Members of the U.S. Men&#8217;s National Team were quick to celebrate the news that star striker Folarin Balogun would be available for Monday&#8217;s match against Belgium — once they realized the story wasn&#8217;t a fake-out created using Artificial Intelligence.
As The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/05/sports/how-usmnt-players-reacted-to-folarin-balogun-news-on-bus-to-practice/">reported</a>, defender Chris Richards said that the team was heading to Husky Soccer Stadium on the bus when they got the news — and that at first, they were not at all sure what to make of it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Chris Richards tells <a href="https://x.com/JennyTaft?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JennyTaft</a> the vibes are up for the USMNT after hearing about Flo Balogun&#8217;s suspension being lifted <a href="https://t.co/WeCcD1wATY">pic.twitter.com/WeCcD1wATY</a>
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) <a href="https://x.com/FOXSports/status/2073884412228649218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;To be fair, we were lit on the bus regardless. We had our speaker in the back listening to music,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Then one person said something, another person said the same thing and nobody wanted to confirm it. It was pretty much right when we got here that we found out it was true &#8230; a lot of us thought it was AI at first.&#8221;
But then Balogun boarded the bus — all smiles because he&#8217;d already been told that his one-match suspension had been suspended in favor of a probationary period — and it became apparent that he was going to be allowed to play.
Midfield and forward Christian Pulisic also reacted to the good news, saying, &#8220;I just saw a big smile on his face. I got to see him and dap him up after that. Knowing we’re gonna have him around tomorrow, it helps so much. It’s a big boost.&#8221;
Pulisic also noted that the lineup for Monday&#8217;s game against Belgium had not yet been adjusted to accommodate Balogun&#8217;s expected absence, explaining that the team would not be scrambling to rearrange things now that he could play.
&#8220;Of course you have other guys filling in and trying to figure out what the lineup could look like, but we didn’t have anything set. It’s not like some crazy adjustment we need to make,&#8221; he said.
The United States is set to play Belgium in the Round of 16 on Monday, July 6.

USA v Paraguay: Group D – FIFA World Cup 2026

U.S. Team ‘Lit’ After Red Card Reversal News: ‘Thought It Was AI At First’

U.S. Team 'Lit' After Red Card Reversal News: 'Thought It Was AI At First'

Donald Trump

FIFA

Soccer

Sports

World Cup

President Donald Trump offered his thanks to FIFA — while Belgian officials fume and vow to evaluate &#8220;all potential options&#8221; — after the organization lifted a one-game suspension for U.S. star-striker Folarin Balogun.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to express his thanks, saying, &#8220;Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!&#8221;
A White House source confirmed to The Daily Wire that the president had made a call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding the red card. Multiple reports suggested that during that call, Trump had informed Infantino that attorneys were preparing to challenge the use of slow-motion instant replay — which he said violated FIFA rules — and that the red card had been excessive.
Outkick founder Clay Travis said sources had told him that &#8220;President Trump, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House task force head Andrew Giuliani put together a team of elite lawyers — from outside the government — to challenge the Flo Balogun red card.&#8221;
&#8220;Specifically they challenged the use of slow motion instant replay to give the red card, which they argued violated FIFA rules. The president also conveyed to Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, that the appeal had been filed and he believed the red card penalty was excessive,&#8221; he added. &#8220;FIFA’s independent committee reviewed the decision and agreed the penalty was incorrectly given, rescinding it under their rule 27 authority.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sources: President Trump, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House task force head Andrew Giuliani put together a team of elite lawyers — from outside the government — to challenge the Flo Balogun red card. Specifically they challenged the use of slow motion instant…
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/2073851719297945674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The rule in question states that the slow-motion replay is only to be used to determine facts — where players were at the time of the offense or how contact occurred — and not to judge the severity of the offense. That, the rule states, should be determined by a replay at normal speed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I am not entirely convinced this part of the VAR protocols was followed here. <a href="https://t.co/W3GI2h3gxC">pic.twitter.com/W3GI2h3gxC</a>
— Lars Sivertsen (@larssivertsen) <a href="https://x.com/larssivertsen/status/2072496315913675189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Royal Belgian Football Association registered its displeasure with the decision in a statement published on Sunday: &#8221;
FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.&#8221;
&#8220;However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup,&#8221; the statement continued.
The precedent was already set at the beginning of World Cup play, when Portugal&#8217;s star player <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/05/sports/the-cristiano-ronaldo-precedent-that-changed-folarin-baloguns-red-card-fortunes/">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> had a suspension overturned in favor of a probationary period. Ronald, who was shown a red card and given a three-match suspension last November, only missed one match before FIFA suspended the remaining two-match ban, placing him on probation but allowing him to play in his team&#8217;s opening World Cup match.
The United States is set to play Belgium on Monday, July 6, in the Round of 16.

USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina: Round Of 32 – FIFA World Cup 2026

Trump Thanks FIFA For Reversing ’Great Injustice’ As European Rivals Rage At World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo

White House

The United Arab Emirates made its position very clear over the July Fourth weekend, opting to skip the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&#8217;s funeral in Iran in favor of a red, white, and blue flyover for America 250 celebrations in New York City.
NBC News showed footage of the flyover, which featured the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Flight Demonstration Team Al Fursan in a tight, seven-plane formation trailing red, white, and blue smoke. They flew alongside the U.S. Navy&#8217;s Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force in a stunning display.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
While some were mourning Khamenei, the UAE was busy celebrating America&#8217;s 250th Independence Day in New York.Those queuing in Iran were nowhere to be seen. In this region, the UAE has proven itself to be the strong, brave, and reliable ally. 
Now you know who the real friend is. <a href="https://t.co/6NJtoxMraO">pic.twitter.com/6NJtoxMraO</a>
— Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) <a href="https://x.com/amjadt25/status/2073722548819464220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Navy Vice Admiral John Gumbleton described the scene as they flew over Liberty Island in New York Harbor: &#8220;We got the United Arab Emirates Flight Demonstration Team, and they&#8217;re flying the smoke of the red, white, and blue in honor of the nation&#8217;s 250th — and looking quite professional going by.&#8221;
According to several reports, in addition to not sending a delegation to the late Iranian Supreme Leader&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-wants-the-world-to-see-one-thing-at-khameneis-funeral">funeral</a>, the UAE also opted not to send condolences to the regime.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, the funeral is expected to be a massive spectacle designed to draw large crowds and give what is left of the regime legitimacy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as previously reported, called on citizens “of every ethnicity, religion, preference and political tendency” to attend, adding, “Your widespread presence will be a decisive response to the logic of terrorism, violence, and bullying, and a clear message to the world that the Iranian nation stands united and in solidarity in defending its independence and dignity.&#8221;

New York City Celebrates 4th Of July

UAE Skips Khamenei Funeral, Opts For America 250 Flyover Instead

America 250

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

A red card ban suspension freed star forward Folarin Balogun to play in the U.S. Men&#8217;s National Team&#8217;s next World Cup match against Belgium.
Balogun, 25, was initially supposed to sit out the 16th-round match due to a red card he received in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic. FIFA&#8217;s tournament rules (Article 10.5) state that a one-game suspension would automatically come with the red card — and the team was not allowed to appeal that decision.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7423410/2026/07/05/usmnt-folarin-balogun-red-card-available/?eafs_enabled=false">The Athletic</a> reported on Sunday that Balogun may yet be allowed to play due to a provision in Article 27 of FIFA&#8217;s disciplinary code — a provision that states &#8220;the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.&#8221;
The one-game suspension that should have accompanied Balogun&#8217;s red card has been suspended — with one caveat: he risks not only the original suspension but also any sanctions that might be added onto that if he commits another similar infraction during the next match.
&#8220;If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement,&#8221; the regulation states.
U.S. Soccer released a statement reacting to the news, saying, &#8220;We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow. Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans.&#8221;
Up to the current match, Balogun has started in all but one and has scored at least one goal in each match. He scored twice in the opening game against Paraguay.
Balogun is not the only World Cup star facing disciplinary issues, however. Portugal&#8217;s captain Cristiano Ronaldo was handed a three-match ban, but FIFA suspended the final two games of his suspension.

FIFA Overturns Ban On U.S. Soccer Star In Massive World Cup Boost For America

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey shared his thoughts on America&#8217;s 250th birthday in a recent social media post, saying that the genius of the United States was in the journey, not the destination.
The &#8220;True Detective&#8221; star shared a post on X on Friday, saying that the United States was not about being the &#8220;perfect union,&#8221; but rather about always striving to be a better one. The magic, he said, was not in the fact that America had &#8220;arrived anywhere,&#8221; but should celebrate the fact that &#8220;we&#8217;re still on our way&#8221; to being a little bit better, a little bit brighter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
bets still on the table America, yet. <a href="https://t.co/Ap5Cw3EKRV">pic.twitter.com/Ap5Cw3EKRV</a>
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) <a href="https://x.com/McConaughey/status/2073013891937034425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Two hundred and fifty years young! Howdy, America,&#8221; McConaughey said, looking straight at the camera. &#8220;To a lot of people, that may seem like a long time to be a country but it&#8217;s really not. But I&#8217;ll tell you what it&#8217;s definitely not too long to be — it&#8217;s not too long to be an idea, which is what America is. A land that has never been — yet.&#8221;
&#8220;And that &#8216;yet&#8217; that we&#8217;re seeking and chasing, that&#8217;s the whole thing,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s a place we&#8217;re never going to arrive at. And that&#8217;s not failure because we won&#8217;t, that&#8217;s by design. Think about it, we didn&#8217;t start this country on any kind of proof. We started it on a belief that was worth fighting for, a wager that was worth betting on. An act of faith that a self-governing people could be something worth being and becoming.&#8221;
Mcconaughey said that if America had learned anything in that 250 years, it was that the bet was still on the table — because the bet was designed to always be on the table: &#8220;We have not cashed in, and let&#8217;s hope we never cash in.&#8221;
Drawing a line between skeptics and cynics, he argued that the former would drive progress while the latter had already given up: &#8220;One cares enough to question, which we should, and the other one&#8217;s already quit. We don&#8217;t need you.&#8221;
The &#8220;best&#8221; of America, he added, was in those who had delivered 250 years of &#8220;showing up&#8221;: 250 years of &#8220;arguing, loving, losing, forgiving, starting over, believing in who we are and what we can be — that&#8217;s the &#8216;yet&#8217; we&#8217;re chasing.&#8221;
&#8220;So, here we are today lighting the fire, breaking the bread, raising a glass to our family and friends, and maybe even the neighbor we don&#8217;t agree with. Today, we&#8217;re going to let the kids run barefoot after dark, baby. That&#8217;s the celebration,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;Not that we&#8217;ve arrived anywhere, but to the fact we&#8217;re still on our way. Take inventory, with the one in the mirror and together. Here&#8217;s to more dancing in the home of the brave. Happy 250th, America. Just keep living.&#8221;

Matthew McConaughey Opens Wilderness Cabin In Sydney, Australia

Matthew McConaughey: America At 250 Is A Bet That’s ‘Still On The Table’

Matthew McConaughey: America At 250 Is A Bet That's 'Still On The Table'

Fourth of July

Matthew McConaughey

United States

President Donald Trump touted the record-breaking fireworks display prepared for Saturday&#8217;s festivities celebrating America&#8217;s 250th birthday on the National Mall.
&#8220;Best fireworks show, EVER! President DJT,&#8221; he posted via his Truth Social platform after the last of the munitions had been spent.
The 40-minute display included more than 850,000 individual fireworks, breaking the Guiness World Record for the largest fireworks display on record. American military service members provided the soundtrack for the massive spectacle, singing hits like Chicago&#8217;s &#8220;25 or 6 to 4,&#8221; Journey&#8217;s &#8220;Don&#8217;t Stop Believin&#8217;,&#8221; Bon Jovi&#8217;s &#8220;Livin&#8217; on a Prayer,&#8221; the Village People&#8217;s &#8220;Y.M.C.A.,&#8221;  Toby Keith&#8217;s &#8220;Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),&#8221; and Neil Diamond&#8217;s &#8220;Sweet Caroline.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The largest firework show in U.S. history for America’s 250th birthday!!! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Id0oyS8uLN">pic.twitter.com/Id0oyS8uLN</a>
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/2073629242013737274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BOOM! THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA IS ALIVE AND WELL!
Washington DC and President Trump just BROKE THE RECORD for most fireworks EVER, and cities nationwide launched their own celebrations on America 250
After weather evacuations, patriots BROKE OUT into Star Spangled Banner before… <a href="https://t.co/MnqtfylDG4">pic.twitter.com/MnqtfylDG4</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2073747253252993264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The 250 fireworks finale! <a href="https://t.co/qbgkLDhHFr">pic.twitter.com/qbgkLDhHFr</a>
— Beverly Hallberg (@BeverlyHallberg) <a href="https://x.com/BeverlyHallberg/status/2073630024586932306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The entire National Mall fireworks show in about a minute, seen from the webcam at the top of the Washington Monument starting with the B1 Lancer flyover. <a href="https://t.co/BY0AlLawBl">pic.twitter.com/BY0AlLawBl</a>
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) <a href="https://x.com/aletweetsnews/status/2073632498760749119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
World War II veterans who were honored during President Trump&#8217;s remarks watched the incredible display from their memorial.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They left home as boys 8 decades ago to go out and save the world. Last night they sat at the WWII Memorial together and celebrated their country&#8217;s 250th. Still heroic. <a href="https://t.co/RXnOmtMVj7">pic.twitter.com/RXnOmtMVj7</a>
— Jerry Thornton (@jerrythornton) <a href="https://x.com/jerrythornton/status/2073740039574474823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Throughout the evening, the fireworks and other program events competed with uncooperative weather, as a large thunderstorm blew through the nation&#8217;s capital and even forced a delay in the president&#8217;s remarks.
Lightning lit up the sky behind the Washington Monument as the crowd joined in singing &#8220;Sweet Caroline.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
HOLY SH*T:
I just caught the moment lighting strikes near the Washington Monument as &#8220;Sweet Caroline&#8221; plays during the Freedom 250 fireworks in Washington D.C.
God bless America. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/5Q92TgBGST">pic.twitter.com/5Q92TgBGST</a>
— Evan Kilgore 🇺🇸 (@EvanAKilgore) <a href="https://x.com/EvanAKilgore/status/2073628449533468718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lightning photobombs DC&#8217;s fireworks show.
Remarkable images shared with us by Russell Moy. <a href="https://t.co/fJhYtuYDfk">pic.twitter.com/fJhYtuYDfk</a>
— Capital Weather (@capitalweather) <a href="https://x.com/capitalweather/status/2073765107562135955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Watch: Dramatic lightning strike during DC&#8217;s fireworks Saturday night.
While lightning appears to strike Washington Monument, the bolt actually is behind it.
Video by <a href="https://x.com/AlyssaNegvesky?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlyssaNegvesky</a> <a href="https://t.co/oTVxARQ4oK">pic.twitter.com/oTVxARQ4oK</a>
— Capital Weather (@capitalweather) <a href="https://x.com/capitalweather/status/2073746243860246790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Photo of the night contender from angela n. Stunning shot!!
More lightning + fireworks photos compiled on the site or at the Capital Weather app. <a href="https://t.co/bgPFCIQxOH">pic.twitter.com/bgPFCIQxOH</a>
— Capital Weather (@capitalweather) <a href="https://x.com/capitalweather/status/2073780201260003355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite the weather, well over 100,000 spectators gathered on the National Mall to witness the display — and cities all across the United States joined in with their own celebrations.

Local Weather U.S.

Trump Raves About Record-Setting Fireworks Display For America 250

Fireworks

Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump made it clear in his Saturday remarks that he was all in on America as he touted American veterans and trashed communism on the nation&#8217;s 250th birthday.
Hailing the United States as &#8220;the hope, the promise, the light, and the glory among all of the nations of the world,&#8221; Trump called on Americans to be proud of their rich heritage and to defend that vision in the years to come.
Trump spoke late on Saturday night to a massive crowd after thunderstorms forced a delay, saying that the United States had always been — and would always be — the shining example of freedom that others looked to: &#8220;They try and be like us. Nobody can be like us&#8221; &#8230; &#8220;with God&#8217;s help, we can always be this or even better.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light, and the glory among all of the nations of the world&#8230; with God&#8217;s help, we can always be this or even better&#8230; Here on our National Mall, we&#8217;re celebrating Freedom&#8217;s triumph over… <a href="https://t.co/XbJbC7A9l4">pic.twitter.com/XbJbC7A9l4</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2073609692304097395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump proceeded to honor the veterans who served the country over the past 250 years, showing a number of different American flags that flew over different battles throughout the nation&#8217;s history.
He went on to blast communism and those who are trying to bring it to the United States, declaring that the U.S. will never be a communist country.
&#8220;Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world, only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America. We’re not going to let it happen. All these talks from the communists, they haven’t got a chance &#8230; We don’t want communists in our country. Never worked, and it never will work.&#8221;
&#8220;We like to stop a threat like that immediately,&#8221; he argued, adding that communism was &#8220;like a cancer. You got to cut it out, you got to cut it out fast.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> recognizes Korean War veterans Cpl. Patrick Finn, and PFC Rudy Meekins, who fought bravely at the Chosin Reservoir while greatly outnumbered by Communist forces.
&#8220;America will NEVER be a Communist country.&#8221; 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/zpZCqvrW7V">pic.twitter.com/zpZCqvrW7V</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2073618602901541200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We have thrived and flourished because our founders were great, our cause was just, our people are brave, our culture is exceptional, and our destiny is written by God. After 250 years, the Spirit of 1776 still lives within us all,&#8221; he concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: The world has seen the great empires, vast kingdoms, mighty nations, and terrible tyrants — they came and they went. But after two-and-a-half centuries, this American Republic still stands tall and strong.
This American Flag still waves proud and free and beautiful.
We… <a href="https://t.co/zeSLBND26D">pic.twitter.com/zeSLBND26D</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2073621091998683250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump Seeks To Put Himself Center Stage For US Independence Day

Trump Goes All In On America In 250th Birthday Speech: ‘Our Destiny Is Written By God!’

Trump Goes All In On America In 250th Birthday Speech: 'Our Destiny Is Written By God!'

Communism

On October 28, 1886, then-President Grover Cleveland spoke at the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.
&#8220;The people of the United States accept with gratitude from their brethren of the French Republic the grand and completed work of art we here inaugurate,&#8221; Cleveland <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-unveiling-the-statue-liberty-new-york-city">began</a>:
<blockquote>This token of the affection and consideration of the people of France demonstrates the kinship of republics, and conveys to us the assurance that in our efforts to commend to mankind the excellence of a government resting upon popular will, we still have beyond the American continent, a steadfast ally.</blockquote>
Cleveland, the only president other than President Donald Trump to serve two non-consecutive terms in the White House, went on to talk about the statue itself and what it represented:
<blockquote>We are not here to day to bow before the representation of a fierce and warlike god, filled with wrath and vengeance, but we joyously contemplate instead, our own deity keeping watch and ward before the open gates of America, and greater than all that have been celebrated in ancient song. Instead of grasping in her hand thunderbolts of terror and of death, she holds aloft the light which illumines the way to man&#8217;s enfranchisement.
We will not forget that liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected. Willing votaries will constantly keep alive its fires, and these shall gleam upon the shores of our sister republic in the East. Reflected thence and joined with answering rays, a stream of light shall pierce the darkness of ignorance and man&#8217;s oppression, until liberty enlightens the world.</blockquote>
The massive copper structure, designed by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Gustav Eiffel, had been promised more than 20 years earlier in 1865 — as a gift celebrating the abolition of slavery, the end of the American Civil War, and the centennial celebrations of 1876.
Bartholdi began work on the statue in 1875, and it was officially presented to U.S. Minister to France Levi P. Morton nine years later, on July 4, 1884. It was not until late 1886 that it was finally delivered, assembled, and unveiled at its permanent home on Liberty Island.
On July 3, 1986 — 100 years after the statue was first revealed — then-President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech rededicating the statue and celebrating the lighting of Lady Liberty&#8217;s torch.
<blockquote>We are the keepers of the flame of liberty. We hold it high tonight for the world to see, a beacon of hope, a light unto the nations. And so with joy and celebration and with a prayer that this lamp shall never be extinguished, I ask that you all join me in this symbolic act of faith, this lighting of Miss Liberty&#8217;s torch.</blockquote>

Grover Cleveland, 1837-1908, 22nd and 24th President of the United States 1885_89 and 1893_97, Head and Shoulders Portrait at Home, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, Photograph by New York Herald Company, 1908

READ IT: Grover Cleveland’s Speech The Day Lady Liberty Was Dedicated

READ IT: Grover Cleveland’s Speech The Day Lady Liberty Was Inaugurated

New York City

Statue of Liberty

&#8220;Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of &#8230;&#8221; Caesar Rodney?
July 1776. Nearly 15 months after Paul Revere&#8217;s famous ride — forever immortalized in the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — trouble was brewing as the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to discuss the question on everyone&#8217;s minds: will the 13 American colonies declare independence from England?
Virginia Delegate Richard Henry Lee put forth the proposition, stating that &#8220;these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states.&#8221;
A vote on the matter was set for July 2.
Delaware Delegate Caesar Rodney was at home in Dover, battling cancer and asthma and attending to his duties as an officer in the Delaware State Militia while his state&#8217;s two remaining delegates — Thomas McKean and George Read — were in Philadelphia. But when it came time to vote for independence, McKean and Read were at odds: McKean favored independence, while Read did not — and it quickly became apparent that Delaware would be the deciding vote.
A desperate McKean sent word to Rodney, a strong proponent for independence, who got the message on July 1 — and he acted without hesitation.
Meanwhile, a preliminary vote was taken on July 1 in Philadelphia. Nine colonies voted for independence. Two colonies — Pennsylvania and South Carolina — opposed. Delaware was deadlocked, and New York abstained because the delegates in Philadelphia were waiting for word from their local governments.
Rodney rode for 18 hours straight, pausing only to change horses, covering the 80 miles from Dover to Philadelphia — despite oppressive heat, dangerous storms, and his own failing health — bursting into the Pennsylvania State House (now known simply as Independence Hall) still wearing his mud-caked clothing and riding spurs.
&#8220;As I believe the voice of my constituents and all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, and as my own judgment concurs with them, I give my vote for independence,&#8221; he <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-birthday-founding-father-caesar-rodney/">declared</a>.
Caesar Rodney&#8217;s vote broke the Delaware deadlock, and on July 2, 1776, the majority voted for independence. Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted with the majority, making the vote 12-0 with New York still abstaining. New York continued to abstain — although the delegates did not raise any objections — when they voted for the text of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.
On July 9, 1776, New York&#8217;s provincial congress voted to officially adopt the Declaration of Independence, finally making the colonies unanimous in their position.
Unanimity was of the utmost importance to the Continental Congress, largely because they believed dissent would be seen by the British as a lack of resolve and would likely be exploited as the war continued.
The consequences of Rodney&#8217;s ride — and the subsequent vote — were immediate: British loyalists in Delaware ensured that he was not reelected to either the state legislature or the Continental Congress. He did return to politics, however, and was elected to serve as the President of Delaware from 1778-1781. He also briefly served as Speaker of the Delaware Senate before his death in 1784.
Rodney&#8217;s ride seems obvious fodder for a Hollywood film — or at the very least, an epic poem — so why is it that so many in America have never heard of him?
Perhaps it&#8217;s because Rodney himself often hid from the public eye. His skin cancer, diagnosed several years prior to the war — along with surgery to remove a tumor from his nose — had left his face so severely disfigured that he often wore a green silk veil to hide it.
Or maybe it&#8217;s just that Paul Revere &#8220;<a href="https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/699415-outlander-freedom-whisky?page=4">had a better publicist</a>&#8221; in Longfellow, as was noted in an episode of &#8220;Outlander&#8221; (Season 3, Episode 5). Revere, despite being immortalized in the famous poem, did not actually complete the &#8220;midnight ride&#8221; for which he is known. He set off for Lexington and Concord with William Dawes, and both were captured by the British before they could reach their destination. Dr. Samuel Prescott was the patriot rider who ultimately reached Concord in time to sound the alarm.
Rodney was not completely forgotten, however: the image of him on horseback appears on the Delaware quarters minted in 1999.
His name came up again in 2020, when Black Lives Matter protesters targeted statues of him — among many others — because he was a slave owner. A bronze statue of Rodney was taken down from its perch in Wilmington, Delaware, amid the protests that took place that summer.
In April, just ahead of the America 250 celebrations, the famed statue of Caesar Rodney was given a place in Washington, D.C.&#8217;s Freedom Plaza.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, <a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> has been committed to celebrating and acknowledging the full breadth of our nation’s history, including the story of Caesar Rodney and his pivotal ride in July 1776.
Despite being gravely ill with a cancerous condition that… <a href="https://t.co/0ownpdHows">pic.twitter.com/0ownpdHows</a>
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) <a href="https://x.com/SecretaryBurgum/status/2048096835047150039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

The Midnight Rider Who Made America Possible Was Not Paul Revere

1776

Declaration of Independence

Politics

President Donald Trump reacted on Tuesday to the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision on birthright citizenship and congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on a ruling that he said would ultimately benefit other nations more than the United States.
&#8220;I would like to congratulate President Xi, and the Great Country of China, on their massive Birthright Citizenship WIN!&#8221; Trump declared via his Truth Social platform.
The court&#8217;s decision protects, for now, the practice of &#8220;birth tourism,&#8221; which is used by many wealthy Chinese nationals who travel to the United States to give birth to their children.
In an <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116839981384247632">earlier post</a>, the president&#8217;s first reaction to the decision was slightly more subdued as he called on Congress to take legislative action on birthright citizenship.
&#8220;The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-against-trump-in-birthright-citizenship-case">high court</a>, in an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, held that children born in the United States — regardless of their parentage — were American citizens under the 14th Amendment.
&#8220;Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,'&#8221; Roberts wrote, adding, &#8220;We keep that promise today.&#8221;
In a <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-365_4hdj.pdf">separate opinion</a>, partly concurring and partly dissenting, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that he disagreed with the majority in holding that Trump&#8217;s executive order banning birthright citizenship ran afoul of the 14th Amendment. Instead, he argued that the order was at odds with current federal statutes, meaning that if Congress were to take legislative action, that could change.
In a scathing dissent, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas wrote, “The court today takes the extraordinary step of holding facially unconstitutional the President’s Order excluding from citizenship the children of foreign temporary visitors and illegal aliens. In doing so, the court adds to the sad history of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was designed and understood to secure equal rights for the freed blacks but has instead been repurposed for political projects that the Reconstruction Congress did not support.”

U.S. President Trump Meets With China’s President Xi And Attends State Banquet

Trump Congratulates Xi Jinping On Major Win At SCOTUS

birthright citizenship

Communist China

Global Politics

Supreme Court

Actress Daveigh Chase, who died in mid-June at the age of 35, died of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and prolonged drug abuse.
Chase, best known as the voice of Lilo in Disney&#8217;s 2002 smash animated feature &#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch,&#8221; died in a Los Angeles hospital, and according to a medical examiner&#8217;s report reviewed by E! News, the manner of her death was listed as &#8220;natural,&#8221; and the cause of death was AIDS. Years of substance abuse, the report also noted, had been a major contributing factor in her death.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lilo-stitch-voice-actress-dead-at-35-after-addiction-struggles">reported</a>, Chase had been living on the streets for some time prior to her passing. Initial reporting from entertainment news site TMZ quoted Roy Hernandez, who claimed to be her boyfriend, as saying that she&#8217;d died from meningitis and an infection in her blood that led to sepsis.
Chase, who also gave a terrifying performance as the ghostly Samara Morgan in “The Ring,” had been struggling with addiction for years and had recently been hospitalized in Los Angeles due to malnutrition.
The actress&#8217;s longtime manager, John Ryan, told The California Post at the time of her death that Chase likely still had <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/17/entertainment/lilo-stitch-actress-daveigh-chase-reportedly-had-millions-in-residuals-at-time-of-death/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">millions</a> in uncollected residuals. He explained that the deal Chase had signed when she got the role of Lilo — at just 8 years old — had included residuals and a cut of any future toys or theme park attractions that featured her voice. That money, which has continued to roll in, was apparently left uncollected as she was “too far gone” to accept her payments.
Years earlier, Ryan said that he and Chase&#8217;s stepsister Gaia Brown had hired a private investigator in the hopes of tracking Chase down and forcing her to get treatment for what they believed was addiction to heroin and fentanyl.
When a 2025 video circulated on social media, showing an emaciated and barely conscious woman who looked a lot like Chase on Skid Row, they went there to search for her. Ryan said at the time that he even spoke to her on the phone, but by the time they got to Skid Row, she had left.
“We were so close to finding her. Daveigh was the sweetest and brightest light in Hollywood. I can’t believe this is real. Her legacy and work will live on forever,” Ryan said.
Chase’s final role was in 2016’s “American Romance.”

Cause Of Death Revealed For ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Actress

Cause Of Death Revealed For 'Lilo & Stitch' Actress

AIDS

Disney

drug abuse

Hollywood

The Democratic socialist darling poised to represent New York&#8217;s 13th Congressional District reportedly had a since-deleted Twitter account that read like communist fan fiction.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, according to a new report from CNN, kept a Twitter account under the name &#8220;Darializabonet.&#8221; The bio under the name in 2020 read, &#8220;how communist of you,&#8221; and the entire account was apparently deleted in 2022.
The contents of the now-deleted account included complaints about the lack of available Marxist literature — particularly works by revolutionaries like Vladimir Lenin — and a recommendation that Karl Marx&#8217;s &#8220;Capital&#8221; was a &#8220;must-read.&#8221; She also retweeted a post from another communist account complaining that bookstores did not feature &#8220;The Complete Works of J. V. Stalin&#8221; in displays about books that had been &#8220;banned.&#8221;
The account also quoted convicted cop killer and Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur, who escaped from prison and fled to Cuba to avoid a life sentence, on the idea that people should read communist revolutionaries of color — &#8220;Ho Chi Minh, Kim Il Sung, Che, or Fidel [Castro]&#8221; — before Lenin or Marx. The revolutionaries could not be ignored, she said, because of their contributions to the cause — but she disliked elevating them above their non-white counterparts.
Other posts she either commented on or retweeted shared similarly favorable views of communism and socialism — including one retweet of a post complaining that Americans objected to communism over seemingly trivial things like the number of available soup varieties at a grocery store.
&#8220;I just cannot get over the fact that the universe has foisted upon us the perfect illustration of literally every failing of capitalism and people are still like we can’t be communists cuz there won’t be enough types of soup,&#8221; the post she retweeted read.
Avila Chevalier, backed by New York City&#8217;s new Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, defeated incumbent Democrat Adriano Espaillat to win the Democratic primary — and because she&#8217;s unlikely to face any real challenge from Republicans, Avila Chevalier&#8217;s victory in November is all but certain.
Comedian and HBO host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-is-not-down-with-the-jew-hating-socialists-my-vote-is-in-play">Bill Maher</a> sounded the alarm on Avila Chevalier before additional details from the account came to light, saying during his Friday broadcast that she was &#8220;patient zero&#8221; if the &#8220;Woke Mind Virus&#8221; had such a thing.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bill Maher on Democratic Socialist Daraliza Avila Chevalier:
“There is a woke mind virus and I think we found patient zero” <a href="https://t.co/YkaK2Mozqv">pic.twitter.com/YkaK2Mozqv</a>
— DSA Watch (@DSA_Watch) <a href="https://x.com/DSA_Watch/status/2071261107050934589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;There’s one candidate, she will be a congresswoman from New York’s 13th District, who the New York Times asked her if someone murders someone randomly, should they go to jail? Couldn’t get her to say yes to that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;She says, ‘No more police ever, at all, ever.’ She says our veterans are war criminals. She said f*ck Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s a rapist. So there is a Woke Mind Virus, and I think we found patient zero.&#8221;

Menu

Virginia Kruta