The four presidents carved into Mount Rushmore collectively issued over 1,100 pardons. President Trump, who is visiting there tonight, has outdone them all and is now adding more. Nancy Cordes reports.
A reporter braving a blistering heat wave at President Donald Trump's Great American State Fair described chaos at the event as paramedics raced to save attendees, with seven said to be on "advanced life support" in the hospital.Julian Andreone of Drop Site News was on the ground Friday at the fair detailing what he called a "hectic" scene."It really is hectic. It's chaotic. It's a total disaster," Andreone said. "They haven't planned for this at all."As Andreone recorded the conditions, multiple people ran past carrying cold water to help their loved ones who had fainted. During one 71-second clip, Andreone recorded two people racing past him and an ambulance arriving separately with a siren blaring."People are profusely sweating and need water," he said.Andreone reported in an X update that "7 people are on advanced life support in the hospital."In another clip from the event, Andreone points to another person lying down in the back of an EMS truck making its way across the lawn. The event had already been temporarily shut down earlier in the day as the record heat gripped Washington, with organizers planning to reopen at 5 p.m.Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll noted on X that Washington, D.C., would be warmer than "99 percent of the planet on Friday.""Only parts of Africa's Sahara Desert, the Middle East, China's Gobi Desert and a few spots in the Desert Southwest will be hotter," Noll noted.The conditions have driven attendees to desperate measures, with one Trump supporter earlier dunking herself in a baptismal pool to escape the heat.The post caught Andreone's eye."Great time for a poorly planned and shoddily constructed fair in a wide open field with no shade," he quipped.His account matched what reporters found on the ground: a largely deserted fairground baking in triple-digit heat.Update: 7 people are on advanced life support in the hospital. Here’s a brief snippet of some of our Drop Site reporting from the ground, showing medical staff rushing to get people water and EMS crews driving around, one with a patient in the back on a gurney. https://t.co/PWu358OlbW pic.twitter.com/ItPx4W6yqE— Julian Andreone (@JulianAndreone) July 3, 2026
Kylie Jane Kremer, the activist listed as the permit holder for the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the Capitol attack, has floated a new theory about Washington's summer heat: it's sabotage.In a post on X, Kremer claimed someone with an "extreme case" of Trump derangement syndrome "geoengineered" the weather in D.C. She pointed to the cold at Trump's inauguration as proof of the same plot."I’m telling y’all that someone with an extreme case of TDS geoengineered this weather in DC. Same way they geoengineered Trump’s inauguration to be one of the coldest in U.S. history. People with TDS hate Trump more than they love America," she wrote on X.Her post came in response to Washington Post meteorologist and reporter Ben Noll, who noted the nation's capital would be "hotter than 99 percent of the planet on Friday.""Only parts of Africa's Sahara Desert, the Middle East, China's Gobi Desert and a few spots in the Desert Southwest will be hotter," he wrote on X.Forecasters called the inauguration D.C.'s coldest in decades, and the ceremony was moved indoors. But whether progressives with weather machines were responsible is another matter. And the internet didn't spare her. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger wrote that people pushing the theory are "not mentally well," while internet commentator Damin Toell reminded followers that Kremer was also a key figure in the 2020 "stop the steal" movement. Writer Joe Flood noted that a woman who helped host the Jan. 6 rally now believes liberals control the weather.Julian Andreone of Drop Site News leaned into the joke, sarcastically agreeing that July heat in D.C. is "very suspicious." Climate advocate Benji Backer flagged the contradiction."Climate change can’t be real but this can be. Got it. Trying to catch up," he joked.The claim echoes a pattern among MAGA figures, including Marjorie Taylor Greene's flood conspiracy theory and her bill to ban "weather modification" after the deadly Texas floods. Even fellow Republicans have stepped in to debunk the weather-control claims. Meteorologists have said cloud seeding cannot produce disasters.
Severe weather threatened to put a damper on Friday on President Donald Trump's plans to speak near Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, prompting amusement from internet critics who said it seemingly indicated "god is angry."Trump was flying to South Dakota as part of a broader July 4 and America-250 trip, planning to visit the iconic American landmark for an Independence Day fireworks celebration. But Mother Nature, it seems, had other plans. A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect until 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time for the area, with quarter size hail that could damage vehicles reported by the National Weather Service. "Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing large hail," an alert on the weather service read.The weather alert forced Fox News to scramble, with host Bret Baier telling viewers they had breaking news."They just said there is severe weather on the way. In fact, they said hail could be coming, and they are urging everybody to get inside," said Baier, adding: "We're going to get to shelter."The setback prompted mockery from onlookers, with Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of the progressive MeidasTouch news outlet, quipping on X, "God is angry."Dan Koh, a Massachusetts Democrat running for Congress, chimed in on X, "Considering Trump wants to cut the National Park Service budget by 40% and Mount Rushmore has a $57m repair backlog, you better run."The progressive influencer account known as Polly Sigh added: "Calamitous weather seems to follow Trump around these days. Mother Nature is so over him."Writer Joe Flood joked, "damn antifa!"Trump has had mixed luck with weather in recent weeks, with scorching temperatures and rain derailing his Great American State Fair.Fox at Mount Rushmore: They just said there is severe weather on the way. In fact, they said hail could be coming and they are urging everybody to get inside. We're going to get to shelter. pic.twitter.com/hyfc0nPghU— Acyn (@Acyn) July 3, 2026
