White House Holds News Conference

HAPPENING NOW: JD Vance Holds Press Briefing After Major White House Departure

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karoline leavitt

Press

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The White House ripped into Democrats after a near-unanimous vote Tuesday night in defense of socialism, calling the vote the latest illustration of &#8220;how extreme their party has become.&#8221;
The vote turned contentious, with only eight Democrat members of the House crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans on the resolution to denounce &#8220;socialism in all its forms.&#8221; It passed 220-192, with all the votes against the condemnation coming from Democrats. Two Democrats refused to pick a side and simply voted present.
The White House is using the vote to tear into Democrats, suggesting that the party has been lost to its most radical elements.
&#8220;Yet again, the Democrats prove how extreme their party has become,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. &#8220;They support radical socialism, defunding federal law enforcement, and non-citizens voting in American elections.&#8221;
The vote was far closer than last November, when a <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/11/21/congress/house-denounces-horrors-of-socialism-00664412">similar resolution</a> condemning the &#8220;horrors of socialism&#8221; passed with support from 86 Democrats. The shift comes as the Democrat Socialists of America <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-behind-the-rapid-rise-of-the-dsa">grows its influence</a> on the political Left, with many of the most prominent party figures in the country proudly embracing the socialist label.
Highlighting this radical shift will be central to the Republican strategy in the rapidly approaching midterm elections, which, especially in House elections, will play out with electorates far less open to socialism than the Democrat base. In some key elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, however, the Democrat candidates who prevailed in primaries are on the far-Left.
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, for example, <a href="https://texasscorecard.com/decisiontexas/talarico-said-capitalism-is-an-oppressive-system-that-must-be-dismantled/">called</a> capitalism an &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/talarico-attacked-capitalism-wait-until-you-see-who-was-helping-pay-his-bills">oppressive system</a>&#8221; that needs to be &#8220;dismantled.&#8221; Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, has attempted to distance himself from the socialist but has regularly reached out to the far-Left wing of the party — including by campaigning with America-hating communist streamer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-sayed-defends-alliance-with-hasan-piker-in-newly-circulated-video">Hasan Piker</a>.
The White House is pledging that Republicans will continue to focus on President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;commonsense agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump and Republicans will continue to deliver on his commonsense agenda that includes tax cuts for American families, border security, and record low prices for prescription drugs,&#8221; Bis told The Daily Wire.
Using resolutions to force Democrats to expose their radical positions has been part of the Republican strategy in Congress, and Democrats continue to step right into the trap. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/53-dems-vote-against-declaring-iran-state-sponsor-terror?msockid=2ac6c3f27a1c60101941d5cb7b3161f3">53 Democrats voted against</a> declaring Iran a state-sponsor of terror — an undeniable fact, unless you don&#8217;t recognize groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis as terrorists.
Democrats, however, are fearful of repercussions from the radical base that doesn&#8217;t want to see it side with Republicans on anything. Two Democrats who crossed the aisle to help Republicans get the resolution to a final House vote were lambasted by party leadership for doing so.
&#8220;The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust,&#8221; said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), in reference to Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, who both voted for the resolution.

US-POLITICS-VOTE-NEW YORK-MAYOR

White House Tears Into Democrats After Near-Unanimous Vote Defending Socialism

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The White House complex&#8217;s historic bowling alley is next in line for an upgrade as President Donald Trump continues to leave his mark on Washington. 
The General Services Administration awarded a contract worth more than $250,000 to renovate the lighting at the two-lane Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/31/white-house-bowling-alley-gets-a-250k-glow-up-01057880">reported</a> Monday. 
The July 28 contract went to Charles Mann Enterprises, a Washington-based construction firm that later received an additional $8,800 contract to escort workers through secure areas during the project. 
The company was founded by former NFL defensive end Charles Mann, who played for the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers. During his career, Mann was selected to four Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls during his pro football career.
A West Wing basement bowling alley was first constructed in 1947 under President Harry Truman before the lanes were transferred to the Old Executive Office Building in the 1950s, <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/sports-recreation">according</a> to the White House Historical Association. President Richard Nixon later added a bowling alley to the White House residential complex in 1973, as he enjoyed bowling with his wife. 
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1169715" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1169715" class="size-full wp-image-1169715" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-515384528.jpg" alt="The champs are the three top winners of the national 10-pin bowling tournament that VA conducted in six of its paraplegic centers where paralyzed vets receive special treatment. Left to right: Gordon C. Scott of Crossville, Ala., patient at Memphis, Tenn., VA hospital; Leo Ladduceur of Detroit, Mich., and Gerald A. Kopp of Spokane, Wash., both patients at the Van Nuys, Calif., hospital, and President Truman." width="1024" height="758" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-515384528.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-515384528-300x222.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-515384528-778x576.jpg 778w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-515384528-768x569.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Truman and veterans bowling in 1947. Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images.</div>
A previous project to revamp the bowling alley under President Barack Obama in 2014 was scrapped after Republican objections. The Republican-controlled House later approved an amendment prohibiting federal funding for the renovation.
During Trump’s first term, first lady Melania Trump <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-first-lady-melania-trump-celebrates-completion-the-newly-renovated-bowling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oversaw</a> the restoration of the Nixon-era alley that restored its original wooden lane and updated its electrical wiring, machinery, and interior. The Bowling Proprietors&#8217; Association of America funded that project.
Throughout his second term, Trump has transformed parts of the White House complex through multiple construction projects. He remade the Rose Garden with a white stone patio and statues honoring America&#8217;s founders, oversaw construction of a granite helipad on the South Lawn, and renovated the historic Lincoln Bedroom bathroom. 
Trump has also pushed for the construction of a new White House ballroom and military complex, which he has argued is necessary for national security. The project has faced opposition from preservation groups but won a significant legal victory Monday when the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-drops-5-4-ruling-in-trump-ballroom-fight?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Supreme+Court+Drops+5-4+Ruling+In+Trump+Ballroom+Fight">cleared</a> the way for construction to continue while litigation proceeds. 
The court&#8217;s 5-4 majority did not decide whether the project is legal, ruling only that the National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to establish that it had standing to challenge the construction.

President Trump Shows White House Press Corps The Continuing Ballroom Construction

Iconic White House Amenity Is Next Up On The Renovation List

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EXCLUSIVE: White House Ditches Outdated Climate Nightmares For Real-World Policy

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national climate assessment

WASHINGTON — White House Director of Legislative Affairs James Braid will depart the administration in September, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday.
Braid acts as the administration&#8217;s liaison with Congress, ensuring that lawmakers are aligned with the president&#8217;s agenda and pushing his policy through. Braid, who most recently served as a policy aide to then-Senator JD Vance, was close to both the vice president and the president.
He notably played a massive role in getting the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; across the finish line and also was a major player in the recent housing bill and the &#8220;GENIUS Act,&#8221; which establishes guidelines for stablecoins. While his departure is notable, given his standing in the administration and his impact on Capitol Hill, Braid has been with the Trump administration since the beginning of the president&#8217;s second term in January 2025 and is choosing to depart ahead of the midterms like several other officials.
&#8220;James has played a critical role in our many accomplishments with Congress, including THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, beating the Democrats in two shutdown showdowns, passing the GENIUS Act, defeating a record number of War Powers resolutions, and the confirmation of my Cabinet at the fastest rate in decades,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;This has been, and will continue to be, the most successful Republican Congress in History,&#8221; the president added. &#8220;Thank you, James, for your service to our Nation!&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1162059" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1162059" class="wp-image-1162059 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2232823994-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2232823994-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2232823994-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2232823994-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2232823994.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />From left: Steven Cheung, White House communications director; James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs; and James Braid, White House director of legislative affairs (Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Braid is the youngest legislative affairs director in history, a White House official told The Daily Wire, as well as the longest-serving legislative affairs director for Donald Trump. The official said Braid &#8220;defeated two Democrat shutdowns&#8221; and &#8220;notched more war power votes for President Trump than any POTUS combined.&#8221;
Additionally, Braid speedily helped the president confirm his Cabinet and never lost a Senate Cabinet confirmation vote.
Vance, Braid&#8217;s former boss, praised the departing official in a statement on Thursday.
&#8220;James Braid had one of the toughest jobs in the entire Administration as White House Legislative Director and delivered for President Trump at every turn,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;He played a critical role in all of the administration’s achievements in Congress: largest tax cut ever, resources to carry out President Trump&#8217;s historic immigration agenda and finish the border wall, defeating two Democratic shutdowns, a landmark first crypto bill, the fastest confirmation of the cabinet in decades and much more.&#8221;
&#8220;Not only is James brilliant, he is one of the hardest workers you will ever meet,&#8221; he added. &#8220;He’s been with me in every fight I’ve been in, from day one in my Senate office through the transition and the President&#8217;s transformative second term. He has served the President with distinction, and I couldn&#8217;t be prouder of him. Very excited to see what he does next.&#8221;
News of Braid&#8217;s departure comes amid a number of high-profile figures leaving the administration ahead of the midterm elections this fall. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she would be stepping back from her role to spend more time with her children. She plans to depart the administration by the end of the month.
James Blair, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, announced earlier this year that he would take a temporary leave of absence to head the president&#8217;s political operation from the outside of the administration ahead of the midterm elections.

President Trump Signs His “Big, Beautiful Bill” Into Law And Celebrates Independence Day At The White House

Key Trump Admin Liaison Between White House And Congress Is Leaving

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jd vance

one big beautiful bill

President Donald Trump turned a long-running joke into a birthday gift for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who turned 55 on May 28.
Trump has already tasked Rubio with several official jobs within the administration — which spawned constant speculation whenever a new vacancy appeared — and a viral meme was born.
An Oval Office photo of Rubio slouched on a couch — wearing an expression that suggests he&#8217;s not thrilled with the way things are going — became the template for hundreds of potential new jobs for the Secretary of State/Acting National Security Adviser/acting administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/acting archivist of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Trump and other White House staffers capitalized on the popularity of the meme, and put together a collage — featuring dozens of iterations of the &#8220;Rubio realizing&#8221; meme. The finished product was framed in gold and presented to Rubio for his birthday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The White House made a Rubio Realizing Meme collage for his birthday (May 28), which the president &amp; others signed <a href="https://t.co/5oVDfTFaed">https://t.co/5oVDfTFaed</a> <a href="https://t.co/S2KsnRta3S">pic.twitter.com/S2KsnRta3S</a>
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) <a href="https://x.com/MarcACaputo/status/2087694087482704381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The central photo, which appears to be the un-doctored original image, has President Trump&#8217;s signature scrawled across it, along with the note, &#8220;YOU ARE GREAT!&#8221;
The other images — 68 in total — each show a different meme version of the original photo, and they all bear the signatures of other White House staffers.
The photo that spawned a thousand Rubios was taken during an Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February of 2025, and Rubio told Lara Trump on her Fox News show &#8220;My View&#8221; that he did not like the picture. He explained that particular couch, without a pillow, often caused people to sink lower than they might otherwise.
But once the photo took on a life of its own, it grew on him, he added: &#8220;It turned into this other thing &#8230; and it&#8217;s funny.&#8221;

Marco Rubio

Trump Turns Beloved Rubio Meme Into Birthday Gift

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meme

A high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is behind the purchase of a historic building just hundreds of feet from the White House, according to a new investigation.
The Philip Qiu and Family Foundation purchased the Securities Building, located approximately 650 feet northeast of the White House grounds, for $8.4 million on July 21, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/13/exclusive-ccp-intel-official-building-purchase-steps-from-white-house/">according</a> to the Daily Caller. 
The foundation&#8217;s namesake, Philip Qiu, has held multiple positions in Chinese government, security, and organizations linked to the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s United Front Work Department, the Caller reported. 
“The CCP is like a kind, but firm parent,” Qiu said in 2021, according to the Caller&#8217;s translation of a Chinese announcement. “It has guided our people out of hardship, led China’s sons and daughters to build a new country and is steering us toward great national rejuvenation.”
The purchase has raised national security concerns due to both Qiu&#8217;s background and the building&#8217;s proximity to the White House. Former CIA operations officer Bryan Dean Wright told the Caller that a property in such a location could be used for intelligence collection, including as a listening post or for collecting electronic communications.
Qiu, whose Chinese name is Qiu Feili, began his career as a detective with the Criminal Investigation Team in Shanghai, which is part of Shanghai&#8217;s Public Security Bureau, a subordinate to China&#8217;s Ministry of Public Security. 
The Caller investigation also found that Qiu has held at least three positions in organizations connected to the CCP&#8217;s United Front Work Department, whose activities the House Select Committee on the CCP has described as a combination of influence and intelligence operations.
Among those positions, Qiu has served since 2021 as chairman of the Shanghai Overseas Chinese Foundation (SOCF), which operates within Shanghai&#8217;s United Front system. At a 2021 foundation meeting, Qiu pledged that the organization would carry out Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s orders on overseas Chinese affairs, often referring to the CCP as “our party,” according to the Caller. 
The Philip Qiu and Family Foundation is also connected to the Chinese American Museum in Washington, D.C. (CAMDC), which Qiu co-founded in 2017 with Chen Xiaoping, also known as Neil Chen. Chen previously chaired the SOCF and has held several positions in the Chinese government.
The museum says it is not &#8220;funded, controlled, or influenced by any foreign government,&#8221; but the Caller found that Chinese government entities have co-sponsored at least eight of its programs. Four reportedly received support from religious entities controlled by the United Front Work Department.
Michael Lucci, CEO of the national security advocacy group State Armor, told the Caller that the risks posed by Qiu&#8217;s ownership of the property were &#8220;screamingly obvious&#8221; and urged the federal government to intervene.
At the time of publication, Qiu and the CAMDC had not responded to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

Chinese Intel Asset Buys Real Estate On White House Doorstep

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WASHINGTON — The White House is launching a website dedicated to exposing the fraud that Vice President JD Vance&#8217;s task force has uncovered, The Daily Wire can first report.
The new site, &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fraud/">The Fraud Ledger</a>,&#8221; will highlight the successes of the &#8220;Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,&#8221; specifically focusing on the three values that the task force solicited from each partner agency: fraud uncovered, fraud stopped, and fraud enforcement.
It is designed to be a &#8220;public record of the fraud, waste, and corruption identified&#8221; by the task force since January 2025.
“President Trump is waging an all-out war on fraud, shutting down billions of dollars in taxpayer theft,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Democrats have refused to stop this epidemic of fraud. The Trump Administration is holding these criminals accountable and ensuring key federal programs remain viable for the Americans they were meant to support.”
<div id="attachment_1152049" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-white-house-launches-fraud-website-to-highlight-successes-of-task-force/vice-president-vance-leads-congressional-roundtable-on-anti-fraud-initiatives" rel="attachment wp-att-1152049"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1152049" class="wp-image-1152049 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2289204245-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2289204245-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2289204245-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2289204245-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2289204245.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;Fraud uncovered&#8221; refers to estimates of total fraud that the agencies uncovered, using data and statistical methods, &#8220;fraud stopped&#8221; refers real dollars per year that were not spent due to the administration&#8217;s actions, and &#8220;fraud enforcement&#8221; refers to the money related to indictments, settlements, or civil monetary penalties.
Since January 2025, the task force has uncovered $229.9 billion, according to the website. The task force has stopped $56.4 billion in annual fraud, and enforced $55.5 billion in fraud through indictments and settlements.
Medicaid fraud deferrals top the list of the task force&#8217;s highest impact anti-fraud actions — according to the new website, the Center for Medicaid Services deferred over $2 billion from California and $500 million from Minnesota.
The Small Business Administration had the most total estimated fraud uncovered, coming in at a whopping $122.9 billion. Health and Human Services followed closely with $96.2 billion in uncovered fraud, and the Department of Labor came next at $7 billion.
The move comes on the heels of Vance&#8217;s latest fraud announcements, made Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Vance shared the latest fraud numbers that his team had uncovered since the task force launched, and he called on Congress to help combat fraud by codifying anti-fraud measures into law.
“The Vice President is taking a whole of government approach to fighting fraud,&#8221; a spokesman for the vice president shared. &#8220;That includes working with Congress to codify common sense anti-fraud measures to ensure that fraudsters and people who take advantage of the American people’s generosity are brought to justice for future generations, not just under the Trump Administration.”

Vice President Vance Discusses Administration’s Fight Against Fraud In Milwaukee

EXCLUSIVE: White House Launches Fraud Website To Highlight Successes Of Task Force

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task force to eliminate fraud

Dr. Anthony Fauci recommended White House adviser Stephen Miller move into a hotel for two weeks after his wife, Katie Miller, tested positive for COVID-19 while 10 weeks pregnant, according to newly released diary entries.
The entries were released Saturday by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who <a href="https://www.paul.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026.07.24_Tonys-Diary-Package.pdf">obtained</a> them during his investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and gain-of-function research ahead of Fauci&#8217;s planned testimony on Capitol Hill in the coming week.
&#8220;COVID-19 hits the White House!!&#8221; Fauci wrote on May 8, 2020. &#8220;Yesterday, it was revealed that the personal valet of the POTUS tested positive for Sars-CoV-2. However, today it was noted that Katie Miller tested positive. She was negative yesterday and positive X2 today!!!&#8221;
&#8220;She had sxs (sic) in the Sit room yesterday and sat next to Steve Hahn and behind Azar,&#8221; Fauci continued, listing a number of officials who had all attended the same briefing. &#8220;I was on the other side of the room from her, but she was coughing in the room. She sat next to Olivia Troye when she was coughing and, in the afternoon, yesterday, Olivia sat right next to me in the Ward Room of the West Wing for 45 minutes. In the room were Deb Birx, Steve Hahn, Bob Redfield, Tyler Ann, Seema Verma.&#8221;
Fauci went on to note that White House adviser Stephen Miller had tested negative even after his wife had tested positive — a relief for the White House chief medical adviser because he&#8217;d spent some time in close proximity to Miller.
&#8220;I spent much time on phone this evening advising Katie and Steve Miller as to what they should do,&#8221; Fauci continued. &#8220;She is 10 weeks pregnant. I advised that Steve must move out of the house into a hotel; he still has to self-isolate for 14 days. If he stays in the house, whether or not he gets infected, he still must self-isolate for 14 days after Katies (sic) tests negative. His clock will start after he separates from Katie and so he should start the clock now.&#8221;
Fauci explained that because he was a &#8220;low risk exposure,&#8221; he self-imposed a &#8220;modified quarantine&#8221; in which he would &#8220;get tested every day, would wear a mask ontinually (sic), and would spend most of my time either alone in my home office or alone in my NIH office and would go to White House or Congress with precautions of universal mask wearing and phycial (sic) distancing.&#8221;
He also noted that he was monitoring Katie Miller via phone, noting that she&#8217;d been very anxious about her health and that of her unborn child.
&#8220;She is very anxious about getting very ill since she is 10 weeks pregnant. Tonight she had an anxiety reaction. I calmed her over the phone. Her pulse Ox is fine and she is afebrile,&#8221; he wrote.
His other main concern was the fact that some of those who&#8217;d been seated close to Katie were not doing enough to mitigate the potential spread of the virus.
&#8220;Marc Short and others close to Katie really should do some sort of quarantine (even if modified), but they are not even wearing masks. Not a good metric,&#8221; he complained.

Stephen Miller

Fauci Advised Stephen Miller To Leave His Pregnant Wife Alone With COVID, Get A Hotel

Alex Azar

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health

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) lashed out at White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday after she said the president’s &#8220;patience is running out&#8221; over the failure to pass the SAVE America Act.
The back-and-forth began with a question from The Daily Caller&#8217;s Reagan Reese during the White House briefing.
“Look, the president spoke about this directly yesterday. His patience is running out. He wants to see as much of the SAVE America [Act] passed as possible by the August recess,” Leavitt said to reporters. “The American people elected overwhelmingly Republicans to lead, not just this White House, but also the House and the Senate. The House did its job. The Senate needs to do its job, too.”
A few miles away on Capitol Hill, Thune fired back, telling the White House to pick up the phone and whip the votes. 
&#8220;Well, maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here. And, so, instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats,” Thune <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2080339641119473680?s=20">told</a> reporters in the halls of the Senate Thursday.
“And if there are Republicans that they think are gettable, get on the phone,” he added. “Let’s get them to ‘yes.’&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THUNE: &#8220;Well, maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here. And, so, instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats. And if… <a href="https://t.co/lRL2Yl0Pd9">https://t.co/lRL2Yl0Pd9</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2080339641119473680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
It’s the latest escalation after Trump on Wednesday ramped up his pressure campaign against Thune, urging supporters to flood his office with calls demanding action on the popular election security legislation. 
“We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American elections. And I have to say, Mike Johnson and Congress have done a great job, but we’re having a hard time in the Senate,” Trump said at a <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2080034029487685876?s=20">rally</a> in Georgia. “It’s like the Senate is a place where you send things when you want them to die.” 
“We’re not going to take this any longer … I’m trying to be nice,” Trump added. “Everybody call John Thune at the Senate. He’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved!”
Trump also renewed his call to eliminate the filibuster, arguing Democrats would quickly abolish the 60-vote threshold themselves if they regain power.
“The Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster as soon as they have a chance, and then they’re going to approve Puerto Rico and D.C. as a state. They got four more senators. They’re going to end up with 12 more congressmen. They’re going to get like 40 electoral votes,” the president said. 
Trump’s remarks came hours after the House passed a third version of the election integrity measure by attaching it to the GOP-backed Stop Insider Trading Act, legislation that would ban members of Congress from buying and selling stocks.
The combined bill passed 232-198, with 13 Democrats joining Republicans to advance the measure, marking the first congressional stock-trading ban to receive a House floor vote, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-turns-up-heat-on-thune-over-save-act?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Turns+Up+Heat+On+Thune+Over+SAVE+Act">reported</a>. 
Frustration with Thune isn’t limited to the White House. House Republicans who have repeatedly passed the legislation have also grown increasingly vocal about the Senate’s inaction.
“If John Thune has shown that he does not want to put the SAVE America Act on the Senate floor, he should step aside,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/2080028930518495258?s=20">said</a> on social media. “There are plenty of other options in the Senate capable of securing our elections as Majority Leader.”

John Thune

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The White House came to the defense of WNBA star Sophie Cunningham Thursday after the Indiana Fever guard faced criticism for saying that men should not compete in women’s sports or share women’s locker rooms.
When asked about the issue by Daily Wire White House Correspondent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/mary-margaret-olohan">Mary Margaret Olohan</a>, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is aware of Cunningham’s comments and shares her concerns about protecting female athletes.
“I don’t believe he has reached out to her,” Leavitt said when asked whether Trump had contacted Cunningham. “I know he is following the story.”
Leavitt said the backlash against Cunningham demonstrated what she described as a disconnect between leftist activists and the broader American public. 
“This is something the president feels strongly about as well, and the American people do too,” Leavitt said. “That men should not be playing in women’s sports. It’s completely ludicrous that anyone could support that.”
“It’s even more ludicrous that you do have Sophie Cunningham, a female athlete herself, very accomplished in her own right, coming forth and speaking that truth that men shouldn’t play in women’s sports,” she continued.
Leavitt called the criticism Cunningham has received “astonishing” and argued that the administration’s position reflects widespread public opinion.
“They are clearly very out of touch with the American public on this issue, which again is an 80-20 issue,” Leavitt said. “It’s common sense. It’s rooted in basic biological fact that men should not be competing against women on playing fields across the country.”
Cunningham, who has become one of the WNBA’s most recognizable players since joining the Indiana Fever, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-star-breaks-with-league-on-explosive-issue">said</a> in an interview with ESPN earlier this week that she felt compelled to speak out about biological differences in sports despite backlash from critics who accused her of being anti-transgender. 
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” Cunningham said. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest.”
Cunningham said her concern was protecting female athletes, particularly young girls. “I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” she said.
The comments drew criticism online, with some labeling the Missouri native as a conservative or “MAGA Barbie,” a characterization Cunningham rejected. “I really am right in the middle [politically],” Cunningham said, adding that she agrees and disagrees with positions on both sides of the political spectrum.
Cunningham’s comments come as the WNBA and its players’ union have taken a different position on transgender inclusion. The WNBA Players Association has previously voiced opposition to restrictions on transgender participation in sports and pledged support for transgender athletes.
The Fever guard has also drawn attention in recent weeks for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-star-sophie-cunningham-wont-diss-trump-after-white-house-meme">refusing to join criticism</a> of President Trump after the White House used a viral clip of her pointing at an opponent during a game as a social media meme.
When asked about the White House using the clip, Cunningham said she viewed it as part of a broader internet trend. “Everyone around the world is posting it, every company has done it,” Cunningham said. “They’re just the ones also to get on board and I don’t really think twice about it.”

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Karoline Leavitt Rips Leftist Backlash To Sophie Cunningham’s Trans Sports Comments

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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>
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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>
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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

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