People across the country are preparing to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this weekend — a process that has been made more challenging as event organizers scramble to deal with the extreme heat. President Trump is headed to South Dakota late on Friday, where he’s expected to make remarks at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and…
Much of the eastern half of the U.S. is dealing with extreme heat this week, including the nation’s capital. The high temperature Thursday in Washington, D.C., was forecast to be 102, according to the National Weather Service. The heat comes as D.C. prepares to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday over the Fourth of July weekend.…
A federal judge struck down a proposed rule from the Postal Service that would have forced states to turn over their mail-in and absentee voter rolls to the agency. Senior Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, a nominee of former President Bill Clinton, ordered the USPS to be enjoined from implementing its proposed rule in line with President Donald […]
With July 4th looming, the nation’s capital has become a “fortress” as the White House prepares for President Donald Trump’s much vaunted fireworks display amid what security experts say is a “heightened” potential for attack. Increasing the complexity of the situation is “Trump’s approach of making himself the star of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration.”This is according to the latest from the Atlantic, which explained, “This year’s Fourth of July fireworks show on the National Mall is the first such event to be designated a ‘National Special Security Event,’ which requires the kind of screening procedures and police presence usually reserved for presidential inaugurations and Super Bowls. It’s a reflection of the logistical complexity and anticipated crowd size of America’s 250th birthday party, but also, unfortunately, its potential appeal to attackers at a time of rising threats.”That NSSE designation puts the Secret Service in charge of protecting the event, which Trump has declared will be “THE LARGEST FIREWORKS SHOW IN HISTORY.” With temperatures forecasted to soar as high as triple digits, “getting in may be more like going through an airport than going to a party,” writes the Atlantic. “That’s not least because the president has placed himself at the center of the festivities and has plans to give ‘a really long speech just to show that I can do anything.’”As a result of this and other events, D.C. has become a “fortress,” and “the normally wide-open expanse at the city’s heart has been ringed with security fences for weeks… ‘I’ve lived here most of my life, and I’ve never seen it look like this on the Mall,’ Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters on Monday.” According to the agent in charge of the Secret Service DC office, Trump has mobilized thousands of National Guard troops in the capital in addition to “unseen resources” readied to “disrupt any bad actor.”Said Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielimi, there is good reason for all the extra security. As the Atlantic explains, he “told us that the volume of threats that his agency is monitoring overall ‘has never been higher.’ Threat reports requiring Secret Service investigation so far this year have increased 40 percent compared with the same period last year, according to the agency. Security officials say there has been a particular uptick in threats from ‘nihilistic violent extremists,’ many of whom aim to use violence against law-enforcement personnel or symbols of government.”Trump’s war with Iran has only “heightened the threat.” Said Frank Figliuzzi, a former assistant director of the FBI, “I’m very concerned about a lone actor inspired by Iran, rather than an actual all‑out professional attack. That’s the hardest thing to detect — that lone actor who’s been inspired.” He says that a potential attacker may see the 250th celebrations as the perfect opportunity for “striking at the heart of what they think America stands for.” Further complicating the situation is the fact that “as the threats facing the country have grown, the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies tasked with keeping the country safe have been dealing with a shortage of man power and expertise. Many top officials have quit or been fired since Trump returned to office, and Figliuzzi described an FBI now staffed with what he believes is ‘the youngest cadre of special agents in charge and assistant directors in the modern history of the FBI.’ Some officials acknowledge — in private — that politically motivated purges have left the country’s law-enforcement and intelligence agencies understaffed and more prone to mistakes.”Law-enforcement officials also told the Atlantic that “the president’s central role in the July 4 events and the extending of their length late into the evening have added complexity — and risk.”“This year,” writes the Atlantic, “Trump will occupy the prime-time slot… The White House has not said whether he’ll deliver a written speech or make the kind of semi-improvised remarks more typical of a MAGA rally. But at some point, he’s planning to show off his new Air Force One jet — given to him by the government of Qatar — with a flyover of the crowd. Trump said on Wednesday that he will use the occasion to demonstrate his stamina despite the summer heat. It’s not customary for presidents to give a speech on the Mall for July 4, but it’s in keeping with Trump’s approach of making himself the star of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration.”
President Donald Trump made his maiden voyage on the new Air Force One just days before the slew of Fourth of July weekend festivities celebrating the nation's 250th birthday.The new Air Force One is a Boeing 747-8 luxury plane that was gifted to the United States by the Qatari government last year.'Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our country.'The new Air Force One is named the VC-25B Bridge aircraft by the U.S. Air Force. The new aircraft is the bridge to the "aging" VC-25A fleet until the upcoming and long-term Boeing VC-25B enters service. The first VC-25A aircraft went into service in 1990 during the administration of President George H.W. Bush."The delivery of the Bridge aircraft fulfills an imperative to relieve pressure on the aging VC-25A fleet as heavy maintenance cycles extend, safeguarding the continuity of presidential airlift operations until the long-term Boeing VC-25B enters service," the U.S. Air Force said last month.The Air Force noted that the new aircraft will "provide critical, secure continuity for the commander in chief.""The aircraft is safe, secure, and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission," the Air Force stated. "Those requirements were carefully crafted to prioritize mission over aesthetics, leaving much of the previous head of state interior layout minimally changed.""No risk was taken in security, safety, or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years," the Air Force said.According to ABC News, "The Air Force has said that it did little to change the cabin layout of the plane and that it spent less than $400 million on security upgrades."Citing industry executives, the New York Times reported in May 2025 that the Qatari-gifted luxury jet had an estimated worth of approximately $200 million.U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink proclaimed: The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority. From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission. This effort proves that the U.S. Air Force can move fast without sacrificing quality, security, or reliability.On Wednesday, Trump took the new Air Force One to see the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.
"To be honest with you, I'm excited about the first flight. Nobody's ever seen anything like it," Trump told reporters before boarding the new airplane, according to USA Today.The Associated Press reported that Trump said of revealing the new Air Force One plane, "You can do two things: You can low-key it, or you can show it."RELATED: America turns 250 with a broken heart In May, the U.S. Air Force said that the VC-25B Bridge aircraft had "officially completed modification and flight testing."Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that some critics have "expressed concern over the last year that accepting a plane used by Qatar could present a security risk, such as by allowing listening devices or other bugs to be planted on the aircraft."The U.S. Air Force addressed the concerns by stating that "elite specialists from multiple government agencies developed advanced protocols to detect and, if necessary, neutralize potential technical hazards on previously owned aircraft.""Their rigorous approach on the Bridge aircraft has literally 'written the book,' and set the benchmark for integrating used airframes into the secure military inventory," the U.S. Air Force said. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach declared, "We are proud to deliver the VC-25B Bridge aircraft to the president.""Many thought it could not be done, but the United States Air Force was able to execute and provide a secure, reliable airborne command post on an accelerated timeline," Wilsbach added. The official website for the White House says: "Capable of refueling midair, Air Force One has unlimited range and can carry the president wherever he needs to travel. The onboard electronics are hardened to protect against an electromagnetic pulse, and Air Force One is equipped with advanced secure communications equipment, allowing the aircraft to function as a mobile command center in the event of an attack on the United States."In May, CBS News reported that Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Air Force accepted the Boeing 747-8 "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations."President Trump told reporters in May, "If we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they're building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture."Trump added, "Now I could be a stupid person and say, 'Oh no, we don't want a free plane.'"The stopgap jumbo jet...
