Those charges fell apart in the opening months of the trial as one prosecution witness after another exposed the emptiness of Israel’s Netanyahu-hating prosecutors’ indictments against the country’s longest-serving and most successful leader. All the same, the Netanyahu-hating judge presiding over the trial is now requiring Netanyahu to appear in court three days a week for a total of 24 hours a week to testify.

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House for a meeting on April 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Leftists in Israel dominate the country’s media and legal fraternity, much as they do in America. And they were incensed that President Trump dared to interfere in Israel’s “internal affairs.” One anchorman referred to Trump’s call for a pardon as “disgusting, and revolting.”

But the truth is that by asking Israel’s left-leaning president to put an end to Israel’s Deep State’s assault on Netanyahu, Trump was defending America’s national interests.

‘VIEW’ CO-HOST PRAISES FORMER BOSS TRUMP FOR ‘MASSIVE DIPLOMATIC ACHIEVEMENT’ IN HOSTAGE DEAL

This is true for two reasons.

First, the corrupt legal authorities involved in the trial are abusing their power over Netanyahu in a way that undermines American interests.

On Wednesday, just two days after President Trump gave his address, Netanyahu was back in the courtroom in Tel Aviv. He had asked the judges to let him delay his testimony so that he could hold certain meetings. The judges and prosecutors demanded to know what meetings could possibly justify delaying his testimony. He explained one was highly classified, and they demanded to know what it was about.

Within hours of the exchange, the story leaked that Netanyahu was scheduled to meet secretly with the president of Indonesia. The leader of the largest Muslim state in the world, President Prabowo Subianto, was scheduled to pay a top-secret trip to Jerusalem as a step toward opening diplomatic relations with Israel. This was to be one of the most important fruits of Israel’s U.S.-supported victory in its seven-front war against Iran and its axis of terror. But thanks to Israel’s corrupt legal fraternity, the meeting leaked to their press allies, and President Subianto stayed away.

President Trump made clear in his speech that expanding the circle of peace between Israel and the Islamic world is a chief U.S. goal. Israel is America’s most powerful ally in the troubled Middle East. Trump sees it as an essential U.S. interest that the Arab and Islamic world accept Israel as a permanent entity and an allied state. But for Israel’s politicized Deep State, undermining and humiliating Netanyahu by chaining him to a courtroom and subverting his diplomatic actions is apparently more important.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the audience at a conference in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 27, 2025.  (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

These radical jurists must be stopped, not only for Netanyahu to be able to devote himself entirely to serving his country — they need to be stopped to enable President Trump to secure America’s goals in the Middle East.

WITH HOSTAGES FREED, TRUMP THANKS OTHERS IN ISRAEL SPEECH BUT IS TOO QUICK TO DECLARE WAR IS OVER

The second reason that ending this farce of justice against Netanyahu is in the United States’ interests is that there is a link between the forces of political warfare and lawfare in Israel and the U.S. If you scratch just beneath the surface, you’ll doubtlessly find that for the same billionaire agents of anarchy, who funded and brought the unprecedented lawfare against both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, working to undo Israel as a key way to unravel American society. For example, the Tides Foundation funds radical groups, including pro-Hamas protesters in America, and it funds groups involved in the protests and riots and political violence in Israel.

Tides is one of several foundations whose actions in the U.S. and Israel are the subject of multiple congressional investigations. One of the investigations focuses on well-documented claims that the billion-dollar, multi-year effort to criminalize Netanyahu that engulfed Israel in political instability for years, was funded in part by the Biden administration. That investigation must continue and the U.S. government officials who funded and facilitated political chaos in Israel should be forced to account for their actions.

President of State of Israel Isaac Herzog speaks during United Nations General Assembly Holocaust Memorial Ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York on January 27, 2025.  ( Lev Radin/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images))

Even more importantly, the IRS should investigate how U.S. non-profits groups that enjoy U.S. tax exemption valued at millions of dollars have abused their status to fund political violence, insurrection, and mayhem in Israel. In some cases, according to Hamas’s own internal documents, these U.S.-based non-profit-funded groups’ campaigns convinced the genocidal terror group that Israel was ripe for annihilation on October 7, 2023.

TRUMP CALLS FOR NETANYAHU PARDON AFTER HAILING SWIFT REMOVAL OF LEFT-WING LAWMAKERS BY SECURITY

In his historic speech in Jerusalem, President Trump laid out great plans for building a new Middle East that will join Israel’s genius and power to the oil-wealth of its neighbors and transform the Middle East into a driver of global prosperity under American leadership. Trump would have been hard-pressed to lead this momentous undertaking if the Deep State were still persecuting him, his top aides and his children.

Netanyahu has miraculously been able to lead Israel to one of the most important military victories in its history. With Trump’s assistance, Israel destroyed Iran’s axis of terror across seven fronts. Netanyahu achieved this while forced to spend days on end in a courtroom answering asinine questions from shameless prosecutors before brazen judges.

Imagine what Netanyahu and President Trump would be able to do together if Netanyahu doesn’t have to spend 24 hours per week in a courtroom.

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President Trump was right to ask President Herzog to put an end to the madness that is Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trial. And he would be right to order the IRS to start investigating the role American non-profits have played and continue to play in destabilizing Israel and corrupting its legal system. Israel’s leftists, like their American funders, may not like President Trump for doing it, but generations of Americans, Israelis, and peoples of the wider Middle East will thank him.

Mike Davis is the founder of the Article III Project.

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The White House confirmed that Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

The meeting comes amid escalated tensions between the two countries on trade after Beijing announced Oct. 9 it would impose export controls on rare-earth magnets, which are used in a host of products ranging from electric cars to F-35 fighter jets. In response, Trump announced the U.S. would impose a new 100% tariff on all Chinese goods, which is slated to take effect Nov. 1.

Even so, Trump sought to diffuse tensions and has routinely touted his relationship with Xi in recent weeks. Additionally, he has voiced confidence both parties will walk away from the summit pleased and that a deal will be made.

TRUMP THREATENS ‘MASSIVE’ CHINA TARIFFS, SEES ‘NO REASON’ TO MEET WITH XI

The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

“I think we are going to come out very well, and everyone’s going to be very happy,” Trump said Thursday.

The summit between Trump and Xi will mark the first time they’ve met in person since Trump took office in January. The two previously met in person in June 2019 in Japan.

Trump’s meeting with Xi will come on the tail end of a larger trip to the region. Trump is first headed to Malaysia to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim Sunday afternoon before participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) dinner in the evening.

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILES DAYS BEFORE TRUMP’S VISIT TO THE PENINSULA

Xi Jinping, China’s president, during a news conference with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, not pictured, at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Brazil Nov. 20, 2024.  (Ton Molina/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While in Malaysia, he will also meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Trump will then head to Tokyo Monday and is slated to meet on Tuesday with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who was just elected earlier in October. Takaichi is the first woman to serve as the prime minister of Japan.

Trump will then close out his trip heading to South Korea, where he will meet with the South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and will deliver keynote remarks at the APEC CEO lunch.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES MEETING WITH XI JINPING AT SOUTH KOREA APEC SUMMIT SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH

President Donald Trump, right, and Xi Jinping, China’s president, greet attendees waving American and Chinese national flags during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Nov. 9, 2017.  (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump is scheduled to return to Washington Thursday.

Meanwhile, North Korea has upped its aggression in recent days, firing off multiple short-range ballistic missiles Wednesday, the first one Pyongyang has launched since May. Meanwhile, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un showed off a new intercontinental ballistic missile at a military parade in front of Chinese, Russian and other top officials Oct. 10.

“We are aware of the DPRK’s multiple ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts,” INDOPACOM said. “While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory or to our allies, we continue to monitor the situation.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House. 

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Four corporations — Tyson, JBS, Cargill and National Beef — anchor the U.S. beef supply chain, with pricing power that reaches from pasture to plate. As a result, the gap between what producers are paid for cattle and what consumers spend on beef has remained wide, a reflection, economists say, of how market power is distributed along the supply chain.

Fox News Digital reached out to all four companies for comment but did not receive a response as of publication.

TRUMP ADMIN EYES ARGENTINE BEEF IMPORTS AS DOMESTIC PRICES SOAR TO RECORD HIGHS

Some critics argue the real problem isn’t about supply, it’s the corporate giants controlling America’s meat industry. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

The frustration extends beyond farm country – Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., says the dominance of multinational meatpackers is hurting both producers and consumers.

“Four corporations control 85% of the meat sold in the United States. One of these corporations is Chinese-owned and one is Brazilian-owned. American farmers are being squeezed and American consumers are being gouged,” Massie told Fox News Digital.

Massie, who raises cattle on his Kentucky ranch, warned that expanding beef imports from Argentina would only worsen those structural problems.

“Flooding the market with Argentinian beef is not the answer to these problems. An America First solution to rising beef prices is to pass my PRIME Act, which would empower American farmers to sell directly to consumers without interference from global corporate middlemen,” Massie said.

Under current federal law, beef processed at small, state-inspected facilities can’t be sold across state lines, even if it meets the same health standards as federally inspected meat. Massie’s PRIME Act would remove that barrier, a change supporters say would let local ranchers reach more consumers and compete with the big packers.

GOP LAWMAKERS WARN TRUMP’S ARGENTINA BEEF PROPOSAL COULD RATTLE US RANCHERS

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently unveiled a plan aimed at strengthening the U.S. cattle industry. (Ty Wright/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Economists agree the beef market is highly consolidated, but say the forces shaping prices go well beyond any one trade deal.

Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, told Fox News Digital that strong consumer demand continues to drive beef prices higher, regardless of supply fluctuations.

“There’s nothing that forces me or you or anybody else when we go into the grocery store to pay more for beef. People are choosing to,” he said. “The consumer desire for beef is strong and, regardless of the supply-side situation, that has the effect of pulling prices up.”

He also noted that the large-scale structure of the U.S. meatpacking industry, often criticized by ranchers and lawmakers, has economic benefits for consumers.

“I would argue that those economies of scale benefit consumers,” Tonsor said. “The ability to operate at a cheaper cost per head and, ultimately, per pound produced gives us the ability to offer beef and every other item we’re talking about at a cheaper price. Anything we do that loses those economies of scale actually hurts consumers in the form of higher prices.”

FROM CATTLE TO CRUDE: HOW TRUMP’S TARIFFS ARE RATTLING THE LONE STAR STATE

The White House has previously said that importing beef will help address the rising food costs in the U.S. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

Derrell Peel, a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, said that even if U.S. imports from Argentina increase, the impact on overall prices would be negligible.

“Most of what we import is lean, processed beef trimmings used for ground beef,” said Peel, who specializes in livestock marketing. “We’re not talking about the kind of beef that affects steak prices. Even if we doubled imports, it would be such a small share of the total supply that we wouldn’t detect any real impact.”

Peel added that there’s no quick way to ease pressure on cattle prices, since it takes roughly two years to bring animals to market and several years to rebuild herds.

“The fact of the matter is there’s really nothing anybody can do to change this very quickly,” he said. “We’re in a tight supply situation that took several years to develop, and it’ll take several years to get out of it.”

BEEF PRICES HIT RECORD HIGHS AS NATIONWIDE CATTLE INVENTORY DROPS TO LOWEST LEVEL IN 70 YEARS

Economists say there’s no quick way to ease pressure on cattle prices or beef. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, the White House defended the plan, saying it’s aimed at balancing relief for consumers with long-term support for U.S. cattle producers.

“The president loves our ranchers, and he also loves American consumers, and he wants to do right by both,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.

Leavitt said Trump’s immediate goal is to lower beef prices by increasing supply through additional imports, while a separate, long-term plan will focus on strengthening the domestic cattle industry.

She pointed to a three-part plan announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, which includes expanding grazing access, easing regulations for new ranchers, cutting inspection costs and improving “Product of USA” labeling to ensure consumers know when they’re buying American-made beef.

Amanda covers the intersection of business and geopolitics for Fox News Digital.

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“[Rep. Jeffries], making sure U.S. troops get paid while Democrats keep the government shut down for free healthcare for illegal aliens — that’s called putting America First. But you wouldn’t know about it,” the White House wrote on X in reference to Jeffries’ criticism of the Shutdown Fairness Act.

The legislation was introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and states that its goal is to “appropriate funds for pay and allowances of excepted Federal employees for periods of work performed during a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes.”

HAWLEY VOWS TO HOLD DEMOCRATS’ ‘FEET TO THE FIRE’ WITH NEW GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FUNDING BILLS

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., holds a press conference on the 14th day of the U.S. government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Oct. 14, 2025.  (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., added the bill to the calendar last week, positioning it for a potential vote this week, according to Axios. The outlet noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters he would bring the bill up for a vote in the House if it passes the Senate.

Jeffries echoed one of Democrats’ concerns about the legislation, which is that it does not help furloughed employees.

“My understanding is that that is not a comprehensive bill that actually is designed to reopen the government while at the same time addressing the issues that need to be confronted on behalf of the American people, which include lowering the high cost of living and decisively addressing the Republican healthcare crisis,” Jeffries told reporters on Monday.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., talk with reporters following their meeting with President Donald Trump and Republican leaders on the government funding crisis at the Capitol Sept. 29, 2025.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

MIKE JOHNSON FIRES BACK AT HAKEEM JEFFRIES’ ‘DESPERATE’ CALL FOR TELEVISED SHUTDOWN DEBATE

“So, it’s not legislation that I support because it appears to be more like a political ploy to pick and choose — giving Donald Trump discretion — which employees should be compensated and which employees should not be compensated. All employees should be compensated, and that will happen when we reopen the government.”

The White House appeared to take issue with the “political ploy” remark, posting a screenshot of a headline from The Daily Caller highlighting that part of Jeffries’ remarks and its criticism of the congressman.

President Donald Trump speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico Sept. 30, 2025, in Quantico, Va.  (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

TRUMP INSTRUCTS PENTAGON TO ENSURE TROOPS ARE PAID DESPITE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

President Donald Trump recently bypassed Congress and signed a directive ordering the Department of War to ensure that U.S. troops are paid despite the ongoing shutdown.

The White House said the move is necessary to protect “military readiness” as the budget standoff continued. The order, issued as National Security Presidential Memorandum-8 (NSPM-8), directs the department to use available fiscal year 2026 funds to cover military pay and allowances. Though it is unclear how the Pentagon is reallocating funds to comply with the order.

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While Democrats objected and said the president overstepped, Trump cited his Article II powers as commander in chief in issuing the order, which covers active-duty troops and reservists on service orders.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

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The president originally said the East Wing would remain intact, but it came down this week, which led to an outpouring of angst. First came the “optics” of this. CBS reporter Weijia Jiang relayed, “Some Democrats have criticized President Trump for focusing on a new ballroom while the government remains shut down.” That’s shameless, since it’s the Democrats who refuse to end the shutdown.

ABC’s Mary Bruce, who routinely cheer-led President Joe Biden’s time at the White House, also brought the “growing controversy” chatter and found Republicans for the optics argument: “Some Republicans tonight [are] now questioning the optics of this, especially during the shutdown.” She located just one: outgoing North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

Then Bruce added, “former First Lady Hillary Clinton saying to the American people, ‘it’s not his house, it’s your house and he’s destroying it.’” Her daughter Chelsea Clinton penned an op-ed for USA Today with the same “people’s house” theme.

FETTERMAN DEFENDS TRUMP’S ‘TASTEFUL’ $200M WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM MAKEOVER AMID DEM CRITICISM

This is rich, considering the Clintons sold overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom to top donors and President Bill Clinton turned the White House into an intern sex den. It’s also rich considering the Clintons were caught trying to steal $28,000 worth of donated furniture as they vacated the house in 2001. Guess what? The Washington Post broke the story, but the broadcast networks didn’t want to repeat it.

Imagine the Reagans trying to make off with donated furniture? Imperious Nancy never would have heard the end of it. But the Clintons were let off the hook. ABC reported nothing on air. On CBS, Dan Rather gave it 19 seconds. NBC offered a full story in the evening after the Post, but by the next morning, “Today” co-host Matt Lauer was calling the whole thing off: “Is this a big deal, or are we in the middle of Pick On The Clintons Month?” Newsweek’s Howard Fineman helpfully replied, “Well, it’s always Pick On The Clintons Month.”

Anyone who watches these Clinton-coddling networks and their incessantly hyper-negative coverage of the Trumps can only roll their eyes.

DAVID MARCUS: TRUMP’S BALLROOM IS NO VANITY PROJECT, IT’S ABOUT AMERICAN GRANDEUR

Even on the ballroom story, NBC trotted out Connecticut Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal to throw the tyranny card: “It’s his personal whim and it is sort of emblematic of the authoritarian, tyrannical approach that this president takes to power.”

The White House said President Donald Trump would directly reveal a name for the upcoming White House ballroom. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It’s privately funded, so it needs no congressional approval. The liberals can’t stop it from happening. So, somehow, it’s a power grab to build a grand new ballroom for future presidents to enjoy. At least NBC News shows had to disclose that their owner Comcast is a donor to the renovation, which will be for all future presidents.

Unsurprisingly, the unanimous Trump-haters at ABC’s “The View” offered nothing but cauldrons of spite. Sunny Hostin couldn’t stop calling the ballroom plans “tacky and gaudy,” and Whoopi Goldberg falsely said, “your taxes are probably going to be paying for that ballroom.” Joy Behar said this demolition proved Trump was a “one-man wrecking ball” and bungled into calling him an “annihilist.” He “annihilates.”

They really hated Trump asking for millions of dollars of reimbursement from the Justice Department over all the investigations of him, leading Hostin to uncork the conspiracy that he was never leaving the White House: “If he gets this $230 million, it’s going to be used to renovate a White House which he never intends to leave!”

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The late-night comedians performed their usual leftist rituals. Outgoing CBS host Stephen Colbert cracked: “As of this morning, the East Wing looks like a rotisserie chicken your dog got into.” He called it a “ball-doggle” funded by “groveling corporations like Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Meta Platforms and Hard Rock International.”

Video

Previous renovations under Democrats were not controversial. On September 10, 2010, CNN aired a cheery story from anchor Suzanne Malveaux about all “the banging, the jack-hammering, the dust” from a taxpayer-funded $375 million renovation. They said Congress approved funding in 2008, and no one went looking for politicians to cry “authoritarian.”

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Back in 1962, CBS and NBC aired a prime-time special promoting First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy offering a tour of the White House under renovation. ABC ran it four days later. They were all engaged in “Camelot” myth-making, creating “cultural icon” Jackie while JFK was besmirching the White House with extramarital affairs.

If the White House is “the people’s house,” then why would the people object to a glamorous ballroom that can accommodate large gatherings, especially important foreign dignitaries? It’s only an outrage because it’s Trump’s project.

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Tim Graham is the Executive Editor of NewsBusters.org and co-author with Brent Bozell of “Unmasked: Big Media’s War Against Trump.”

The post BROADCAST BIAS: Meet the silliest media scandal ever appeared first on My Blog.

CNN reporter Manu Raju pressed Hawley on Trump tearing down a portion of the White House complex this week to begin construction on a new ballroom for the building. The reporter suggested Trump was demolishing a precious historical edifice in the process.

Hawley replied that the far left has supported the destruction of statues of U.S. historical figures in recent years.

“I made this point yesterday, that I hear all of a sudden from my liberal friends that they’re very concerned about our history. Really? These are the same people who tore down every statue they could get their hands on in the last four years,” the lawmaker said.

HILLARY CLINTON FIRES UP VOTERS AGAINST TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION: ‘NOT HIS HOUSE”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., recently slammed liberals who have criticized Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing as him destroying history, noting they supported the destruction of statues and other historical artifacts in 2020.  (Samuel Corum/Getty)

Construction crews began demolition work on the East Wing facade Monday as part of the planned ballroom project. Historic preservation groups, some lawmakers and social media users voiced immediate criticism after seeing images of the demolition.

The White House did issue a statement defending the demolition, saying the new ballroom is a privately funded addition meant to “echo the storied history of improvements and additions by presidents to the executive residence.” The statement called criticism “unhinged” and accused media outlets of overreacting.

TRUMP BREAKS GROUND ON MASSIVE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT WITH PRIVATE FUNDING FROM ‘PATRIOTS’

President Donald Trump began White House renovations in areas such as the East Wing, which have been met with controversy. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin and AP Photo/Evan Vucci )

On the topic of the building’s significance, Raju asked Hawley, “What about just uprooting the — you know — this is an iconic building?”

Hawley said he was not troubled by the demolition and argued that critics on the left lacked credibility, pointing to past efforts to remove monuments of U.S. historical figures amid racial justice protests.

He pointed to how the riots sprung from the George Floyd protests in 2020 defaced and destroyed monuments to the United States’ historical figures.

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The White House has started tearing down part of the East Wing to build the ballroom President Donald Trump wants added to the building. Demolition started Monday. (The Associated Press)

“Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt. They didn’t have any concern for history then. Now, all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘Oh, the facade of the East Wing is iconic,'” Hawley said. “Oh, give me a break. I mean, give me a break.”

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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. 

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Throughout its 223-year history, the iconic residence has seen numerous updates — both large and small — under nearly every administration.

Many on the left have been in an uproar of late, accusing Trump of damaging White House history as construction begins on a new White House ballroom.

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP COMMITTED TO ‘TRADITION’ OF WHITE HOUSE TOURS AFTER BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION

PresidentTrump’s privately funded $200 million White House ballroom is the latest “bold, necessary addition” to the executive residence, officials said, describing the East Wing construction as a continuation of presidential upgrades dating back more than a century.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned what leverage contributors might have over Trump if they are donating to the renovation.

Construction on the White House ballroom kicked off Monday and is expected to be finished “long before” the end of Trump’s term. (The Associated Press)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also criticized the move, writing Tuesday on X, “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”

Construction on the ballroom kicked off Monday, with the project “expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term,” according to the White House.

“Nearly every single president who’s lived in this beautiful White House … has made modernizations and renovations of their own,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt this week.  (White House)

“Nearly every single president who’s lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own,” said Karoline Leavitt, press secretary, at the podium recently.

TRUMP CELEBRATES WHITE HOUSE DEMOLITION AS NEW BALLROOM RISES: ‘MUSIC TO MY EARS’

“In fact, presidents for decades — in modern times — have joked about how they wished they had a larger event space here at the White House, something that could hold hundreds more people than the current East Room and State Dining Room,” she added.

“Presidents for decades — in modern times — have joked about how they wished they had a larger event space here at the White House,” said Leavitt.  (The White House)

President Trump recently directed the addition of stone pavers to the Rose Garden lawn, a change designed to better accommodate press conferences and ceremonial events.

Dubbed the Rose Garden Club, the event space recently hosted Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

President Trump can be seen speaking during a lunch with Republican senators in the Rose Garden of the White House. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

From President Bill Clinton’s creation of a jogging path around the South Grounds driveway to President Dwight Eisenhower’s installation of a putting green, the People’s House has continually evolved to reflect the times and the presidents who called it home.

Here’s a look at some of the most notable renovations that have shaped the White House through the years.

Theodore Roosevelt builds West Wing (1902)

President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing in 1902. (The White House President George W. Bush)

Before it was officially known as the White House, the residence was commonly called the Executive Mansion or the President’s House. President Theodore Roosevelt is credited with making the “White House” official when Congress allocated funds for repairs and refurnishing, according to the National Park Service.

KAROLINE LEAVITT: THE WHITE HOUSE WILL HAVE A BIG, BEAUTIFUL BALLROOM FOR GENERATIONS TO COME

During this period, Roosevelt also replaced the old conservatories with new executive offices, establishing what became known as the West Wing. Work began in June 1902 and was completed by the year-end.

William Howard Taft creates first Oval Office (1909)

President Taft held a competition to select an architect to make Roosevelt’s temporary West Wing permanent, according to the White House Historical Association (WHAA).

Washington, D.C.’s Nathan C. Wyeth designed the expansion and created the Oval Office. Wyeth was inspired by the Blue Room in the White House for its oval shape, creating a “levee.”

President Trump, above, is shown in the Oval Office. William Howard Taft created the first Oval Office in 1909. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“The levee, a tradition that evolved from the English court, was an occasion to allow men of prominence to meet the president,” writes the WHAA.

Guests entered the room, approached the president by the fireplace, and bowed as an aide announced their names.

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The doors would then close with guests standing in a semi-circle as the president moved around the group, greeting each person.

Franklin Roosevelt adds East Wing (1942), indoor pool (1933)

An indoor swimming pool was installed in 1933 following FDR’s polio diagnosis so he could swim for exercise. It was funded by a campaign. (National Archives)

The East Wing was erected in 1942 during FDR’s administration to house additional staff and offices. The East Wing project was highly controversial amid World War II.

“Congressional Republicans labeled the expenditure as wasteful, with some accusing Roosevelt of using the project to bolster his presidency’s image,” the WHAA notes on its website.

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An indoor swimming pool had been installed earlier, in 1933, following FDR’s polio diagnosis so he could swim regularly for exercise.

The Daily News created the “Roosevelt Swimming Pool Fund” for the project, raising over $12,000, according to the WHAA.

The White House Press Room came into being during President Nixon’s term; he converted the indoor pool to a new space for the growing media.  (AP/Evan Vucci)

President Richard Nixon then converted the pool into the White House Press Room in 1970 to create a space for the growing press.

Nixon reportedly did not want any harm done to the structure, so the pool could be restored easily, with a project architect saying this was “in case he received comments that he destroyed the FDR pool.”

The Gerald Ford administration installed an outdoor pool on the South Lawn in 1975.

Harry Truman reconstructs White House (1948-1952)

President Truman “gutted” the White House starting in 1948, at a total cost of $5.7 million.  (Harry S. Truman Library Presidential Library and Museum/NARA)

President Truman “gutted” the White House starting in 1948, costing a total of $5.7 million. The work was authorized by Congress to fix the physical stress the building was under, as there were fears of a collapse.

Richard Nixon adds bowling lane (1973)

Two automatic bowling lanes were first installed in the White House during the administration of President Harry Truman.

This was later moved to the Executive Office Building basement.

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Avid bowlers, President Nixon and Mrs. Nixon added a new one-lane alley.

The alley was paid for by Nixon’s friends, according to documents housed by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

Barack Obama adds basketball court (2009)

President Obama created a full court for basketball at the White House. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Obama transformed an existing tennis court into a full-court basketball court.

“The White House has had a smaller outdoor court since 1991, but the adapted tennis court allows enough room for a full-court game of basketball,” reads the Obama White House official website.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation for comment.

Madison Colombo of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Ashley J. DiMella is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital. 

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“On October 23, 2025, the Department of War accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. “The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits. We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops.”

But it’s unclear how the Trump administration can legally use the funds to pay troops without Congress’ involvement.

The Department of War received an anonymous donation of $130 million Oct. 23, 2025, to go toward paying U.S. troops during the government shutdown.  (Charley Triballeau/Agence France-Presse)

While the government may accept general donations that go toward general funds available to the government, Congress must appropriate that money to go toward federal employees’ salaries, according to Romina Boccia, the director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington.

WHITE HOUSE MAY ‘RUN OUT’ OF FUNDS TO PAY MILITARY IF SHUTDOWN CONTINUES, JOHNSON WARNS

“The department is welcome to acknowledge this donor’s intent but that does not change the legal restrictions on Congress needing to appropriate funds to pay military salaries,” Boccia said in a Friday email to Fox News Digital.

Boccia said that the military is only permitted to accept private donations to support institutions like military schools, libraries, and museums, or to support service members or civilian employees who are wounded or killed in the line of duty.

Altering current restrictions would also require congressional intervention, she said.

TRUMP MOVE SPARES TROOPS’ PAY, BUT REPUBLICANS WARN SHUTDOWN RISKS REMAIN

It’s unclear how the Trump administration can legally use the funds to pay troops without Congress’ involvement. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“The only way to get around this restriction is if Congress decided to recategorize troop pay as mandatory or direct spending,” Boccia said.

Mandatory spending does not require annual approval from Congress and applies to programs like Social Security and Medicare, according to the Treasury.

Congress has the power of the purse, and Article I of the U.S. Constitution establishes that Congress is the branch of government with the authority to manage the federal budget.

TRUMP INSTRUCTS PENTAGON TO ENSURE TROOPS ARE PAID DESPITE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

It’s unclear who the donor is, and President Donald Trump said he would not identify the individual unless he received permission to do so, noting he didn’t believe the individual wanted any recognition. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that a “friend” of his had sent the government a $130 million check to go toward paying U.S. service members as their paychecks are on hold due to the budget stalemate.

“He called us the other day and said, ‘I’d like to contribute any shortfall you have because of the Democrat shutdown. I’d like to contribute personally, because I love the military and I love the country,'” Trump said Thursday.

It’s unclear who the donor is, and Trump said he would not identify the individual unless he received permission to do so, noting he didn’t believe the individual wanted any recognition.

The White House referred Fox News Digital to the Department of War and the Department of the Treasury when asked for additional details.

The Hindustan Times speculated that Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Jared Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and the founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, could be the donor.

Musk and Isaacman did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

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The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Trump previously signed an order allowing active-duty troops to receive their paycheck earlier in October by funneling unused Pentagon funds originally allocated for research and development. However, Republicans have said the solution is only temporary.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House. 

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The aircraft, a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A, diverted and landed safely at the St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri, an Australian Defence spokesperson confirmed to Fox News.

“Our highest priority is providing support to the injured member and request that their privacy be respected,” a statement said.

Officials told local FOX 2 that a crew member was struck in the head by luggage, and it was believed to have fallen from an overhead bin.

TRUMP THREATENS ‘MASSIVE’ CHINA TARIFFS, SEES ‘NO REASON’ TO MEET WITH XI

President Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, October 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Evan Vucci)

That crew member reportedly suffered a concussion and was taken to the hospital.

Albanese’s plane had left Joint Base Andrews at 5:15 p.m., FOX 2 reported, and the emergency landing happened around 7:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump and Albanese signed a critical minerals deal at the White House on Monday as the U.S. had been eyeing the continent’s rich rare-earth resources. This, at a time when China is imposing tougher rules on exporting its own critical minerals abroad.

TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS CHINA’S ‘GLOBAL POWER GRAB’ ON RARE EARTHS, THREATENS TRIPLE-DIGIT TARIFFS

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gestures during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 12, 2024. (Mark Baker, File)

The two leaders described the agreement as an $8.5 billion deal between the allies. Trump said it had been negotiated over several months.

“In about a year from now we’ll have so much critical mineral and rare earth that you won’t know what to do with them,” said Trump, boasting about the deal. “They’ll be worth $2.”

Xenotime is a rare earth element that can be found in Australia. (Getty Images )

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Albanese added that the agreement takes the U.S.-Australia relationship “to the next level.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Trump’s legal team, which has accused the defendants of “brazen election interference” with their final 2024 Iowa presidential poll that showed him trailing Democrat Kamala Harris, originally requested the case be moved to Iowa State Court in May after the defendants “removed” the case to federal court.

A federal judgedenied the requestat the time, but the Obama-appointed judge was overruled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

In a sharply worded opinion, the 8th Circuit granted Trump’s petition for a writ of mandamus — a rare judicial order used to correct clear legal errors — and directed a district judge to treat the case as dismissed “without prejudice,” allowing Trump to refile the case.

TRUMP CELEBRATES WHITE HOUSE DEMOLITION AS NEW BALLROOM RISES: ‘MUSIC TO MY EARS’

President Donald Trump notched a key legal victory Friday in his lawsuit against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Today’s just and appropriate ruling by the 8th Circuit ensures that President Trump’s powerhouse case focused on the fake election interfering polls conducted and denominated by J. Ann Selzer, The Des Moines Register and its corporate owner Gannett will be litigated in Iowa State Court where it belongs,” a spokesman for Trump’s legal team told Fox News Digital.

“These defendants have repeatedly engaged in unlawful gamesmanship to avoid State Court, and that ends today,” the spokesman continued. “President Trump will continue to hold those who traffic in fake news, lies and smears to account.”

Bob Corn-Revere, chief counsel for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), who represents Selzer,issued a statement.

“The 8th Circuit ruling was focused entirely on a technical point of civil procedure and said nothing about the merits of the case. This case is every bit as frivolous today as it was yesterday, and that fact will be borne out in whatever forum it is finally resolved,” Corn-Revere told Fox News Digital.

DAVID MARCUS: TRUMP’S BALLROOM IS NO VANITY PROJECT, IT’S ABOUT AMERICAN GRANDEUR

J. Ann Selzer came under fire after releasing a hugely inaccurate poll ahead of the 2024 election showing Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump in Iowa. Trump won the state by more than 13 points. (Getty Images/ The Bulwark Podcast via YouTube screenshot)

Lark-Marie Antón, a spokesperson for The Des Moines Register’s parent company, Gannett, believes the case belongs in federal court.

“We are assessing the court’s decision.Given the nature of the case and that itinvolvesthe president of the United States as a plaintiff, we continue to believe the federal courts are the most appropriate forum for this lawsuit. In the event the suit is heard by the state courts of Iowa, we have confidence the matter will be adjudicated fairly,” Antón told Fox News Digital.

The lawsuit was originally filed in December in Polk County, Iowa, and sought what it calls “accountability for brazen election interference committed by” The Des Moines Register and Selzer “in favor of now-defeated former Democrat candidate Kamala Harris through use of a leaked and manipulated Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll” published Nov. 2, 2024.

“The Harris Poll was no ‘miss’ but rather an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election,” the lawsuit stated at the time, adding that “defendants and their cohorts in the Democrat Party hoped that the Harris Poll would create a false narrative of inevitability for Harris in the final week of the 2024 Presidential Election.”

FORMER POLLSTER ANN SELZER HITS BACK AT CRITICISMS OVER IOWA POLL: ‘THEY ARE ACCUSING ME OF A CRIME’

Donald Trump arrives on stage during a campaign event at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, Jan. 14, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Selzer released her final Des Moines Register-sponsored poll showing Harris leading Trump by three pointsin Iowa just three days before the election. That shock poll showed a seven-point shift from Trump to Harris from September, when he had a four-point lead over the vice president in the same poll.

Selzer’s poll washyped up by the mediain the days leading up to the election as her polling predictions had been historically accurate. Many suggested it implied a monumental shift in Midwest support for Harris in a red state, but the poll turned out to be way off.

Trump thumped Harris in Iowa by more than 13 percentage points, the third straight time he’d won the state and the first time any candidate had won there by double digits since 1980.

Shortly after the election, Selzer announced she was done with election polling andmoving on to “other ventures.”

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Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Brian Flood is a media editor/reporter for FOX News Digital. Story tips can be sent to brian.flood@fox.com and on Twitter: @briansflood. 

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