By Jiuguang Wang - File:Arc de Triomphe, Paris 21 October 2010.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83012005
Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump is setting his sights on a bold new symbol of American pride and accomplishment — an “Arc de Trump,” inspired by Paris’s world-famous Arc de Triomphe. The proposed monument, envisioned for the edge of the nation’s capital, would serve as a lasting tribute to America’s achievements and Trump’s vision for national greatness.
According to Axios’ Marc Caputo, three scale models of the proposed arch now sit inside the White House, where Trump has been personally studying 3D layouts of Washington, D.C., and refining the design himself. The location under consideration lies near the Memorial Bridge, connecting Arlington Cemetery to the capital — a place steeped in American history.
“Let’s build something like the Arc de Triomphe in that space,” Trump reportedly told a White House visitor. “It would be beautiful when you drive or fly in.”
On Trump’s desk in the Oval Office today was a plan for a triumphal arch on the other side of the river from the Lincoln Memorial pic.twitter.com/PyulIhlmHE
Those close to Trump say the idea reflects his long-standing passion for architecture, design, and symbolism.
“President Bush liked to paint. Trump likes to build and design,” one aide said. “This is his artistic outlet.”
While critics have compared the concept to grandiose European designs, Trump’s supporters see something entirely different — a celebration of American achievement, not foreign imitation.
“He’s stamping his legacy on the presidency and on the White House forever,” a senior adviser said. “No one can get rid of the ballroom. It will be difficult to take all of the gold away. Who would even do that?”
Building on American Grandeur
The “Arc de Trump” would join other ambitious redesigns and restoration projects Trump has championed, from a $250 million presidential ballroom to marble-floored corridors echoing the elegance of Mar-a-Lago. White House aides say the president has devoted extensive time — as much as 20 hours — to design meetings, often fitting them in between key policy discussions and diplomatic calls.
“He’s more of a Corinthian man,” one official said, referring to Trump’s appreciation for ornate classical architecture.
For supporters, the project reflects more than a love of beauty — it’s about leaving a tangible mark of confidence, prosperity, and strength in America’s capital.
“This is about honoring America with something bold and beautiful,” one Trump ally said. “He’s a builder at heart — and this is what builders do.”
Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) is calling for a full investigation after a disturbing image surfaced showing what appeared to be an altered American flag — twisted into a swastika — displayed behind one of his staffers during a virtual meeting.
The image, first reported by Politico and amplified on social media by an Ohio blogger, quickly drew outrage. But Taylor’s office says it may not be what it appears.
“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,” Taylor said in a statement. “The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.”
Taylor emphasized that he acted immediately, directing Capitol Police to investigate what he described as a potentially malicious act.
“Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing,” the statement continued.
A spokesperson for the congressman suggested the image might have been the result of “foul play or vandalism,” not any endorsement of the offensive imagery by his staff. The photo appeared to show Angelo “AJ” Elia, a legislative correspondent who joined Taylor’s office in January, sitting at his cubicle with the doctored flag visible behind him.
Elia — who recently earned a master’s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University — has not commented publicly. Taylor’s office has not said whether any personnel actions have been taken while the investigation proceeds.
The controversy comes amid renewed scrutiny of conservative youth organizations after Politico reported on leaked Telegram messages allegedly showing racist and anti-Semitic comments from some Young Republican leaders. The timing of the leak, combined with the sudden surfacing of the photo from Taylor’s office, has raised questions among some Republicans about whether politically motivated actors are attempting to smear conservatives ahead of the 2024 election cycle.
The image was first posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Ohio blogger DJ Byrnes, who claimed a friend had a Zoom meeting with Taylor’s office and noticed the symbol. “A friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylor’s office today … Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background,” Byrnes wrote Wednesday.
A friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylor’s office today…
Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background. pic.twitter.com/zFn3QowS0c
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
The Trump administration has escalated its campaign against Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro, and has secretly authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert action in the country, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, while citing United States officials.
The authorization is the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela. For weeks, the U.S. military has been targeting drug boats off the Venezuelan coast. American officials have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to drive Maduro from power.
The new authority would allow the C.I.A. to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean.
The agency would be able to take covert action against Mr. Maduro or his government either unilaterally or in conjunction with a larger military operation. It is not known whether the C.I.A. is planning any operations in Venezuela or if the authorities are meant as a contingency.
The development comes as the U.S. military is planning to escalate its ongoing operation, drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela.
The scale of the military buildup in the region is substantial: There are currently 10,000 U.S. troops there, most of them at bases in Puerto Rico, but also a contingent of Marines on amphibious assault ships. In all, the Navy has eight surface warships and a submarine in the Caribbean.
The new authorities, known in intelligence jargon as a presidential finding, were described by multiple U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the highly classified document.
The Trump administration’s strategy on Venezuela, developed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with help from John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, aims to oust Maduro from power.
Mr. Ratcliffe has said little about what his agency is doing in Venezuela. But he has promised that the C.I.A. under his leadership would become more aggressive. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Ratcliffe said he would make the C.I.A. less averse to risk and more willing to conduct covert action when ordered by the president, “going places no one else can go and doing things no one else can do.”
President Trump ordered an end to diplomatic talks with the Maduro government this month as he grew frustrated with the Venezuelan leader’s failure to adhere to U.S. demands to give up power voluntarily and the continued insistence by officials that they had no part in drug trafficking.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Federal prosecutors are reportedly preparing charges against former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton, a longtime critic of President Trump, over his handling of classified materials — a move that comes after months of internal resistance from within the Justice Department.
According to CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland met over the weekend to hammer out the details of a potential indictment. Citing unnamed sources, Polantz reported that the Maryland team had initially pushed back against DOJ leadership’s push to charge Bolton, but those objections have now “lifted,” and the team is “at work” on the case.
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Appearing on CNN’s The Situation Room with anchor Pamela Brown, Polantz explained that the disagreement was “about when to charge” Bolton — suggesting that some inside the DOJ were concerned about timing rather than substance.
“From what I had learned through sources,” Polantz said, “was that the dispute was over timing — whether to charge John Bolton very soon or prepare an indictment very soon to take it through the grand jury, or whether there needed to be more time since those searches of his home and office only took place a couple of weeks ago.”
In late August, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home and private office, seizing materials reportedly marked “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including documents referencing weapons of mass destruction. Investigators also collected electronics and files labeled “Trump I–IV,” according to court filings.
Bolton — who has been a vocal Trump critic since leaving the administration — has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the items taken were “decades old” and insisted that his client “did nothing inappropriate.”
The White House posthumously awarded late political activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor
“Although he was taken from us far too soon, his legacy will inspire generations to come and outlive us all,” “The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet told Fox News Digital. “He represents the very best of America and is deserving of this and every other possible accolade. Thank you to President Trump for quite literally shifting world events to honor Charlie on what would have been his 32nd birthday.”
“Only Charlie could do that,” Kolvet added.
Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 while attending a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University’s campus. The conservative movement leader was sitting under a tent while chatting with students when a shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck, killing him.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Trump announced in September that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.”
“I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on,” Trump said Sept. 11 when announcing he would award Kirk the honor.
TPUSA’s Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer told Fox Digital that the award ceremony will be felt by every youth who has been involved with the conservative advocacy group.
“Charlie will be honored today on behalf of the millions of conservative activists he helped lift up to save the movement and the country. Today in the White House this award will be felt by every young man and young woman who was impacted by his work. They can wear it too by carrying on doing the work,” Bowyer said.
David Engelhardt, lead pastor of Kings’ Church New York City and board member of TPUSA, told Fox News Digital that it’s a “profound privilege to be able to witness this moment recognizing Charlie’s courage, conviction, and leadership in defense of faith and freedom.”
The award ceremony was held at the White House and came on the heels of Trump’s return from the Middle East earlier Tuesday after Trump announced an end to the war in Gaza, which has raged since 2023.
By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695
Are the tides turning against Trump?
A House Democrat claims that a large swath of House Republicans are planning to go against President Trump to push a vote on sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) claimed that multiple House Republican colleagues informed him that they’re planning a “jail break” revolt of over 100 lawmakers against President Donald Trump if there’s a discharge petition to force a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files release.
The long-awaited vote, pushed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), has been delayed as the House remains in recess amid a government shutdown, but it reportedly has enough signatures to force action once the chamber reconvenes.
Trump, who urged the release of the Epstein files on the campaign trail, has since dismissed the case as “a hoax” and told supporters not to “waste time” on the matter. This comes amid renewed scrutiny of his association with Epstein after newly released documents included a purported birthday note to the disgraced financier, which he denied writing.
In a post to X on Wednesday, Swalwell gleefully shared that “Trump’s movement/support is fading” among Republicans and that one GOP lawmaker told him “no [one] wants to defend a pedo-protector.”
One Republican just texted me that if there’s a discharge vote on Epstein they expect a “jail break” of over 100 members. Trump will go nuts!
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing growing bipartisan criticism for the voting delay, with critics accusing him of extending the recess to avoid the politically explosive issue.
“Johnson and the House Republicans care more about protecting the Epstein files than protecting the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Johnson dismissed the charge as “totally absurd,” telling NBC’s Meet the Press on Monday that he supports full transparency: “I want every page of this out.”
Massie lashed out at the recess on Sunday, warning he had “218 votes for the discharge petition.”
First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
It’s about time…
HarperCollins UK issued a formal apology to First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday and pulled copies of a book about Prince Andrew that repeated an unverified claim that Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump.
The apology, the third from a major media outlet in recent months, marks an increasingly aggressive push by Melania Trump’s legal team to stamp out any association between her and the disgraced financier.
The First Lady shared a statement from the publisher on X:
“We have, in consultation with the author, removed several passages of the book that referenced unverified claims about the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump,” HarperCollins UK said in the statement. “Copies of the book that included those references are being permanently removed from distribution. HarperCollins UK apologizes to the First Lady.”
The passages appeared in Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, an unauthorized biography of Prince Andrew, an Epstein associate. Though the book did not allege any wrongdoing by Melania Trump, it claimed Epstein “facilitated” her introduction to her husband. Melania’s representatives repeatedly dismissed the claim as “malicious” and “defamatory.”
“The true account of how the first lady met President Trump is in her bestselling book, Melania,” a spokesperson said, adding that the couple met at a New York party in 1998 through another guest.
The Trump administration has closed fiscal year 2025 with a historic milestone on border security — the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in more than five decades, according to preliminary enforcement data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Border agents recorded 237,565 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 — slightly above the 201,780 apprehensions in 1970 but dramatically below recent levels. The numbers represent an 87% drop compared to the average of the past four fiscal years (1.86 million apprehensions) and showcase what can happen when the federal government finally enforces immigration laws.
This achievement came even though 72% of this year’s total apprehensions happened during the final 111 days of the Biden administration — before President Trump returned to office and immediately began reversing his predecessor’s “open-border” policies.
“Fiscal year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. “For too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs — and the result is the most secure border in modern history.”
Reversing Biden’s Border Chaos
When President Trump took office in January 2025, he inherited what many described as a border crisis fueled by Biden’s mass-release policies. In just the first 111 days of the fiscal year, under Biden’s watch, 172,026 apprehensions occurred — nearly three-quarters of the year’s total.
But once Trump’s immigration directives took effect, the situation changed dramatically. Over the next 254 days, apprehensions plummeted to 65,539 — just 27% of the fiscal year’s total.
September 2025 alone saw only about 279 apprehensions per day along the Southwest border — a staggering 95% decline compared to the Biden-era daily average of 5,110. It also marked the fifth consecutive month of zero illegal immigrant releases by Border Patrol — a stark contrast to 9,144 releases in September 2024.
Across all entry points, CBP recorded roughly 26,000 total encounters in September, down 89% from Biden’s monthly averages.
Strong Action From Day One
President Trump wasted no time taking decisive action to reestablish border control:
Deployed additional personnel to the southern border.
Ended “catch-and-release”, ensuring illegal migrants are no longer released while awaiting hearings.
Shut down Biden’s CBP One app parole loophole, later repurposing the app to help migrants self-deport.
Paused parole programs and authorized ICE to cancel parole statuses.
Ordered strict enforcement of existing immigration laws, restoring morale and authority to frontline border agents.
These policies stand in sharp contrast to Biden’s approach, which relied on controversial “parole” programs and insisted on new legislation instead of acting on existing laws.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday accused President Trump of deploying National Guard troops to the Democrat cities of Chicago and Portland based on fixations that stem in part from his being mentally impaired.
“This is a man who’s suffering dementia,” Pritzker said in a telephone interview with the Tribune. “This is a man who has something stuck in his head. He can’t get it out of his head. He doesn’t read. He doesn’t know anything that’s up to date. It’s just something in the recesses of his brain that is effectuating to have him call out these cities.
“And then, unfortunately, he has the power of the military, the power of the federal government to do his bidding, and that’s what he’s doing.”
During the interview, Pritzker — who has been one of Trump’s harshest critics and is a potential 2028 presidential Democrat candidate — said the courts will play an integral role in challenging Trump’s efforts in Illinois and across the nation.
“We’re not going to go to war between the state of Illinois and the federal government, not taking up arms against the federal government,” Pritzker said. “But we are monitoring everything they’re doing, and using that monitoring to win in court.”
The governor’s comments came as National Guard troops from Texas were assembling at a U.S. Army Reserve training center in far southwest suburban Elwood and Trump’s administration was moving forward with deploying 300 members of the Illinois National Guard for at least 60 days over the vocal and legal objections of Pritzker and other local elected leaders.
The Trump administration has said the troops are needed to protect federal agents and facilities involved in its ongoing deportation surge and has sought to do much the same in Portland, Oregon, though those efforts have been stymied so far by temporary court rulings.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the president reiterated that he was considering employing the two-century-old Insurrection Act to get around legal court orders that would deny him the ability to deploy National Guard troops to cities such as Chicago and Portland over governors’ objections.
“It’s been invoked before,” Trump said of the law, which the Brennan Center for Justice said has been used 30 times, starting with President George Washington, to quell the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.
The last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was by President George H.W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots of 1992, with the support of California Gov. Pete Wilson. It also was used in Chicago in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson to curb rioting over the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with the backing of Mayor Richard J. Daley and acting Gov. Samuel Shapiro.
As Pritzker has sought to counter Trump on nearly every front, he has joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom in threatening to leave the bipartisan National Governors Association because the organization hasn’t spoken out against Trump’s National Guard mobilizations.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A top prosecutor in Virginia has reportedly informed colleagues she plans to decline to seek charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, despite intense pressure from President Donald Trump.
Elizabeth Yusi, who oversees major criminal prosecutions in the Norfolk office of the Eastern District of Virginia, has confided to two co-workers that she sees no probable cause to believe James engaged in mortgage fraud, the sources told MSNBC. Yusi plans to present her conclusion to the president’s new interim U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, in the coming weeks, they said.
Trump appointed Halligan to the role after he announced two weeks ago that he would fire the first acting U.S. attorney he appointed to the post, Erik Siebert, who resisted seeking fraud charges against James and other charges against former FBI Director James Comey. Siebert resigned Sept. 19 after learning he would lose his job.
Prosecutors in the Eastern District are now bracing for Yusi to be fired for her own resistance to try a case that many lawyers have said lacks sufficient evidence, according to the two people.
Trump has publicly called on the Justice Department to criminally prosecute James. In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump called James “SCUM,” saying she should be removed as New York attorney general and pointing to what he called “her WITCH HUNT against President Donald J. Trump, and others.”
On Friday, the top national security prosecutor in Virginia’s Eastern District railed against Justice Department political appointees for carrying out Trump’s directives rather than fulfilling their oath to “follow the facts and the law wherever they lead, free from fear or favor, and unhindered by political interference.”
Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
James successfully sued Trump and his real estate company, the Trump Organization, for what she said was a series of fraudulent business practices, securing a 2024 civil fraud verdict and a nearly $500 million penalty from a New York judge. The verdict was upheld on appeal, but the monetary penalty was thrown out two months ago, in August, after a court deemed it excessive. Trump proclaimed “total victory” after the appellate court’s decision, while James vowed to appeal.
Trump has repeatedly insisted James face consequences for what he deemed to be a spurious attack on him.
The allegation that James engaged in mortgage fraud stems from a May “criminal referral” made by Trump ally Bill Pulte, whom the president appointed as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. He cited “media reports” suggesting that James had falsely claimed a Norfolk, Virginia, home where her niece resides as her primary residence to secure a lower mortgage rate.
In a Sept. 20 social media post, Trump called on Bondi to prosecute the alleged crimes of James, former FBI Director James Comey and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) He claimed they were “all guilty as hell.” The president pointed to his two impeachments and multiple indictments as baseless.
