INTERNACIONAL
Trump celebrates White House demolition as new ballroom rises: ‘Music to my ears’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump’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.
Photos of the East Wing façade being demolished went viral Monday, prompting criticism online and a swift rebuttal from the White House, which wrote that «unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom … a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence a beacon of American excellence.»
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the president’s message Tuesday on «Jesse Watters Primetime,» saying, «I believe there’s a lot of fake outrage right now.
HILLARY CLINTON FIRES UP VOTERS AGAINST TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION: ‘NOT HIS HOUSE»
«Nearly every single president who’s lived in this beautiful White House behind me has made modernizations and renovations of their own,» Leavitt added. «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.
«President Obama even complained that, during his tenure, he had to hold a state dinner on the South Lawn and rent a very expensive tent.»
Work continues on the demolition of a part of the East Wing of the White House Tuesday before construction of a new ballroom. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
In an article shared Tuesday, the administration listed more than a dozen examples of leaders «renovating, expanding and modernizing» the property to «meet the needs of the present day,» from Theodore Roosevelt’s West Wing in 1902 to Barack Obama’s Kitchen Garden in 2009.
Trump first confirmed the ballroom project Monday on Truth Social, writing, «I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken … to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom. Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized … and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!»
«For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom … I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!» he continued, crediting «many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and yours truly» for funding the build. «This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!»
The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account also shared a detailed thread on X Tuesday showing how past presidents «have been renovating, expanding, and modernizing the White House to meet the needs of the current day.»
TRUMP BREAKS GROUND ON MASSIVE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT WITH PRIVATE FUNDING FROM ‘PATRIOTS’
This photo provided by the U.S. Library of Congress shows a crowd outside the White House on the wedding day of Jessie Woodrow Wilson, daughter of President Wilson, who married Francis Bowes Sayre in a White House ceremony in Washington Nov. 25, 1913. (U.S. Library of Congress via AP)
Trump elaborated Tuesday, calling the federal government «this big for nothing.»
«We’re building a world-class ballroom,» he said. «You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction to the back here. That’s music to my ears. People don’t like it. I love it. When I hear that sound, it reminds me of money. In this case, a lack of money, because I’m paying for it.»
Trump also noted that the East Room, currently the largest indoor event space, is little more than «a cocktail area» that holds about 88 people.
During a Diwali event at the White House Tuesday night, Trump again referenced the project and his decision not to accept a salary, quipping that «they probably owe me a lot of money» for everything he’s put into the building.
President Donald Trump speaks during a lunch with Republican senators in the Rose Garden of the White House Tuesday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
«If I get money from our country, I’ll do something nice with it. Like give it to charity or give it to the White House,» he said. «We restore the White House, and we’re doing a great job. The ballroom is under construction. They’ve been trying to get it for 150 years.»
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The ballroom project is the latest in Trump’s improvements to the property, which include an overhaul of the Rose Garden and the Palm Room.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
white house,donald trump,washington dc,karoline leavitt
INTERNACIONAL
El veto de Hungría y Eslovaquia bloquea el paquete de sanciones de la Unión Europea a Rusia
Los ministros de Exteriores de la Unión Europea fallaron este lunes en alcanzar la unanimidad necesaria para aprobar el vigésimo paquete de sanciones contra Rusia, debido al veto ejercido por Hungría y Eslovaquia. Esta decisión frustra el objetivo de la UE de presentar nuevas medidas restrictivas al cumplirse cuatro años de la invasión a gran escala de Ucrania. La alta representante para Asuntos Exteriores y Seguridad, Kaja Kallas, calificó el resultado como “un revés y un mensaje que no queríamos enviar hoy”, aunque subrayó que las negociaciones continúan.
La disputa se centra en la reanudación del suministro de petróleo ruso por el oleoducto Druzhba, dañado por ataques rusos según Kiev. Hungría y Eslovaquia condicionan su apoyo a las sanciones a la restauración de dicho suministro, mientras el gobierno húngaro acusa a Ucrania de bloquear el flujo por motivos políticos, un argumento rechazado por las autoridades ucranianas, quienes insisten en que trabajan para reparar la infraestructura bajo condiciones extremas de frío. Kallas defendió la prioridad ucraniana de restablecer la energía para su población, tras denunciar que el 80 % de la infraestructura energética de Ucrania ha resultado dañada.
La Comisión Europea propuso el 6 de febrero vetar completamente los servicios marítimos a petroleros rusos y extender las sanciones a nuevas empresas energéticas y bancos, con el objetivo de impedir el acceso de productos sensibles a Rusia. Sin embargo, el doble veto húngaro también afecta el paquete de ayuda macrofinanciera y militar a Ucrania por valor de 90.000 millones de euros, cuya aprobación requiere la unanimidad del Consejo Europeo. De esa suma, 60.000 millones están previstos para apoyo militar y 30.000 millones para respaldo macroeconómico en los próximos dos años.
El presidente del Consejo Europeo, António Costa, envió una carta al primer ministro húngaro, Viktor Orbán, exigiendo respeto a las decisiones adoptadas en la cumbre de diciembre y recordando que incumplir compromisos supone “una violación del principio de cooperación sincera”. Costa urgió a Orbán a desbloquear el préstamo, asegurando que “no se puede permitir a ningún Estado miembro socavar la credibilidad de las decisiones tomadas colectivamente por el Consejo Europeo”.
El gobierno ucraniano, por su parte, condenó lo que calificó de “chantaje” y “ultimátum” por parte de Hungría y Eslovaquia, señalando que Kiev ha ofrecido rutas alternativas para suministrar petróleo no ruso. La tensión se incrementa ante la proximidad de las elecciones legislativas en Hungría, donde Orbán enfrenta su mayor desafío político desde 2010, con la oposición liderando las encuestas. El mandatario ha intensificado su retórica contra la UE y Ucrania, atribuyendo a ambos intentos de interferencia electoral y de desestabilización mediante el bloqueo energético.
Líderes europeos como el canciller alemán Friedrich Merz y el presidente francés Emmanuel Macron reiteraron en Berlín y París su compromiso de apoyo a Ucrania. Merz instó a mantener la presión económica sobre Moscú para forzar el fin del conflicto, subrayando que “debemos secar la financiación de guerra de Moscú”. Por su parte, el presidente finlandés Alexander Stubb calificó la guerra como un “fracaso estratégico y económico” para Rusia, aunque advirtió que Vladimir Putin no parece dispuesto a pactar la paz.
Desde el inicio de la invasión, la UE ha entregado a Ucrania 194.900 millones de euros en asistencia financiera, mientras la mayoría de los países ha reducido o eliminado las importaciones energéticas rusas. No obstante, Hungría y Eslovaquia han mantenido —e incluso aumentado— su dependencia, amparándose en exenciones temporales concedidas por Bruselas en el marco de las sanciones. El futuro del paquete de sanciones y del préstamo a Kiev depende ahora de las negociaciones directas con Budapest y Bratislava, en un contexto marcado por la fragmentación y las presiones electorales internas.
La alta representante Kallas compartió con los Estados miembros un documento detallando las condiciones que la UE consideraría exigibles a Rusia para el cese de la guerra, incluyendo la retirada de tropas de los territorios ocupados, en línea con los compromisos internacionales previos. Se prevé que la cuestión será planteada a Orbán por Costa y la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, durante su visita a Kiev en el aniversario de la invasión.
(Con información de EFE, AP y Europa Press)
Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe,Bratislava
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Democratic lawmakers in one major blue state are facing backlash over their latest attempt to blunt federal immigration enforcement through a new bill crafted around a vulgar acronym.
The F—ICE Act, with the acronym spelled out in practice, is officially the «Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act» and would permit civil action for violations of the U.S. Constitution related to immigration enforcement. The measure was introduced after a clash between a federal agent and a democratic socialist councilman.
Tensions between local and state officials and DHS had soared this month after federal authorities reportedly detained nearly a dozen people on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in Jersey City. Jake Ephros, a Democratic Socialist councilman who went to the scene, was rebuffed by a federal agent who told him, «I don’t need a warrant, bro.»
Assembs. Ravi Bhalla and Katie Brennan, two Democrats from neighboring Hoboken, crafted the F—ICE Act in response to the incident. Bhalla also announced several other bills seeking to restrict New Jersey’s cooperation with the federal government, according to the Hudson County View.
BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE
New Jerseyans protest ICE. (Charly Triballeau/Getty Images)
Bhalla said that when he was mayor of neighboring Hoboken, his first move was to enact a sanctuary city ordinance. The city is famously home to Frank Sinatra and sits across the Hudson River from Midtown Manhattan.
«ICE has no place in our communities,» he said in a statement. «Now, the stakes are even higher, and it is incumbent on all of us to use the power we have to keep our residents safe.»
Brennan cited Ephros’ run-in with ICE in comments to People, adding that she cannot «sit back and do nothing while they violate people’s constitutional rights.»
«These bills strengthen local protections and make sure these agents of chaos face accountability. We have to use the full force of our state government to protect the people of New Jersey.»
Brennan told NJ Advance Media that while critics have voiced concern about her acting «unbecoming» and «unladylike,» she said it was fellow Hoboken Democrat state Sen. Raj Mukherji who came up with the acronym.
HOCHUL ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO ALLOW NEW YORKERS TO SUE ICE AGENTS: ‘POWER DOES NOT JUSTIFY ABUSE’
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mukherji has said ICE has sown «seeds of chaos» nationwide.
Not all lawmakers were on board, including some from the state’s more conservative, rural northwest.
«So, they’re doing acronyms now,» said Assemb. Michael Inganamort, R-Chester.
«This sort of radicalism is the inevitable result of an unchecked, 25-year Democratic Majority. It’s what our Republican Minority stands against and why elections matter,» Inganamort said in a statement on X.
Assemb. Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, said the bill’s title is «wild» but the premise is «wilder.»
«[I] don’t have the text yet, but if it means what it sounds like, that’s illegal entry followed by a state-created pathway to sue over enforcement,» she said.
«If I was a bettin’ woman, I’d guess NJ taxpayers will be footing the legal bill.»
«Katie and Ravi need their mouths washed out with soap,» quipped conservative commentator Matt Rooney of «Save Jersey.»
Assemb. Paul Kanitra, R-Point Pleasant Beach, suggested the state should deal with the F—ICE Act the same way it deals with people who submit applications for off-color tags.
«Much like the state DMV has to turn down and in some cases even repossess license plates that are deemed vulgar, this should suffer the same fate,» Kanitra said.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill could not immediately be reached for comment.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
In one of her first acts in Trenton, Sherrill signed Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE activities on state property and creates a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement in their areas.
«I take seriously my responsibility to keep New Jersey residents safe and, as a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, my commitment to upholding the Constitution will never waver. This executive order will prohibit ICE from using state property to launch operations,» Sherrill said in a statement at the time.
homeland security,mikie sherrill,bills,new jersey,sanctuary cities
INTERNACIONAL
Tras la muerte de «El Mencho», quiénes son los posibles sucesores en la cúpula del Cártel Jalisco de México
El veto de Hungría y Eslovaquia bloquea el paquete de sanciones de la Unión Europea a Rusia
El dólar sigue cayendo y acumula una baja de 5% en febrero
Con Bareiro y sin Cavani: la lista de citados de Boca Juniors y el probable equipo para el debut en la Copa Argentina
La reforma laboral aceleró la fractura del PJ en el Congreso: se van tres senadores
Causa AFA: uno de los querellantes aseguró que hay documentación para probar un desvío de fondos por US$400 millones
Caso $LIBRA: el juez rechazó como querellantes a dos bielorrusos que reclaman más de US$ 2 millones
Escándalo en MasterChef: una famosa abandonó a los gritos y acusando que está todo arreglado
Del himno peronista de Kelly Olmos al exabrupto de Agustina Propato: las perlitas del debate por la reforma laboral
Villarruel cuestionó la apertura de importaciones: «Sin industria, se pasa a depender de China»
“Ahora es la hora de jugarse”: el mensaje de Patricia Bullrich a los empresarios tras aprobarse la reforma laboral
ECONOMIA2 días agoVillarruel cuestionó la apertura de importaciones: «Sin industria, se pasa a depender de China»
- POLITICA2 días ago
“Ahora es la hora de jugarse”: el mensaje de Patricia Bullrich a los empresarios tras aprobarse la reforma laboral
- ECONOMIA2 días ago
Según un especialista, el precio de la carne se mantendrá alto “entre dos y tres años”
