Sources corroborate whistleblower claims of corruption, quid pro quo culture inside powerful NYC union
FIRST ON FOX: A scathing whistleblower letter alleges corruption inside New York City’s powerful hotel workers union, including claims that union leaders accepted gifts from hotel executives, manipulated lease arrangements and improperly influenced union business in a culture of quid pro quo dealings — claims that were corroborated by union sources who spoke with Fox News Digital. The letter, reviewed by Fox News Digital, asserts that top officials within the New York Hotel Trades Council and UNITE HERE Local 6, including President Richard Maroko, participated in actions that violated internal policies, fiduciary obligations and possibly federal law. The union denies all allegations of impropriety and organized two internal investigations carried out by third-party lawyers who found the whistleblower’s claims to be unsubstantiated. Fox News Digital spoke with the whistleblower and multiple sources with knowledge of the union’s inner dealings but is not identifying them by name due to fear of retaliation. EXPLOSIVE REPORT UNEARTHS PROMINENT UNION MONEY TRAIL LABELED A ‘STUNNING BETRAYAL’ OF MAGA MEMBERS “Mr. Maroko had personal knowledge of, and either directly participated or directed others to misappropriate millions of dollars of retail income,” the letter states. “He accepted and allowed his Elected Officers to accept gifts of Hotel Rooms, Liquor, Gourmet Food and Electronic Items from Hotel Officials on a Quid Pro Quo System.” A source with intimate knowledge of union operations told Fox News Digital that there was a sudden shift in HTC’s culture after Maroko ascended to the presidency in fall 2020. “For 25 years, maybe 24 years, there was a standard then that was really adhered to. [The former president] was very disciplined about it as far as receiving gifts and what you did and didn’t do,” the source, who has decades of experience working with the union, said. “And the past five years when the new president came in, that was completely tossed.” “Pretty soon,” the source said, referring to when the rules were relaxed when Maroko took over. “It wasn’t like they flipped the switch, but… it just wasn’t important to him. I brought a bunch of things to his attention that he just wasn’t interested [in].” Crain’s New York Business reported in June that the Hotel Association of New York City, a trade group representing hotel interests, retained former Southern District of New York public corruption chief Brendan McGuire to investigate allegations contained in the letter. “Two exhaustive, independent investigations, including one by a former federal prosecutor, have concluded that these anonymous claims are frivolous, lack any factual basis, and were clearly an attempt to derail contract negotiations between the union and hotel management,” HTC spokesman Austin Shafran told Fox News Digital. “Thankfully, these efforts failed as our union secured the best contract in its history that will provide unprecedented wage increases and benefits to tens of thousands of hotel workers. Nothing will ever deter the union from working every day to better the lives of our members and their families.” NEW YORK TIMES ACCUSED OF DEPLOYING AI SURVEILLANCE ON TECH STAFF WITHOUT NOTIFYING THEIR UNION Key components of the letter are supported by documents and accounts from multiple individuals with firsthand knowledge and insight into the day-to-day operations inside the union’s 8th Avenue headquarters in New York City, a Fox News Digital review found. The whistleblower letter alleges that hotel industry figures, including former Highgate labor executive Robert Lafferty and former Hyatt labor executive Michael Grosso, provided union officials with gifts including food, top-shelf liquor and electronic items. The two investigations organized by the union, however, found no evidence of improper gift-giving. Highgate is one of the largest lodging operators in the nation and Hyatt is a major hotel owner. “Hyatt is committed to conducting business in a fair and ethical manner,” a Hyatt spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “As soon as we became aware of these allegations, we promptly engaged an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation, which found the allegations to be unsubstantiated.” The spokesperson added, “The individual departed Hyatt before these allegations were raised and no longer has any role with Hyatt.” In addition to providing gifts to union officials, a former union leader told Fox News Digital that the duo of hotel executives served as “inside guys” who could keep HTC union leadership informed about what was going on in boardrooms so that they could protect their own power. These favors, according to the longtime union leader, preceded contracts that benefited hotel owners to the detriment of workers. “If I could cut away one department [from being unionized], you’re talking about millions of dollars per year over the life of a contract, and if Lafferty could deliver that to the owners, then what he’s now doing is changing the entire economic structure of hundreds of millions of dollars in a real estate transaction,” the former union leader told Fox News Digital. UNION RACKED UP MASSIVE TAB ON SWANK DC HOTEL STAY TO BATTLE TRUMP — AND STILL LOST “The union’s ability to make your property profitable or not is all its leverage. So that’s the inside that’s what’s going on there,” they continued. “If you look at every time Lafferty made a deal with [Maroko] on one of these new properties, you’re going to see that all these weird deals are made where bargaining unit members are cut out. How come at your properties there’s no front desk agents? How come at your properties food and beverage isn’t under the union contract, but it is everywhere else?” Fox News Digital has reviewed photos that appear to show hotel industry figures or their associates entering union offices with shopping bags. Two people familiar with the union’s internal operations told Fox News Digital the gift-giving was not isolated and that accepting items from hotel management would have violated longstanding union norms and policies. Two internal investigations conducted by third-party lawyers on behalf of the union could not corroborate claims of improper gift-giving made by the whistleblower. The longtime union member and leader attested to an unusual relationship
Far-left House candidate ripped for ‘disgusting’ vote on misgendering bill: ‘Disqualifying’
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. MAMDANI COMPARISONS FOLLOW COLORADO DEMOCRAT INTO PIVOTAL HOUSE RACE AFTER PRIMARY WIN Rutinel’s vote in favor of the package is drawing scrutiny as he wages a bid to unseat 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. BILL REPLACING ‘MOTHER’ AND ‘FATHER’ WITH GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS PASSES IN NEW YORK, HEADS TO HOCHUL’S DESK 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, 40-24. 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. COLORADO SUPREME COURT ORDERS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO RESUME GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENTS FOR MINORS 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% to 48.2% victory over Democratic incumbent Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo.
Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow drops out of Senate race weeks before primary
Mallory McMorrow announced Sunday that she is suspending her campaign for the U.S. Senate in battleground Michigan. The Michigan state senator’s decision leaves her party’s primary as a two-way race between moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, who is backed by longtime Senate Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the establishment, and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing candidate endorsed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York 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. The eventual Democratic nominee will face off in the midterm elections with former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination, in a crucial race to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED TAKES HEAT FOR KHAMENEI COMMENTS, HASAN PIKER EVENT 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 53-47. The leading nonpartisan political handicappers rate the Senate race in Michigan as a toss-up. 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. But 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. McMorrow also pledged to fully support whichever Democrat wins the primary and faces off with Rogers, who is running for the Senate for a second straight cycle and lost in 2024 to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin by a razor-thin margin. “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.” MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE CLAIMS ISRAEL ‘JUST AS EVIL’ AS HAMAS 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 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.” 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. El-Sayed also calls for abolishing ICE, and he’s a vocal critic of Israel in its war with Hamas. He has characterized Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has also 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. AOC JOINS BERNIE SANDERS IN BACKING SENATE CANDIDATE OPPOSED BY SCHUMER The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), in a statement reacting to McMorrow’s move, pointed to the burgeoning battle between the far left and the establishment for the future of the Democratic Party. “Bernie Sanders’ radical socialist flank is completely taking over the Democrat Party. It is now up to Chuck Schumer to combat Abdul El-Sayed’s clear momentum and get Haley Stevens over the finish line in their messy primary,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell argued in a statement. Greg Manz, the Michigan GOP senior communications adviser, said in a statement that “Michigan’s Senate Democrat primary has shifted from a three-car pileup to a head-on collision.”
Trump shares news of ‘crystal clear’ Reflecting Pool, calls for vandalism suspect’s arrest
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. FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN INDICTED IN ALLEGED REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM “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. YOSEMITE, GRAND CANYON LEAD NOTABLE LIST OF NATIONAL PARK CAMPGROUNDS FOR AMERICA’S 250TH “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 in 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. INTERNAL EMAILS EXPOSE HOW JULY 4TH BASH IS BEING DERAILED BY DEM-RUN COUNTY: ‘OFFENSIVE’ “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.” 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.”
Bill Clinton blasts Trump as Americans mark nation’s 250th anniversary
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. TOP HIGHLIGHTS FROM TRUMP’S LATE NIGHT JULY 4 ADDRESS: ‘NO DREAM IN HISTORY IS BIGGER’ “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. WE ASKED AMERICANS TO GRADE THE ECONOMY. THEN WE ASKED IF IT WOULD CHANGE THEIR VOTE 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. 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.
Newsom blames Trump for DOJ probe, but reports say investigation predates his administration
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. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEWSOM-LINKED CHARITIES REPORTEDLY CAUGHT IN DOJ’S SIGHTS The outlet also reported that one investigation involving 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. ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE SAYS NEWSOM’S DOJ CLAIMS ARE NOT ‘GROUNDED IN FACT’ 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.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER 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 the governor’s wife, 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. 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.
Top highlights from Trump’s late night July 4 address: ‘No dream in history is bigger’
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 “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 4, 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 “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.” “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.” “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.” “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.” “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.” “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.” “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.” “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
Expert who fled Cuba warns of ‘vicious cycle’ that will lead to ‘communists in double digits’ in Congress
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.” BILL MAHER’S DIRE MIDTERM ELECTION WARNING TO DEMS AFTER ‘REALLY CRAZY’ SOCIALISTS WIN PRIMARIES 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. SOCIALISM GOES WEST AS DSA-BACKED CHALLENGER OUSTS LONGTIME DEMOCRAT “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. DSA CO-CHAIR PUSHES BACK ON SOVIET UNION COMPARISONS, WANTS PRISONS TO BE ‘LESS NECESSARY’ “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.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER 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.” “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 country, 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.”
9/11 Museum CEO reflects on lasting impact of terror attacks as America marks 250th birthday
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.” 9/11 MUSEUM TO OFFER FREE ADMISSION FOR VETERANS AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND “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.” TUNNEL TO TOWERS ANNOUNCES ‘STEEL ACROSS AMERICA’ TOUR TO MARK 25 YEARS SINCE 9/11 ATTACKS “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 placed 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.” 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.
Before the Boston Tea Party, there were New Hampshire’s Pine Tree Riots
NASHUA, N.H. – As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, the actions of Massachusetts colonists in contributing to the outbreak of the American Revolution will once again be in the national spotlight. But Gov. Kelly Ayotte in neighboring New Hampshire, which was another of the 13 colonies that broke away from the British Empire, told Fox News Digital that the Pine Tree Riot in her state also deserves attention, as an event that may have inspired the Boston Tea Party a year and a half later. “Before the Boston Tea Party, we had the Pine Tree Riots here in New Hampshire. That’s because the British tried to come in and tax our pine trees and take them for their own, and we said no way,” Ayotte explained. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS AMERICA 250 COVERAGE The riot was in opposition to a long-standing British policy preventing colonists from cutting down white pine trees larger than 12 inches in diameter in order to reserve them for Royal Navy use as masts on their ships. And it was significant because it demonstrated that colonists could defy British policies. “We were early joiners of the revolution, very, very proud of this nation,” the governor emphasized. “New Hampshire has a very special role in the history of this country.” Ayotte also noted that New Hampshire was “the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, so we were the deciding state to make sure that we had the Constitution,” and added that “we were the first state in the nation to draft our own Constitution.” The Pine Tree Riot and New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation state Constitution are highlighted in the state’s exhibition at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington D.C. ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT THE BOSTON TEA PARTY IS REVEALED “New Hampshire is so proud to be part of the fair on the National Mall. In fact, in that fair, we are displaying the history of New Hampshire. We have a video that’s running where we have prominent figures throughout our state, on both sides of the aisle, reading from the Declaration of Independence. We also talk about our history. We’ll be giving out some great New Hampshire maple syrup,” the governor said. Back home in the Granite State, Ayotte noted that “at our own Statehouse, we are going to have our visitors center open. We’re going to have some very special documents there.” They include one of the Dunlap Broadsides, which were the first printings of the Declaration of Independence, and one of the original 1823 William J. Stone engravings of the historic document. Cities and towns in New Hampshire have long taken a lead in celebrating the Fourth of July, with parades, fairs and fireworks, and other festivities, and this year is no different. Ayotte, a former U.S. senator and former state attorney general who is running for re-election this year, noted in her Fox News Digital interview ahead of the holiday that she would be marching in four Independence Day parades on July 3 and 4. “It’s going to be fantastic.” Fox News’ Kiera McDonald contributed to this report