Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) released over 1,000 pages of Fauci’s diary this week as part of his investigation into whether Fauci lied to Congress about the origins of COVID-19. The entries chronicle how mutual public praise devolved into bitter political warfare as the pandemic response became a flashpoint in Trump’s reelection fight against then-former Vice President Joe Biden.

The first meeting set the tone.

Trump and Fauci met in the White House Situation Room on Jan. 29, 2020. Trump stayed about 20 minutes, asking questions about the emerging coronavirus threat.

“The President came in, and the first thing he said as he looked at me was: ‘Anthony, you are really a famous guy.'”

Fauci wrote that he was “surprised and very pleased” and that other officials were “clearly stunned and impressed.”

At the outset, Trump publicly praised Fauci as “a terrific guy” and “a wonderful man.” Fauci became a fixture at White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings, standing beside the president as the administration projected unity.

The admiration appeared mutual. Trump recalled the late Fox News host Lou Dobbs told him Fauci was “the smartest person” around. After their January 2020 meeting, Fauci wrote in his diary: “Amazing day today!”

But the honeymoon didn’t last.

By late spring 2020, the relationship began to fray. Fauci advocated social distancing, masking, and a guarded approach to reopening. Trump, focused on restarting businesses and projecting optimism ahead of the election, grew frustrated with what he viewed as overly pessimistic messaging.

Fauci’s private diary reflected mounting frustration. He described Trump’s coronavirus briefings as “painfully rambling” and “stream of consciousness.” As the 2020 campaign entered its final stretch, Fauci wrote that Trump was “spewing nonsense” on the trail and called him “a true embarrassment.”

Over the course of their relationship, Fauci privately described Trump as “incompetent,” “an idiot,” “totally nuts,” and “an obnoxious adolescent.” Trump, in turn, called Fauci a “disaster,” dubbed him the “king of flip-flops,” and accused him of seeking the spotlight.

By March 2020, Fauci was increasingly frustrated by Trump’s tendency to lose focus during pandemic discussions. During one March meeting, Fauci described Trump’s discussion as “a disturbingly rambling discussion” in which the president talked about television ratings, hydroxychloroquine, influenza, and other subjects.

“President Trump’s tendency to announce that he loved me and then scream at me on the phone — well, let’s just say that I found this to be out of the ordinary.”

Yet flashes of warmth persisted. On June 2, 2020, Fauci recorded a positive Oval Office meeting focused on vaccine development.

“As usual, POTUS was very warm and friendly with me,” Fauci wrote. “When he walked into the Oval with us waiting, I was standing next to the door, and he said, ‘I love you, Tony. I feel like giving you a big hug.'”

Those moments increasingly became the exception.

The final phone call came at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2020 — two days before Election Day.

Trump was aboard Air Force One when he called Fauci following an interview with the Washington Post.

“Tony, I really like you, and you know that, but what the f*** are you doing?” Trump said, according to Fauci’s diary.

Trump complained that Fauci was “constantly” dropping “bombs” on him and said people inside and outside the White House wanted him fired.

“I like you, but so many people, not only in the White House, but throughout the country, hate you because of what you are doing,” Trump told him.

Trump then turned to Biden, whom he disparaged as “so f***ing stupid,” and predicted he would defeat him in a landslide.

“You are 10 times smarter than he is,” Trump told Fauci. “I am going to kick his f***ng a** in this election. I will win by a landslide. Just wait and see.”

For the next 15 minutes, Trump continued discussing why Americans allegedly hated Fauci, mocked Biden’s campaign, and insisted he would win reelection in a landslide.

“Tony, you have to be positive,” the president said. “I do not want to keep you off TV, but when you are out there, you have to be positive.”

It was a striking end to a relationship that, just months earlier, had been held up as a symbol of the administration’s united response to an unprecedented public health crisis.

Dr. Anahita Dua, founder and chair of Healthcare for Action, a PAC that recruits and trains frontline healthcare workers running for public office, said public health emergencies require scientific consistency and political leadership to work together.

“The broader lesson is not about assigning blame to any one individual,” she told the Washington Examiner. “It is about recognizing that future public health emergencies require scientific experts and political leaders to work together while communicating openly, acknowledging uncertainty, and balancing disease control with the social, economic, and emotional consequences of their decisions.”

“President Trump has long warned Europe what would happen if they continue to implement far-left, globalist policies, including enabling mass migration,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Fox News Thursday.

“SPAIN AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHO HAVE ADOPTED THIS DESTRUCTIVE PHILOSOPHY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY REVERSE COURSE OR RISK THEIR OWN DEMISE.”

Trump himself drove the point home during a televised cabinet meeting at Camp David Friday, calling the Ceuta crisis a preview of America’s future if Democrats retake power.

“You know I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people,” Trump said.

“And that same thing is going to happen to us if the Republicans don’t get elected. Except worse, much bigger, much easier to get into, despite the fact that we have built thousands of miles of wall, which I said we were going to do.”

“If we didn’t have that, forget it,” he added. “But we have the safest border in the world. If we’re not in office, our country will be invaded at levels that made Spain look small time.”

Trump warned the images from Ceuta will become a defining issue for the midterm elections.

“That’s going to be a talking point for the midterms, because when you look at what happened to Spain, they don’t know what to do. And it’s happening again today. They’re coming in by the tens of thousands. It’s just invading the country,” he said.

“That is weak law, bad management, but very liberal law. They passed a couple of laws and people read, you know, people are smart. They read from other countries, and they swam that 3-mile swim or however they got in.”

In a separate interview with Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, Trump warned Americans to remember the images from Ceuta.

“It’s terrible. Remember that picture. That’s going to be us in three years if the wrong side gets in. If the Democrats get in, you will not live a very good life,” he said.

“IF THE DEMOCRATS GET IN, YOU WILL NOT LIVE A VERY GOOD LIFE.”

The Spanish government claimed Friday that 48,300 of the estimated 50,000 migrants who breached Ceuta had “already turned and gone back.”

But the Ceuta regional government put the total number much higher — up to 60,000 migrants entering the enclave from Thursday on.

Reuters reported Friday that several hundred migrants were seen returning to Morocco through border posts and gaps in the fence. Some told reporters they were leaving because they couldn’t find food or shelter in Ceuta.

Prime Minister Sánchez finally denounced the wave as a “violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” Friday, claiming his government would expedite deportations. He blamed human smugglers for spreading false claims online that Spain’s borders were open.

Patriots know the truth: weak leftist border policies invite invasion. Trump warned Europe. They didn’t listen. Now Spain is paying the price — and Trump is making sure Americans don’t forget what’s at stake in 2026.

“They’re champions and just unbelievable, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it back again,” Trump told the crowd gathered in the Rose Garden.

The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a dramatic seven-game series on Nov. 1, 2025, securing their second consecutive title.

Trump praised superstar Shohei Ohtani’s dominant postseason performance, particularly his three-home-run game in the decisive Game 7.

“You have a man on the team who hits perfectly and hit three home runs. … That’s the greatest game ever played by one person because you did the pitching and the hitting.”

Dodgers President and co-owner Mark Walter thanked Trump for hosting the team and highlighted the historic nature of consecutive championships.

“We did something that hasn’t been done in over 30 years, going back-to-back World Series champions, and we are going for a three-peat,” Walter said.

The team presented Trump with a custom Dodgers jersey bearing his name and a World Series championship ring. Trump joked about the gifts, holding up the ring and asking, “Do I have to report this? I don’t want to report this. That’s beautiful. Thank you very much.”

The Dodgers made the White House stop during an off day between series in Philadelphia and New York.

Walter emphasized the team’s unselfish approach to winning: “When it comes to winning 11 games in October or 13 last year, these guys all come together unselfishly, and you never know what moment is going to present itself.”

The Dodgers are currently pursuing a third consecutive World Series title, which would make them the first team to accomplish a three-peat since the New York Yankees’ championship run in the late 1990s.

Trump’s Rose Garden celebration comes as the Dodgers sit at the top of their division, chasing history with a roster built around international superstar Ohtani and a deep pitching staff.

Alec Neel Vance joins older brothers Ewan and Vivek and older sister Mirabel.

“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” Vance said Sunday.

pic.twitter.com/VMCGCCRd7s

— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 19, 2026

The last baby born to a sitting vice president was Vice President Schuyler Colfax’s son in 1870 during President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration.

Alec Vance is the second baby born to a top Trump administration official in recent months. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave birth to a baby girl in May.

When Vance subbed in for Leavitt at the briefing room podium during her maternity leave, he joked that she would be vice president for a couple weeks when he welcomes his baby.

Vance will not be taking formal paternity leave from office. Instead, he will spend more time at home as he continues his official duties.

Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg took a two-month paternity leave after he and his husband adopted twins in 2021.

“Something changed” after Charlie Kirk’s attack influenced the Vances’ decision to have a fourth child.

Vance revealed in his new book “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith” that the attack on his friend Charlie Kirk last year helped influence his and Usha’s decision to have a fourth child.

The vice president describes sitting next to widowed Erika Kirk with Usha after the attack as Erika Kirk told Usha “between sobs” that she wished she had had more kids with Charlie.

Vance said that although a fourth child was already a discussion between him and Usha, “something changed” that day.

“I think it really heightened JD’s sense that he’d been talking about this for a while, this sense that there was this possibility of having another kid whom he could love as much as the three that we had,” Usha said.

“It really did crystallize for [him], that sense that if you could have that other child, then you would have nothing to regret. And if we couldn’t have that other child, then we were very happy with the children that we had. So it was very powerful what she said about her own family and certainly very moving to both of us.”

The White House released four batches of election-integrity documents Thursday night immediately following Trump’s primetime address — posting files on alleged voting-system vulnerabilities, China’s alleged acquisition of U.S. voter data, a Michigan voter-registration investigation, and noncitizens on state voter rolls.

The documents are now live on a new White House election-integrity page, organized into four categories. They include intelligence assessments, FBI files, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency materials, and Department of Homeland Security summaries covering everything from election infrastructure cybersecurity to voter-registration database threats.

“This vital information has for many years been covered up and hidden from you. But that all changes right now.”

Trump accused the intelligence community of hiding the reports from him — and from the American people.

“Those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information secret and hidden,” Trump said during the address. “They did not disclose it to me as president or to anyone else.”

The four document categories are: “Vulnerabilities in Electronic Voting and Ballot-Counting Systems,” “China’s Acquisition and Exploitation of American Voter Data,” “Michigan Voter-Registration Investigation,” and “Noncitizens on State Voter Rolls.” The files span from January 2020 to June 2026.

In the voting-systems section, the White House says the documents include previously classified intelligence assessments warning that U.S. adversaries could compromise election infrastructure — including voter-registration databases, pollbooks, and election websites.

A separate section claims China acquired hundreds of millions of U.S. voter files. Another highlights FBI files tied to an alleged voter-registration operation in Michigan.

The final bucket focuses on what the White House describes as a DHS review identifying noncitizens on state voter rolls.

Trump said the documents were compiled by the White House Government Transparency Taskforce and the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, with support from top intelligence agency chiefs who “personally reviewed the findings we are presenting this evening and fully confirmed their authenticity.”

The release comes as Trump intensifies his election-integrity push ahead of the midterms, including calls for voter ID, proof-of-citizenship requirements, and Senate passage of the SAVE Act.

Trump previously signed an executive order requiring proof of citizenship on federal voter registration forms, but federal judges have blocked key portions while the House-passed SAVE Act remains stalled in the Senate.

“No trust, no greatness.”

More updates, filings, and findings are expected to drop on the new election-integrity webpage, according to the White House.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Trump had been personally briefed on the matter.

“He believes it’s deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace.”

The staffer — identified by sources as Gabriel Perez — allegedly placed bets through the prediction market platform Kalshi on specific words and phrases expected to appear in Trump’s public remarks. Federal investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are now looking into whether Perez used his insider access to make winning bets on presidential speeches.

Leavitt said the employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. A different teleprompter operator handled Trump’s speech Thursday evening.

ABC News first broke the story after Kalshi’s surveillance systems flagged unusual trades in March. The trades stood out because they didn’t follow typical betting patterns — and drew complaints from other users through the platform’s whistleblower channels.

After reviewing account information, Kalshi identified the trader as a federal employee working as a White House teleprompter operator.

Kalshi froze the account before the trader could withdraw most of the alleged profits, leaving more than $90,000 on the platform while referring the matter to federal regulators.

“Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC after an exchange investigation.”

Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement, told Fox News the company has been assisting regulators and provided evidence collected during their internal review.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle said the administration has “strict ethics guidelines that we expect all staffers and officials to follow.” He confirmed the staffer in question is fully cooperating with the CFTC investigation.

Kalshi said the markets involved common words and topics expected to appear in presidential speeches — including country names, economic terms, campaign language, and social issues — rather than classified or sensitive information. The company has worked with the CFTC for months as the investigation continues.

A CFTC spokesperson declined to confirm or deny an investigation when reached by Fox News.

The 162-page Domestic Policy Council report, titled “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage,” documents how the museum’s leadership has abandoned straightforward historical education in favor of a radical activist agenda.

“The report concludes that the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”

The council specifically singled out museum director Anthea Hartig, arguing she has transformed the museum into an instrument of her own “social justice” agenda.

The report emerged from President Trump’s March 27, 2025, executive order aimed at purging “revisionist” and ideological materials from U.S. history references and exhibits at taxpayer-funded museums and sites.

Among the most damning evidence: a 2020 statement Hartig made during the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests in which she declared, “We work to reframe the traditional, celebratory narrative of U.S. history for visitors.”

That statement encapsulates the problem, according to the White House.

The council documented how ideological capture has moved the museum’s mission away from its congressionally mandated purpose toward extreme political activism that seeks to transform the country.

White House report accuses Smithsonian museum of ‘extreme political activism’ and erasing nation’s heritage

The 162-page report on the National Museum of American History marks an escalation of President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Smithsonian museums.… pic.twitter.com/Iy2VklgysM

— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) July 6, 2026

The report criticizes the museum’s approach to race, immigration, gender, and sexuality, alleging that exhibits and programming have been shaped by modern activist priorities rather than neutral historical scholarship.

The museum has no major exhibit dedicated to the American founding era — including the Founding Fathers, the Continental Congress, or major moments of the American Revolution.

Congress approved the museum in 1955 to tell the national story of the United States and to “place before” visitors “a stimulating permanent exposition that commemorates our heritage of freedom and highlights the basic elements of our way of life.”

The Domestic Policy Council provided citations of evidence from the museum itself and Hartig’s public statements to support its findings.

The report marks an escalation of President Trump’s criticism of the Smithsonian museums and signals that federal oversight of taxpayer-funded cultural institutions is tightening under his administration.

The episode of “Storytime with the Second Lady” featured Trump and Vance reading “Presidents Play,” a book published by the White House Historical Society about the hobbies of past commanders-in-chief.

Trump kicked things off with a joke about his 11 grandchildren — promising to make the episode “mandatory” viewing for them.

“That won’t mean anything—that means they still won’t do it, but I’ll make it mandatory.”

As they flipped through the book, Trump offered his trademark colorful takes on former presidents.

On Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan: Trump noted they were “very different types of presidents.” While Johnson wasn’t in the same physical shape as Reagan, he was still a “tough cookie.” Trump praised Reagan as a “high-quality person” whom many people looked up to.

On Bill Clinton: Reacting to an illustration of Clinton running on a jogging track, Trump admitted he hadn’t even realized the White House grounds had one until recently.

“I don’t think I’ll ever do that. I don’t see myself doing that,” Trump said, before adding, “But he actually was a nice guy. I like Bill Clinton a lot. I still do.”

On Abraham Lincoln: The book showed Lincoln riding a horse, prompting Trump to share a personal hesitation.

“I’d like to ride horses too,” he revealed. “In fact, it gives me an idea, but when you fall off a horse, I’ve seen too many bad things happen.”

On Barack Obama: Trump remarked on Obama’s athletic pastimes: “Obama is a basketball player. I don’t know if he’s a good basketball player, I tend to doubt it. Actually, his favorite sport is golf … But he won’t be in the Masters anytime soon.”

On William Howard Taft: Commenting on Taft’s famously large stature, Trump joked about his own fitness goals.

“He was our heaviest president, and I have to be careful, because I don’t want to supersede his record, and a thing like that would be possible if I allowed it to happen. For all of you out there watching, keep yourself in good shape, right?”

On Franklin D. Roosevelt and Gerald Ford: Trump shared a fun historical fact for the young audience — the current White House press briefing room used to be an indoor swimming pool. That led into a comment on Gerald Ford, who later built the outdoor pool on the property.

“I don’t get to use it,” Trump quipped. “I don’t know if I look good in a bathing suit. I haven’t had a bathing suit in a long time.”

On John F. Kennedy: Trump had kind words for the 35th president, calling him the “second-most-good looking president” — leaving the audience to guess who holds the top spot.

The conversation also touched on local politics when a page depicting Harry Truman taking a stroll outside prompted Trump to praise Vice President JD Vance. Trump pointed out that, with the vice president’s help, Washington D.C. has once again become a very safe place.

Independence Day is almost here! Celebrate our country’s 250th birthday with me and special reader President Trump as he reads about our former (and current!) presidents’ favorite pastimes on Storytime with the Second Lady.https://t.co/MMGBWjWgfP

— Second Lady Usha Vance (@SLOTUS) July 3, 2026

The episode drops just ahead of Independence Day and America’s 250th birthday celebration.

The addition combines overt patriotic symbolism with Trump’s signature gold aesthetic — a perfect fit for the president’s well-known style.

Trump posted a photo of the new ornament on Truth Social, showcasing the golden eagle suspended from the iconic balcony overlooking the South Lawn.

“A Golden Gift to the White House for its 250th Birthday Year!”

The eagle ornament marks one of several ways the Trump administration is celebrating the nation’s semiquincentennial year. The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence falls on July 4, 2026 — less than a week away.

Trump’s choice of a golden eagle — America’s national bird rendered in his trademark gold finish — signals both reverence for the nation’s founding and the president’s unapologetic patriotic branding.

The ornament hangs prominently on the White House exterior, visible to the public and press corps gathered on the South Lawn for events.

Patriots on social media celebrated the display as a fitting tribute to the country’s founding, with many noting the contrast between Trump’s bold patriotic gestures and previous administrations’ more subdued approaches to national symbols.

The golden eagle joins other Trump-era additions to the White House, including restored historic furnishings and artwork celebrating American exceptionalism.

The suspects allegedly planned to use explosive-laden drones aimed at the crowd near the UFC ring, according to investigators.

The event earlier this month drew high-profile attendees including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Elon Musk.

“Initiate their part of the plan, eliminating HVTs (high value targets) first, then the retaliatory forces such as SS (Secret Service), NG (National Guard), and SWAT.”

Abraham Hemosillo Alvarez has been identified as the leader of the plot. He allegedly met with co-conspirators online to plan the attack.

Alvarez had overstayed his visa in the United States and became an illegal immigrant, according to reports.

The suspects numbered their targets. Trump was marked “1,” Vance was “2,” Netanyahu was labeled “N,” and Elon Musk was listed simply as “Musk.” The target list contained 46 individuals in total.

Reports indicate the group had access to a drone builder who allegedly considered infiltrating a military-industrial facility to acquire explosive materials.

The group reportedly drew in 19-year-old Tycen Proper, who compiled a target list in a journal and spent his own graduation money to purchase ammunition and other items, including a bullpup rifle painted with an American flag.

Law enforcement moved quickly to disrupt the plot and arrest the suspects before any attack could take place. The UFC event proceeded without incident.

ICE recently reported in a press release that its efforts this month removed what it called the “worst of the worst,” including individuals convicted of crimes such as child sexual assault, drug offenses, and murder.

“ICE protects the American public by removing as many dangerous and violent criminals as we possibly can, using every resource at our disposal,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Executive Associate Director Marcos Charles.

The agency reports that since January 2025, roughly 900,000 illegal immigrants have been removed or returned.