INTERNACIONAL
GOP strategists called to DC as Trump team confronts rising midterm headwinds
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With the six-month mark until Election Day 2026 closing fast, President Donald Trump’s top political advisers are meeting behind closed doors Monday with dozens of leading Republican political consultants from across the country for a strategy session as the party defends its razor-thin House and slim Senate majorities in the midterms.
The meeting, organized by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, comes as the party in power in the nation’s capital faces traditional political headwinds and is expected to lose congressional seats. Republicans are also battling a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, and the president’s underwater approval ratings.
The gathering, which was first reported by Politico, is aimed at establishing better coordination and sharing of data and strategy between the White House political team and consultants advising candidates in midterm showdowns.
STRATEGY SESSION: TRUMP’S TEAM HUDDLES ON MIDTERM MESSAGING
President Donald Trump hosts a lunch with the Kennedy Center Board members as chief of staff Susie Wiles looks on at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2026. (Annabelle Gordon/AFP)
The meeting also comes two weeks after Trump announced that Blair would temporarily step down from his White House role to steer midterm strategy from the outside. The president said in a social media post that Blair would take «a short leave of absence to lead the charge from the outside» against Democrats, and after the midterms would «return again to the White House, so we can finish the job.»
This is the second major gathering ahead of the midterms. Wiles, Blair and other top Trump political advisers met in February at the party’s Capitol Hill Club with Cabinet officials and their top aides to discuss promoting the Trump agenda and other midterm messaging.
Trump made a two-day swing last week to Nevada and Arizona, two crucial swing states in this year’s elections, to highlight the tax cuts that congressional Republicans passed, and which he signed into law last summer.
BACK ON THE TRAIL: TRUMP HITS BATTLEGROUND STATES TO TOUT TAX CUTS
President Donald Trump gestures at a roundtable event about no tax on tips, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas (Lucas Peltier/AP Photo)
The president’s stops were part of a full-court press last week by Republicans, around last Wednesday’s tax filing deadline, to spotlight the tax cuts, which they insist will give them a political boost with voters in the midterms.
The tax cuts were a key component of Republicans’ massive domestic policy measure, which passed almost entirely along party lines in the GOP-controlled House and Senate.
The law, originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act but rebranded as the Working Families Tax Cuts, is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay.
FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES AIM AT DEMOCRATS FOR OPPOSING TRUMP TAX CUTS
President Donald Trump signs sweeping spending and tax legislation, known as the «One Big Beautiful Bill Act,» during a picnic with military families to mark Independence Day, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)
But much of the GOP messaging last week was overshadowed by coverage of the war with Iran and Trump’s very public spat with the pope.
Republicans in Congress are increasingly concerned about the political climate ahead of the midterms.
«If we lose the midterms, it’ll be because we didn’t talk about what moms and dads are worried about when they lie down to sleep at night…and that’s primarily the cost of living, GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Saturday in an appearance on Fox News’ «The Big Weekend Show.»
And pointing to the tax cuts, Kennedy said the «One Big Beautiful Bill is going to help a lot of people in terms of their taxes and a lot of small businesses. And that’s what I wish the president would talk more about. If we talk about it, we’ll win the midterms.»
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Despite the Democratic Party’s poll numbers hitting all-time lows over the past year, Democrats are energized heading into the midterms thanks to a slew of off-year-election and special election victories and over performances, thanks in part to their laser focus on affordability since Trump returned to the White House.
The Democratic National Committee, in an email release Monday to supporters, claimed that «Republicans are in trouble ahead of the midterms — and they know it.»
midterm elections, donald trump, white house, republicans elections, house of representatives, democrats elections, senate
INTERNACIONAL
Former Olympian among those charged with vandalizing Reflecting Pool; Trump says basin must be drained: report
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Multiple people have been arrested this weekend after allegedly vandalizing the newly refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, prompting a strong response from President Donald Trump and an increase in security at the site.
In a statement on Truth Social Saturday night, Trump announced «many additional people» have been arrested after suspects «took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250-foot-long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete.»
The president also alleged suspects «poured corrosive and destructive chemicals» into the basin.
«It hasn’t looked or worked like this since 1922, when it was originally built, but even then, it leaked badly, and didn’t work,» Trump wrote in the post. «Ours worked perfectly, including the mirror like finish, perfectly reflecting the two Great Monuments, which it never had before! What these terrible Vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and should be dealt with accordingly.»
TRUMP SAYS VANDALS USED CHEMICALS TO DAMAGE NEWLY RENOVATED REFLECTING POOL NEAR LINCOLN MEMORIAL
National Park Service employees and contractors use vacuums to remove green algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Thursday, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump said administration officials met with contractors Saturday and will likely need to drain «much of the water» in order to do the necessary repairs.
It is unclear if the contractors mentioned are the same ones initially employed to carry out the renovations.
«[We] will have them done as quickly as possible,» the president wrote. «What they have damaged does not even include the earlier killing of a large amount of grass which was, by far, the least of it.
«… The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago, even going back to 1922 when it opened. We are very proud of what we have done with this magnificent structure, and we will get it repaired, quickly, to an equal level of Beauty.»
The announcement came as the administration faces scrutiny over peeling paint and algae growth just weeks after a $14.8 million restoration project was completed.
While Trump did not specify who was responsible for the alleged gash in the lining and subsequent peeling, multiple arrests were documented over the weekend by local reporters.
Paint peels from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. (Annabelle Gordon/Reuters)
TRUMP TAKES MOTORCADE INTO REFLECTING POOL, BLASTS PAST ‘$38M DISASTER’ FIX UNDER OBAMA
Journalist Emily Miller posted a two-minute video on X Friday showing a man in lime green racing gear questioning a National Guardsman before being handcuffed by U.S. Park Police.
The Washington Post later identified the man in Miller’s video as David Hearn, 67, a three-time Olympian who was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property.
Hearn told the outlet he had just finished a 52-mile bike ride when he noticed a «partially detached piece» of the new pool liner and «reached into the water to see what it felt like.»
The Bethesda, Maryland, native told The Associated Press he owned a company that made composite used to build watercraft.
Former U.S. Olympian David Hearn was arrested after allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. (David Madison/Getty Images, File)
While Miller claimed in her post that Hearn «grabbed» a hose that National Park Service workers were using to remediate algae growth, Hearn told The Washington Post the hose «may» only have been touched by his bike tire.
«I didn’t vandalize anything,» Hearn told the outlet.
Hearn, who was arrested in 1996 on charges of canoeing on the Potomac River but later had them dropped, said, «I didn’t destroy, break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already being handcuffed.»
National Guard members walk past a National Park Service employee using a vacuum to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Friday, in Washington. D.C. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Miller reported that seven people were detained Friday and five people were detained Saturday in separate incidents, which has led to a major security surge.
In an earlier Truth Social post Saturday, Trump questioned, «Who would do such a thing?»
«These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments,» the president wrote. «Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.»
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The White House, U.S. Park Police and Miller did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
vandalism, national guard, white house, parks, donald trump, police and law enforcement, washington dc
INTERNACIONAL
El Gobierno de Guatemala lanza un plan estatal para buscar a 45.000 desaparecidos de la guerra civil
Guatemala lanzó un plan estatal para buscar a 45,000 desaparecidos de la guerra civil, una deuda abierta desde el conflicto armado interno que dejó al menos 200,000 muertos y desaparecidos entre 1960 y 1996. El presidente Bernardo Arévalo presentó el mecanismo como una vía para localizar a las víctimas con participación de autoridades, familias y organizaciones humanitarias, en un proceso que, según remarcó, no reemplaza las causas judiciales.
El programa tendrá una vigencia de 10 años y funcionará entre 2026 y 2036. El diseño incluyó 67 encuentros nacionales con la participación de 775 familiares y organizaciones de derechos humanos, y prevé además la creación de un Archivo Nacional de Memoria a partir de bases de datos dispersas que serán digitalizadas por el Poder Judicial.
Arévalo hizo el anuncio el viernes al presentar oficialmente el Mecanismo de Búsqueda Humanitaria de Personas Desaparecidas durante el Conflicto Armado Interno 2026-2036. “Iniciamos un camino para encontrar a quienes nos faltan, para sanar una herida abierta por la historia”, dijo el mandatario.
El presidente guatemalteco sostuvo además que el nuevo instrumento apunta a establecer el paradero de las víctimas mediante un trabajo coordinado. En ese marco, precisó que “no sustituye la aplicación de la justicia”.
La presentación del mecanismo reunió la promesa oficial de búsqueda con el reclamo histórico de los familiares de las víctimas. Pablo Estrada, presidente de la Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos y Desaparecidos de Guatemala, definió el anuncio como una “pequeña luz” después de décadas de búsqueda de personas cuyo “único delito fue pensar distinto”.
Estrada habló en el mismo acto en el que se oficializó el plan. Allí recordó que su organización promovió en las últimas décadas procesos de exhumación de 1.800 osamentas de “víctimas del terrorismo de Estado”, de las cuales el 30% fue identificado y entregado a sus familias.
Arévalo anunció el mecanismo; Estrada expuso el límite de los esfuerzos previos. El Gobierno promete articular instituciones y tecnología para localizar a los desaparecidos, mientras las familias piden que esa estructura permita ingresar a lugares donde hasta ahora no hubo acceso y donde sospechan que puede haber restos de víctimas.
El activista advirtió que la búsqueda “conlleva riesgos” y colocó un punto de tensión sobre la eficacia real del plan. Expresó su expectativa de que el nuevo mecanismo abra las puertas de recintos militares a los que se les negó el acceso pese a “denuncias sustentadas” de que allí “existen cementerios clandestinos”.
Ese señalamiento vincula la dimensión humanitaria del programa con una demanda concreta de acceso a información y lugares sensibles. La promesa oficial de que el mecanismo no reemplazará a la justicia convive así con un reclamo de larga data: que la búsqueda avance también sobre espacios bajo control militar.
La estrategia presentada por el Gobierno incluye el uso de inteligencia artificial para identificar patrones, recopilar macroprocesos y procesar documentación masiva del régimen militar. También prevé que el Poder Judicial digitalice y organice bases de datos dispersas para construir un Archivo Nacional de Memoria unificado.
El anuncio se produjo en el marco del aniversario del acuerdo de paz firmado con la Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca. Según la presentación oficial, el plan se inscribe en la conmemoración del pacto cuya efeméride se cumplirá el 29 de diciembre.
INTERNACIONAL
Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure
British PM Keir Starmer could face leadership challenge amid internal troubles
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces significant internal pressure following Andy Burnham’s special election win, potentially triggering a leadership contest. Starmer is under fire for economic pressures, illegal immigration issues, and controversies surrounding his previous role in prosecuting grooming gangs. Elon Musk also accused Starmer of complicity.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering stepping down and could announce a timetable for his departure as early as Monday, according to a report published Saturday.
Britain’s Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.
The outlet reported that senior Labour Party figures expect a statement addressing his future as early as next week.
A government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on governing and pointed to previous comments in which he vowed to remain in office.
AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer awaits Switzerland’s Federal President Guy Parmelin on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday. (Isabel Infantes/Pool Reuters via AP)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the prime minister’s office for comment.
Pressure on Starmer has been building for months amid growing dissatisfaction within his party and concerns over the government’s handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues.
The political threat to Starmer intensified Friday after rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament, positioning him to mount a formal leadership challenge.
LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET ‘ON NOTICE,’ THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY
Britain’s Labour party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, Friday. (Jon Super/AP)
Starmer congratulated Burnham following the victory, writing on X that voters, «chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.»
When asked about Burnham’s apparent ambitions to replace him, Starmer insisted he intends to remain in office.
«I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that,» Starmer said.
UK’S STARMER JUGGLES TROUBLE AT HOME AS HE WALKS GEOPOLITICAL TIGHTROPE WITH TRUMP
Sir Keir Starmer is battling to save his position and refusing to stand aside despite dozens of Labout MP’s demanding he resigns. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Starmer has led the Labour Party since 2020 and became prime minister in 2024.
Calls for his resignation intensified last month, with more than 100 Labour lawmakers publicly urging him to step aside or set out a timetable for his departure. Several parliamentary aides also resigned in protest.
The internal revolt followed a series of disappointing local election results for Labour, which lost hundreds of council seats across England, surrendered long-held ground in Wales and fell behind political rivals in Scotland.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks a news conference at Downing Street in London, March 5. (Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
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Starmer’s popularity has also declined amid a persistently high cost of living, sluggish economic growth and criticism over his acceptance of gifts from wealthy donors.
Fox News Digital’s James Cirrone and Emma Bussey, and Reuters contributed to this report.
uk politics, elections, united kingdom, world
Former Olympian among those charged with vandalizing Reflecting Pool; Trump says basin must be drained: report
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