WATCH live: 250th celebration event at Mount Rushmore

President Trump schedule to speak at famous monument

Melania gives Congress private deadline as she works around Trump's team: report

First lady Melania Trump gave Congress a private deadline to pass her signature foster care bill, and she is pursuing it largely outside the usual White House channels, according to a new report in Politico. At a bipartisan roundtable with the House Ways and Means Committee in April, the first lady publicly called foster care legislation a "moral imperative." Then, behind closed doors, she set a target, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) told the outlet: "I want this on Donald's desk by the August recess." The Fostering the Future Act, which expands housing, education and workforce help for young people aging out of foster care, passed the House unanimously.The Senate has not moved it out of committee, and lawmakers are set to leave Washington around Aug. 10. At a White House picnic the day the House passed the bill, both Trumps urged the Senate to hurry. "Hopefully, it will quickly pass in the Senate," the president said. He has not publicly pressed senators since.The deadline reflects a first lady who increasingly operates on her own track. Her office, not the State Department, has led her effort to reunite children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war, negotiating directly with Moscow and Kyiv, the White House said. She has also shown a willingness to diverge from the administration's message. She broke with the White House on Epstein, calling for survivors to testify as the president's team tried to move past the scandal, and last week put her own spin on a Supreme Court ruling her husband celebrated, voicing support for the LGBTQIA+ community.A recent book recounted how she resisted Trump's overhaul of the White House grounds and lost.

When Teen Chaos Meets a Country Afraid to Say No

Trump’s ‘ramped up’ rhetoric leaves unifying tone of July Fourth speech in question

President Trump prepares to travel to Mount Rushmore to deliver remarks for the United States’ 250th birthday. NBC News correspondents Gabe Gutierrez and Julie Tsirkin join Meet the Press NOW to discuss what to expect from the President’s upcoming addresses and July Fourth celebrations.

Europe Has Replaced Most US Cuts Within NATO, Top Commander Says

European NATO allies have mostly replaced the assets that the US has cut from its rescue plans in case of a war in Europe, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe Sir John Stringer said in an interview.

Mamdani blasts ICE agents, Elon Musk and 'supremacy' in America 250 speech ahead of July 4 weekend

Zohran Mamdani blasted Elon Musk, ICE and oligarchs in a fiery America 250 speech flanked by naturalized citizens ahead of July 4 weekend.

NYC Mayor Mamdani discusses American exceptionalism and "forces of division" in America 250 speech

Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave a speech sitting behind the George Washington desk at City Hall on Friday morning to mark America's 250th birthday.

Of course Mamdani takes opportunity to blast America in July 4 speech focused on ‘flaws’

Mamdani mentions he’s an immigrant himself, but completely ignores the fact that this country, which he says is so unwelcoming, made him the youngest mayor in the history of its largest city.