett, one of the leaders at the Third Way, a leading center-left Democratic organization, told Fox News the primary in Michigan “is much more significant” than the intra-party ballot box showdowns the past two weeks in “very, very blue districts” in New York City and Denver. The showdown in Michigan became a two-way race on Sunday, after progressive state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, once the third major Democrat in the primary, suspended her campaign. “I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” McMorrow pledged in a statement Sunday as she ended her Senate bid. McMorrow, who has seen her national profile expand in recent years and was running as a progressive in an ideological space between El-Sayed and Stevens, suspended her campaign amid faltering poll numbers and fundraising that weren’t keeping pace with her two main rivals. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB McMorrow pledged to fully support whichever Democrat wins the primary and will ultimately face-off with Rogers, who is running for the Senate for a second straight cycle after losing in 2024 to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin by a razor-thin margin. 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,” she added. As she runs for the nomination, Stevens has been backed by millions in super PAC spending, including big bucks from Israel-aligned groups. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS LOOK TO TAKE NEW YORK PLAYBOOK NATIONWIDE AFTER PRIMARY VICTORIES 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 establishment party leaders such as Schumer. 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. “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.” THESE MIDTERM RACES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER REPUBLICANS HOLD THEIR SENATE MAJORITY El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, is an epidemiologist who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018. He has made support for “Medicare-for-all” a major component of his campaign. The far-left candidate has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations. Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point. A victory by El-Sayed over Stevens in next month’s primary would give the far left a major win on a statewide stage, and further boost their momentum in the battle for the Democratic Party’s future. But Bennet warned against placing too much emphasis on the results in Michigan, as he pointed to other factors in the race. “I don’t think that even if El-Sayed wins, that means the national party is moving dramatically to the left, as the left will insist if that happens,” he told Fox News Digital. “Some of this is idiosyncratic. There’s a huge Arab American population
Brown Jackson’s latest spotlight moment fuels accusations she’s forgetting her day job: ‘Not celebrities’
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared on the cover of the most recent issue of Essence magazine, spurring critics to argue that she is seeking publicity in ways that are inappropriate for a member of the Supreme Court. “Supreme Court Justices are not celebrities and should not be treated like celebrities,” Andrew Fleischman, a Georgia trial and appeal lawyer, wrote of the cover. The magazine’s cover features a picture of Jackson wearing a purple coat and smiling directly at the reader. Underneath Jackson’s photo is a caption that reads “the people’s champion.” TRUMP BLASTS KETANJI BROWN JACKSON AS ‘LOW IQ PERSON’ IN SUPREME COURT TIRADE Essence Magazine describes itself as the “premiere lifestyle, fashion and beauty magazine for African-American women.” “As America celebrates its 250th birthday, ESSENCE is honored to unveil the first magazine cover of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic career,” Essence tweeted on the 4th of July, accompanied by a photo of the cover. “As the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, there is no better moment to celebrate her extraordinary legacy. Ketanji Brown Jackson represents the American Dream and serves as a powerful voice for those simply seeking the God-given birthrights promised to every American,” the tweet continued. Jackson’s public appearances outside the court have drawn periodic criticism from some conservatives and legal observers, who argue that events such as the Grammy Awards, Broadway appearances and a Vogue photoshoot risk blurring the line between judicial service and celebrity. “Ketanji Brown Jackson isn’t supposed to be ‘the people’s champion,’” Billy Binion, a reporter for a libertarian magazine, wrote on X. “She’s not a politician. She’s supposed to interpret the law, not make it. This kind of thing is why so many people misunderstand how our government works at a basic level.” SUPREME COURT FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES REVEAL CONCERT TICKETS FROM BAD BUNNY’S LABEL, MILLIONS IN BOOK PAYMENTS “Supreme Court justices shouldn’t be celebrities,” Laura Powell, a civil liberties attorney, wrote of the cover. “They don’t have to run for office and don’t need political slogans like ‘The People’s Champion.’ They should simply do their job of interpreting the law according to constitutional principles.” Jackson is not the only justice whose outside activities have drawn scrutiny. Other members of the court have reported book income, teaching payments, travel reimbursements and gifts in annual financial disclosures. Sitting Supreme Court Justices have previously appeared on magazine covers, including the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2015 and Sonia Sotomayor in 2009. Michelle Zier, an adjunct professor at Concordia University Chicago, pointed out that Alexander Hamilton explicitly warned that the judges would need to avoid the temptation to be seen as champions of the people. “But it is easy to see that it would require an uncommon portion of fortitude in the judges to do their duty as faithful guardians of the Constitution, where legislative invasions of it had been instigated by the major voice of the community,” Hamilton wrote in Federalist 78. HARRIS’ ‘NO BAD IDEA BRAINSTORM’ FOR DEMS INCLUDES PACKING SCOTUS, ELIMINATING ELECTORAL COLLEGE Even some on the left took issue with Jackson’s magazine cover. “Obviously, nowhere near the worst or weirdest thing is sitting justice has done but yeah we really need that SCOTUS code of ethics,” Sam Weinberg, who runs a progressive advocacy group, wrote of the cover. Responding to criticism over her attendance at the Grammy Awards, Jackson argued that part of her job is “public outreach and education.” “When the justices are on recess — which is what we are doing right now — we really have an opportunity to go out into the community in various different ways,” she told The View in February. Fox News Digital reached out to the Supreme Court and Essence magazine on Monday.
Socialist House hopeful under fire for pro-Palestinian July 4 message
New York Assembly member Claire Valdez’s Fourth of July social media post featuring a pro-Palestinian message sparked backlash over the weekend, with commentators across the political spectrum blasting her priorities. Valdez, a socialist poised to represent a deep-blue New York City congressional district in Congress, made the comments Saturday as Americans nationwide celebrated the country’s 250th birthday. The Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate’s post did not appear to praise any aspect of the United States or pay tribute to the country’s founding. Valdez wrote that she would continue to “fight for liberation from Palestine to Puerto Rico, for a Green New Deal, for the world we deserve,” on the social media platform X. MAMDANI BLASTS ICE AGENTS, ELON MUSK AND ‘SUPREMACY’ IN AMERICA 250 SPEECH AHEAD OF JULY 4 WEEKEND “Actually, the Fourth of July isn’t about Palestine,” commentator Stephen Miller griped at Valdez in response. “Modern Democratic Party: The Fourth of July is a fight to free Palestine,” Salem Radio Network host Scott Jennings observed. “These people have no idea what the Declaration is for no[r] any understanding of the purpose of our government,” journalist Brianna Lyman wrote. Valdez won a Democratic primary election in June for an open House seat spanning Brooklyn and Queens, with the backing of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Given the progressive bastion’s heavily Democratic tilt, the House hopeful is expected to face little competition in November’s general election. She is one of several socialists who trounced establishment-aligned Democrats in the Empire State’s primaries, marking a major victory for the far-left wing of the party. Valdez and the other Democratic nominees — former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier — have called for ending military aid to Israel, enacting Green New Deal-style legislation and Medicare for All, which would create a government-run single-payer system. The trio is likely to push Democrats to support tax hikes on the highest earners if elected to Congress and have frequently argued that the wealthy and big corporations are responsible for the country’s problems. JOSH SHAPIRO WARNS DEMOCRATS FACE ‘BATTLE OVER WHAT WE BELIEVE IN’ AFTER SOCIALIST’S UPSET PRIMARY VICTORIES “Freedom is only possible when we have the conditions for the good life — healthcare, housing, education, and dignity on the job,” Valdez also wrote on social media Saturday. “But the system is rigged and our planet poisoned by billionaires, bosses, and war profiteers.” Commentators hammered Valdez for focusing on what she viewed as the country’s flaws on Independence Day, while blasting her socialist policies. “The commitment some people have to being absolutely insufferable and miserable is almost admirable,” former Biden White House press office Chief of Staff Yemisi Egbewole wrote on social media. “It’s the Fourth of July. Eat a hot dog. Watch fireworks. Call your family. Love the country that gave you the freedom to post this nonsense. “Claire Valdez won her district’s rich precincts and high-education ones 64 to 27. She lost low-income areas by 32 points and Black ones by 50 points,” NewsNation’s Batya Ungar-Sargon observed. “This anti-America claptrap is trust fund socialism — vanity morals of the elite that operate as a smokescreen for their privilege.” Valdez’s post echoed Mamdani’s Fourth of July message, in which he sharply criticized the wealthiest Americans — and the capitalism that made their affluence possible — while railing against various chapters of American history. “We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world, one where children go to sleep hungry while the world’s first trillionaire hungers for more,” Mamdani said in his remarks, referencing SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk without naming him. “We see monopolies that dominate every industry, and oligarchs who buy elections,” Mamdani continued. Fox News Digital reached out to Valdez’s campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Trump says he ‘immediately overturned’ decision to cancel July 4 festivities in DC
President Donald Trump said in a Sunday Truth Social post that he “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. TOP HIGHLIGHTS FROM TRUMP’S LATE NIGHT JULY 4 ADDRESS: ‘NO DREAM IN HISTORY IS BIGGER’ 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. TRUMP SHARES NEWS OF ‘CRYSTAL CLEAR’ REFLECTING POOL, CALLS FOR VANDALISM SUSPECT’S ARREST 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 “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.
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History promotes ‘extreme political activism,’ WH report alleges
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.” TOP HIGHLIGHTS FROM TRUMP’S LATE-NIGHT JULY 4 ADDRESS: ‘NO DREAM IN HISTORY IS BIGGER’ 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. TRUMP’S MOUNT RUSHMORE ADDRESS FEATURES 28 MINUTES OF ICONIC WORDS, 23 MINUTES OF DAZZLING LIGHT, FIREWORKS “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.” THE REVOLUTIONARY LANDMARKS WHERE WASHINGTON, ADAMS AND JEFFERSON CHANGED AMERICA The report made five key conclusions about the museum: “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.” TRUMP HAILS AMERICA AS ‘MOST EXCEPTIONAL NATION EVER TO EXIST’ IN MOUNT RUSHMORE SPEECH 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.’” 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.
Trump bets on former NATO troublemaker as Turkey’s strategic value surges
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. TRUMP’S TURKEY ARMS SALE PROPOSAL SPARKS CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE NATO SUMMIT 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. TRUMP’S PERSONAL FEUDS WITH ALLIES FROM ITALY TO ISRAEL REVEAL HOW PERSONALITY DRIVES HIS FOREIGN POLICY “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, 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. 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. 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