The Princess of Wales and first lady of the United States were seen together at the gardens of Frogmore House at the Windsor estate on Thursday, September 18, where they were joined by Chief Scout Dwayne Feilds and Squirrel Scouts between the ages of 4 and 6. The group took part in outdoor activities, including a parachute game, painting leaves that the kids had collected, and building bug hotels.
“The Princess of Wales is absolutely incredible with our young people. I’ve seen her work with them before — she interacts very personably, she loves to exchange stories and she loves to talk to them and hear the same,” Fields told Peopleafter the engagement.
“The princess always mentions her young children,” Fields continued, referring to Kate’s three kids with Prince William: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. “It’s clear that as a mum, that’s something really special to her. She recognizes that sharing stories about her own young people with young people is a great way to build a connection.”
Fields also explained how Melania was “similar” during her engagement with Kate. “Melania was very similar,” he said. “She was engaging, she asked lots of questions and the young people were willing to talk to her. And they even made some artwork together. It was really great to see and really great to have her to take the message back to the U.S. and what she’s seen us in the U.K. doing. This is the home of Scouts, and this is where it started, and for her to be able to take back what she experienced here is great. She said she really enjoyed and remarked that some of the artwork took her back to when she was younger.”
Fields also told a funny story about how one of the Scouts mistook Melania for a princess like Kate. “They knew they were coming to meet the princess, and one of the young asked Mrs. Trump: ‘Are you the next princess?’ ” Fields said. “That gives an idea of how little they knew about the situation.”
As for Melania and Kate’s relationship, Fields also shared that the two were “amazingly warm” with each other. “They gave so much of themselves. It is easy for the young people to be overwhelmed, but they were settled and calm and enjoyed the day,” he said.
He also explained how they related to each other as mothers. “The princess shared a story about her kids and collecting things like conkers when they go for walks,” he said. “For me, that was very much in line with what the young people were talking about and another example of her making it very personable and inviting the young people into who she is and the fact that she is a mum as well — as is Mrs. Trump.”
However, their similarities didn’t stop there. “We walked in on the young Squirrels who were using leaves and other items they’d found. The princess didn’t stand over them, but she immediately sat down on the grass with them. She brought herself down to their physical level, and when she spoke to them, she looked into their eyes and connected what they were saying to something she’s experienced,” Fields said. “Melania did something similar. She sat down on the chair, and when she was speaking with the young people, there was lots of eye contact and lots of questions about them and how they were doing. It was very inviting to the young people, and they were receptive to it and responded really well.”
News of Kate and Melania’s relationship comes after the first lady was accused of not curtsying toward King Charles and Queen Camilla when meeting them on September 17 on the Windsor estate grounds. Her husband also didn’t bow toward the royal couple.
While Donald and Melania faced backlash for not bowing or curstying toward the late Queen Elizabeth when they visited Windsor Castle in 2018—with one X user claiming they had “no class”—most fans have had a different opinion during the Trumps’ second visit, with many noting that there’s no official rule that people need to abide to when meeting members of the British royal family.
“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms,” the royal family’s official website states. “For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.”
When Donald Trump arrived with his wife Melania Trump in the United Kingdom for his first state visit since 2019, he was not greeted kindly by everyone across the pond.
The trip was meticulously coordinated by the palace, between a military ceremony and an exhibition of art objects from the Royal Collection. One thing likely not planned for by King Charles was a protest staged by the activist group Led by Donkeys, who projected images of the US President alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle.
For nearly ten minutes, the British guerrilla campaign group, which had targeted Trump once before during his first state visit to the UK, broadcast “the story of Trump and Epstein” on the castle, according to an Instagram post. A collection of photos, animations and newspaper extracts deployed on a tower of the building in front of police officers and stunned onlookers.
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According to the BBC, local police arrested of four people suspected of “malicious communications following a media stunt in Windsor.” The suspects include a 60-year-old man from East Sussex, a 36-year-old man and a 50-year-old man from London, and a 37-year-old man from Kent. Members of the collective interviewed by the Guardian revealed that this was “the first time a member of the group had been arrested for making a projection.”
“We’ve done, I think, 25 or 30 screenings since we’ve been here. Often, the police come by, we chat with them, and they even laugh a little with us, and sometimes even tell us not to do it,” they said. But no one has ever been arrested before, so it’s ridiculous that four of our guys were arrested for malicious communications.”
This comes as Trump has been facing questions over his relationship with Epstein, after an obscene letter seemingly written and signed by the president was published by the Wall Street Journal.
What to know about Chequers, the U.K. prime minister’s country house
Chequers is the U.K. prime minister’s country house. Located about 40 miles northwest of London, it is a formidable estate, though no match for the environs of Windsor Castle where Mr. Trump spent Wednesday.
The home was constructed in the mid-1500s, about 200 years before the United States came into being, and it has served as the official country residence of Britain’s prime ministers since 1921.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (2nd left) and Lady Victoria Starmer greet President Trump at Chequers, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, on day two of the president’s second state visit to the U.K., Sept. 18, 2025.
Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS
Highly secured and well out of public view, Chequers has been the venue for a number of important meetings and negotiations. Famous visitors over the years have included many European leaders, U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In 1941, then-U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was at Chequers when he learned that the Japanese navy had attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II.
Trump arrives at Chequers for meeting with U.K. leader Keir Starmer
President Trump’s Marine One helicopter touched down on the grounds of the U.K. prime minister’s official country residence Thursday.
Mr. Trump was greeted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria, and they walked into the house for a day of closed-door talks and a separate meeting with business leaders.
What are Trump and the U.K.’s Starmer expected to discuss?
Mr. Trump and Starmer are expected to discuss a range of issues Thursday, including trade. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said Starmer’s government is hoping to negotiate “a little bit better deal” to ease trade restrictions including U.S. tariffs.
The leaders are expected to formally announce a U.S.-U.K. “Technology Prosperity Deal,” boosting ties in AI, quantum computing, and nuclear energy, with companies including Google, Microsoft and Nvidia on board to formalize some $42 billion of investments in the U.K.
The wars in Gaza and Ukraine are also likely to come up, as Starmer has joined several other countries in announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state if Israel fails to meet certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire with Hamas and letting in more humanitarian aid.
President Trump shakes hands with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Trump Turnberry golf club, July 28, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland.
Chris Furlong/Getty
On the war in Ukraine, Starmer and other European leaders have pushed Mr. Trump to take a harder line on Vladimir Putin, who’s blown past a series of deadlines issued by the president for Putin to meet directly with Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate a ceasefire.
Mr. Trump has recently said “it takes two to tango,” suggesting he could still impose new sanctions against Russia, but he said America’s NATO allies first had to halt all purchases of Russian energy.
By Tucker Reals and Sara Cook
What’s in store for Day 2 of President Trump’s second state visit to the U.K.
President Trump bid farewell to King Charles and Windsor Castle on Thursday and boarded his Marine One helicopter for the short flight to Chequers, the official country residence of the British prime minister, Keir Starmer.
He’s to hold a bilateral meeting, behind closed doors, with Starmer, and will also join a reception with business leaders, before the two leaders hold a joint news conference.
On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Trump will leave Chequers and fly back to the U.S.
What Trump did on Day 1 of his historic second U.K. state visit
President Trump and first lady Melania were feted by King Charles III on the first full day of their state visit, the British royals putting on the kind of display they have long been known for — giving their U.S. visitor full military honors and a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle.
There were protests in London, and even at Windsor the night before the Trumps arrived, deriding the U.S. leader’s policies and highlighting his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But police estimated a crowd of only about 5,000, and as the protesters were in central London, about 20 miles from Windsor, they were well out of Mr. Trump’s earshot as he enjoyed the royal treatment.
(L-R) Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to attend a state banquet at Windsor Castle, Sept. 17, 2025.
DOUG MILLS/POOL/AFP/Getty
The day included a military honor featuring more than 1,000 British troops marching in formation, a military flypast — albeit toned down due to rain, a visit to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb, and then a formal state banquet where Mr. Trump sat at the center of a dining table more than 150 feet long.
The moment between Camilla, Kate, and Melania came on September 17, 2025, as Camilla and her husband, King Charles, greeted Melania and her husband, President Donald Trump, as they arrived at Windsor Castle. Kate and her husband, Prince William, were the first of the British royal family to greet the Trumps before accompanying them to Victoria House, where Charles and Camilla were waiting to welcome the first couple.
In a video of the meeting, Donald and Melania are greeted by Charles and Camilla, as well as private secretaries Sir Clive Alderton and Sophie Densham, when the president and king turn toward each other to speak privately. Camilla and Melania followed with their own private conversation, as William and Kate approached the foursome. William joined Charles and Donald’s conversation, while Kate joined Camilla and Melania.
The video continued with Kate and Melania talking as Camilla watched and looked around. A few moments later, Camilla motioned for Kate to move with a sweep of he hand, which Kate obliged to before saying goodbye to Melania and stepping away to walk toward William. Camilla and Melania then spoke for a moment as the whole group stood in a line, creating a path for horse-drawn carriages to approach to take them to Windsor Castle.
The moment also comes after a source told Us Weekly in November 2024 of Kate and Camilla’s secret “tense relationship” due to the different ways they approach the crown. According to the insider, Camilla has been vocal behind closed doors that Charles should be king for as long as he can. “She loves her responsibilities,” the insider said. “Her whole life, she has always wanted to be queen, so she doesn’t want to let it go so fast.”
The source also claimed that Camilla is especially hesitant to pass her responsibilities over to Kate, who is set to succeed her as Queen Consort once William, the next in line for the British throne, becomes king. “They’ve always had a tense relationship,” the insider said.
Royal expert and Power and the Palace author Valentine Low also told GB News in September 2025 that Camilla’s personality is “completely different” from Kate. “Kate is a completely different person to Camilla. She’s very controlled and cautious, and careful,” he said. “Camilla is much more outgoing. She says what she thinks, she’s incredibly engaging, Camilla, and funny. That’s not to say Kate can’t be funny in private, but you know, it’s much more obviously the case with Camilla.”
Kate Middleton stuns in a glittering tiara moment at Windsor Castle.
The Princess of Wales made heads turn as she arrived alongside her husband Prince William.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump kicked off their state visit to the U.K. on Wednesday, when the Prince and Princess of Wales greeted them. The senior royals put on a united front this evening for a state banquet at Windsor Castle to welcome the couple.
Kate Middleton arrives at the state banquet with Prince William Sept. 17, 2025, in Windsor, England.(Phile Noble/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
For the evening, Kate wore her favorite showpiece, The Lover’s Knot tiara. It was commissioned for Queen Mary in 1913 from Britain’s House of Garrard, Vogue.com reported. It features diamonds and 19 hanging drop-shaped pearls, all set in silver and gold.
The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a photo of their state banquet look on their Instagram account. The caption read, “Ready for The State Banquet.”(Instagram.com/princeandprincessofwales)
The tiara was handed down to Queen Elizabeth, who eventually handed it down to her daughter-in-law, Princess Diana. It quickly became a known favorite for the late Princess of Wales. It has become Kate’s formal headwear of choice.
Princess Diana is seen here wearing the Lover’s Knot tiara in 1983.(Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of “My Mother and I,” told Fox News Digital the royals love to showcase their jewels during state banquets.
“… They drip in jewels,” said Seward. “They absolutely drip with jewels. It’s the one time they could really show off their jewelry.”
Britain’s Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to attend a state banquet at Windsor Castle.(AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The true centerpiece of the state visit was the banquet in St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle. The Waterloo Table — about half the length of a football field — can seat up to 160 guests. The Associated Press reported it takes five full days to set the table, which holds more than 4,000 pieces, including 200-year-old silver.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arriving for the state banquet on Sept. 17, 2025.(Phile Noble/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Men are expected to wear white ties and tailcoats, while women don designer gowns and jewels.
A place setting for King Charles III and President Donald Trump at the banquet table in St. George’s Hall ahead of the state banquet at Windsor Castle on Sept. 17, 2025, in Windsor, England. (Aaron Chown/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
A view of the banquet table in St. George’s Hall on Sept. 17, 2025.(AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chef Darren McGrady, a royal chef for 15 years who cooked for five U.S. presidents, told Fox News Digital that the menu gives a heartfelt nod to Queen Elizabeth II. One of the desserts that will be savored included a bombe glacée cardinal — a vanilla ice cream featuring Kentish raspberry sorbet and lightly poached Victoria plums.
President Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth II are seen here at a state banquet in Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019, in London, England.(Dominic Lipinski- WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Bombes were served at maybe 70% of all state banquets,” he said. “It’s an ice cream where we use an old Victorian copper mold. The queen loved to have ice cream at state banquets, so we often served it. She also loved a bombe glacée royal, which is mint ice cream with chocolate. The queen loved chocolate.”
The king’s mother isn’t the only matriarch being honored during the state dinner. The royal menu also showed that, after dinner, guests would be served a Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne from the president’s mother’s birth year.
In addition, a 1945 vintage port, closest to the year of the president’s birth year, will be served. It’s noted that ports are not made every year. Guests will also enjoy American red wine and English sparkling wine.
In 2019, The New York Times reported one of Trump’s earliest memories, which he often shares, was seeing his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, enthralled by Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital the menus are written in French, a tradition dating back to the 11th century.
“This practice symbolizes sophistication,” she shared.
Dishes such as organic Norfolk chicken ballotine and quail egg salad highlight locally grown ingredients from the royal family’s estate. A cocktail created for the occasion — the Transatlantic Whisky Sour — blends Johnnie Walker Black with citrus marmalade and is topped with a toasted marshmallow on a star-shaped biscuit.
No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has ever had the honor of a second U.K. state visit, The Associated Press reported. The festivities involved 120 horses and 1,300 troops — including the largest guard of honor in living memory.
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
While King Charles will remain politically neutral, there are “a number of issues” he is eager to discuss with Trump, with whom he has a good working relationship, including Ukraine.
With the visit taking place in Windsor, Trump will not have the opportunity to address parliament, as President Emmanuel Macron did during his state visit this summer, with one source in the Cabinet Office saying there was “some relief about keeping Trump away from parliament.”
Trump will spend a day with Prime Minister Starmer, where several talking points will be on the table, including Ukraine, Gaza and US-UK trade deals. Starmer is reportedly keen to extend the trade deal made with the US earlier this year and the two leaders are also expected to sign a new US-UK technology partnership.
The timing of the recent firing of US ambassador Peter Mandelson poses problems for the prime minister, who sacked Mandelson after discovering that the nature of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was “far different” from what Starmer had believed it to be, with emails revealing Mandelson’s support for Epstein following the latter’s guilty plea on solicitation-of-prostitution charges. Starmer and Trump will take part in a joint press conference on Thursday, where the matter is likely to be raised.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on September 16, 2025. Trump is heading to the UK for a state visit.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Getty Images
The Trumps are due to arrive in London on Tuesday on Air Force One. Upon landing, they will be greeted by Warren Stephens, US ambassador to the UK, and Viscount Hood, King Charles’s lord-in-waiting. They will be in the presidential motorcade in the bulletproof “Beast,” which has its own oxygen supply in case of a gas attack.
Their official engagements will begin on Wednesday morning when the Trumps are met by the Prince and Princess of Wales before being officially welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla. Afterward, the Trumps and the royals will travel through Windsor in a carriage procession escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. However, the carriage will not pass through the crowds, as a large number of anti-Trump protesters are expected.
As he did during the last state visit, Trump will be invited to inspect the Guard of Honour followed by a march past. It was during the Guard of Honour when Trump accidentally walked in front of the late queen.
His schedule also includes lunch in the state dining room with members of the royal family. Trump will be invited to lay a wreath at Queen Elizabeth’s grave at St George’s Chapel, where he and the first lady will be given a brief tour.
The highlight of Trump’s state visit will be Wednesday night’s state banquet.
Buckingham Palace has yet to reveal the event’s guest list and menu. However, the banquet will be held in St George’s Hall, which has a table that can seat up to 160 people.
On Thursday, President Trump will leave Windsor for Chequers, the country residence of the British prime minister, where he will attend meetings with Prime Minister Starmer and join a business reception hosted by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Melania will stay at Windsor with Queen Camilla and Princess Kate for a number of engagements before joining the president on Thursday evening.
Kate Middleton and Melania Trump will appear in public for a joint engagement this week. The two leading ladies are scheduled to make a public outing together during President Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
The head of state and his wife will be in Britain from September 16 to 18. On September 17, Prince William and Kate Middleton will officially welcome the couple upon their arrival at Windsor Castle, then accompany them to a meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
After the formal welcome, the Prince and Princess of Wales will join the Trumps and British monarchs for a carriage procession through Windsor to the castle, where the state visit will officially take place.
A Guard of Honor inspection and military march are scheduled. Following that, there will be a luncheon in the castle and a special exhibition of objects from the Royal Collection relating to the United States. In the evening, Charles and Camilla will hold a state banquet at Windsor, where they will be joined by with Kate, William and other members of the royal family.
Getty photo
WPA Pool/Getty Images
As Prince and Princess of Wales since King Charles ascended the throne, William and Kate play a prominent role in state visits and will continue to do so on this occasion.
Kate Middleton and Melania Trump’s public outing is scheduled for September 18. The two will travel to Frogmore Gardens in Windsor, where they will join UK Scoutmaster Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts’ Squirrels program. Kate, who was a Scout as a child, has been co-president of the Scout Association since 2020.
Before her engagement with Kate, Melania is also planning an outing with Camilla to visit Queen Mary’s Dollhouse and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle together.
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the controversial new White House ballroom, currently under construction, will be significantly larger than originally planned, with a capacity of 900 people—nearly 40 percent more than the initial 650-person design.
The expansion comes as construction has just begun on the $200 million project, which Trump discussed in a telephone interview with NBC News while heavy machinery and trucks were visible at the construction site.
Why It Matters
The ballroom represents the biggest change to the White House exterior since the East Wing was expanded under Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, marking a historic alteration to America’s most iconic residence.
As a legacy project intended to serve future administrations, the ballroom will fundamentally change how the White House hosts large diplomatic events and state functions, eliminating the need for temporary tents on the South Lawn that Trump has criticized as undignified for hosting foreign leaders and dignitaries.
Q: My condolences on the loss of your friend Charlie Kirk. How are you holding up?
TRUMP: I think very good. And by the way, right there you see all the trucks. They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get… pic.twitter.com/Jrw4j2fnVZ
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom is being constructed at the East Wing location, which has traditionally served as office space for the first lady and her staff.
These offices will be temporarily relocated during construction, with the East Wing set to be modernized and renovated as part of the project. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that “nothing will be torn down” during the construction process.
When asked by reporters how he was “holding up” after the murder of his friend and ally Charlie Kirk just days prior, Trump replied, “I think very good, and by the way, right there, you see all the trucks? They’ve just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get, as you know, for about 150 years.”
The former real estate developer has taken personal interest in the project’s details, selecting McCrery Architects as lead architect, Clark Construction for building, and AECOM for engineering, according to a White House statement.
The expanded capacity from 650 to 900 people addresses Trump’s long-standing complaint about the White House’s limited event space. Currently, the East Room—the mansion’s largest room—accommodates only about 200 people. Trump emphasized the ballroom’s separation from the historic mansion itself, stating it will be “near it but not touching it” and will pay “total respect to the existing building.”
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told NBC News: “We’re making it a little bigger. It will be top of the line, as good as it can get anywhere in the world.”
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles: “President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail. The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”
McCrery Architects CEO Jim McCrery: “Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman. I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House, while preserving the elegance of its classical design and historical importance.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up photos of the planned new White House ballroom during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 31, 2025. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up photos of the planned new White House ballroom during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 31, 2025. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
What Happens Next?
With construction now underway, the project faces a four-year timeline to meet its early 2029 completion goal.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are set to play a major role in the impending US state visit to Britain, which will see Donald Trump and Melania stay at Windsor Castle from September 17 to 18—and include a joint engagement for the first lady and the Princess of Wales with the Scouts at Frogmore Gardens.
The Trumps are slated to arrive at Windsor Castle on the morning of the 17th, where they will be officially greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The quartet will then meet King Charles and Queen Camilla, who will receive the Trumps for a Royal Salute, fired from the East Lawn of Windsor Castle at the same time as a salute from the Tower of London. Their Majesties, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the President and First Lady will then make a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the Castle, which was also the site for French president Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain this summer.
Both nations’ anthems will play as the Procession moves off. In a historical move, a Guard of Honour will be presented at the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, featuring the State Colours of the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, and the Scots Guards. This will mark the first time that such an occasion will feature three State Colours—typically, just one would be showcased at the parade. The President and the King will then inspect the Guard of Honour, followed by a Rank and March past The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards.
The Trumps joined King Charles and Queen Camilla, then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, for a dinner at Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador, where US President Trump stayed on his 2019 state visit
CHRIS JACKSON/Getty Images
Then, lunch will commence in the State Dining Room, with various members of the Royal family. The party will attend a special display of America-related items from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room. In a solemn moment, later that afternoon Trump is set to privately pay homage to the late Queen Elizabeth—whom he has previously described as a “grand and beautiful lady”—by laying a wreath on her tomb at St George’s Chapel.
King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Trumps will then be joined by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Lady Starmer for a Beating Retreat ceremony on Windsor’s East Lawn, featuring a flypast by UK and US F-35 military jets and the Red Arrows. The visit will culminate in a state banquet at the Castle—and if the French state visit was anything to go by, it will be a dazzling display of tiaras and royal jewels for Middleton and Queen Camilla. Both the King and President Trump will deliver speeches at the beginning of the dinner.
It was President Trump who announced that conservative commentator and activist Charlie Kirk had died after he was shot during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. The president, who was close to Kirk, praised his appeal to young Americans and mourned him in a social media post.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president also ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening to honor Kirk.
Later Wednesday, Mr. Trump released a video statement about Kirk, blaming the “radical left” for his killing. “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he said in a video posted to Truth Social. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Democratic and Republican politicians alike condemned Kirk’s murder, although among some in Congress, there were disagreements about how to observe his death on the House floor. Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to hold a moment of silence for Kirk. Then, according to the House gallery, GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado asked for a point of order — she reshared an X post that said she had asked for a moment of prayer. A Democrat yelled, “No.” Boebert and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, then started to speak out, as other lawmakers who appeared to be Democrats responded. One yelled, “There was just a shooting in Colorado!” Another said “Pass some gun laws!” Johnson repeatedly called for order.
In an appearance on Fox News, Johnson explained what had happened. “A motion was made on the floor to have a vocal prayer, and it turned into an argument,” he said, adding, “You know, that’s where our politics are in the country right now. We have got to turn the heat down a little bit. We got to have civil discourse.”
“The great tragic irony about this, one of the tragedies, is that Charlie represented that, the best of it,” Johnson continued. “He’s the guy that was the champion out on the front lines having the debate, but he he loved the people that disagreed with him …. He loved it, and he loved the debate.”
“That’s what’s so important for us to remember,” Johnson said. “We shouldn’t regard one another as enemies. We’re fellow Americans, and we should have vigorous debate, but it cannot lead to political violence. It’s just too much.”
File: Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, enters the plaza and talks with his supporters, May 1, 2025. / Credit: Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Biden says there’s “no place in our country for this kind of violence”
Former President Joe Biden decried the attack on Kirk in a post on social media.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones,” he said in a post shared to X.
Obama calls Kirk’s killing an act of “despicable violence”
Former President Barack Obama condemned the shooting, calling it “despicable violence” in a post on X.
“We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,” Obama said. “Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”
Bush says “violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square”
In a statement, former President George W. Bush said, “Today, a young man was murdered in cold blood while expressing his political views. It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct.”
“Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens. May God bless Charlie Kirk and his family, and may God guide America toward civility,” he said.
Bill Clinton calls for “serious introspection”
Former President Bill Clinton said in a social media post that he was “saddened and angered” by the shooting.
“I hope we all go through some serious introspection and redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully,” he said.
Melania Trump mourns Kirk, saying now, his children will be raised “with stories instead of memories”
First lady Melania Trump imagined what the loss of Kirk will mean to his children as they grow up.
“Charlie’s children will be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father’s voice should have echoed,” she said in a post on X.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox “heartbroken” over Kirk’s death, vows justice will be served
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, said that he and his wife are “heartbroken” about Kirk’s death, and said they are praying for the conservative activist’s wife and two children.
“I just got off the phone with President Trump. Working with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, we will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy,” he wrote in a social media post on X.
Sen. Mike Lee praises Kirk’s “boundless energy and great love for his country”
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah told CBS News he spoke with Mr. Trump about Kirk, and said the president told him, “‘I’m sure they’ll stay after him,’” referring to the shooting suspect, and “‘they need to catch this guy.’”
“Whether you agree with him or not, you have to respect his boundless energy, his commitment to making the world a better place,” Lee also said.
In a post on X, Lee called Kirk an “American patriot, an inspiration to countless young people to stand up and defend the timeless truths that make our country great.”
He condemned Kirk’s murder, writing on X that it was “a cowardly act of violence, an attack on champions of freedom like Charlie, the students who gathered for civil debate, and all Americans who peacefully strive to save our nation.”
“The terrorists will not win,” he continued. “Charlie will. Please join me in praying for his wife Erika and their children. May justice be swift.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson says Kirk will be “sorely missed”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters that Kirk was “a close friend” and “confidant.”
“He will be sorely missed,” he said. “And we need every political leader to decry the violence and do it loudly.”
Eric Trump says Trump properties will fly flags at half-staff
Eric Trump described Kirk as a “dear friend” to the entire Trump family. He said all Trump properties would fly their flags at half-staff to honor him.
Donald Trump Jr.: “I love you brother”
Donald Trump Jr, who was close with Kirk, wrote on social media: “I love you brother. You gave so many people the courage to speak up and we will not ever be silenced.”
“There is no question that Charlie’s work and his voice helped my father win the presidency,” Trump Jr. wrote in a lengthy follow-up post. “He changed the direction of this nation…I know Charlie’s legacy doesn’t end here. He poured into millions of young people who will carry forward the torch he lit. He built something that will outlast him, because it was grounded in faith, in truth, and in courage. And as his friend, I will never forget him. I’ll honor him by loving boldly, speaking truth without fear, and continuing his spirit of courage. His fight lives on in all of us who loved him. This is an unimaginable loss.”
Gabby Giffords “horrified” to hear of Kirk’s shooting
Gabby Giffords, a former U.S. congresswoman from Arizona who suffered a serious brain injury when she was shot in 2011, said in a post on X, “I’m horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah. Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.”
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, said shooting was “awful”
GOP House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky said he watched the video of the shooting and said it was “awful.”
“It’s just, it’s just terrible. I mean, I think we’ve been saying for months now the political temperature is too high in America, and we’ve got to tone it back,” Comer told CBS News. “And political violence is on the rise. And, you know, I know that most of my colleagues and myself included are getting a lot more threatening calls, and it’s just, it’s a terrible environment now and again. I just feel awful for Charlie Kirk and his young family.”
GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina: Kirk meant a lot to “the right to speak freely and share your beliefs”
Rep. Virginia Foxx, Republican of North Carolina, told CBS News at the Capitol that “there’s no room for violence, and it’s terrible. She said she’s encouraged by the bipartisan response to the attack on Kirk and noted the House Oversight Committee had paused for a moment of prayer for Kirk.
Foxx told CBS News that Kirk represented “a category of people in our culture that’s very important,” and noted he was “very proud of the fact that he doesn’t have a college degree.”
“He means a lot, and he means a lot, not just to the conservative movement and to the, and to that aspect of our culture, but again, the right to speak freely and share your beliefs and be safe in our country, and it’s just so unfortunate. It’s unfortunate when anybody has violence perpetrated on them, whether you’re liberal or conservative. It’s just wrong.”
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia: “There really aren’t words”
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said of Kirk’s shooting, “There really aren’t words,” and told reporters that it will “be hard for anybody to fill his shoes.”
“Charlie Kirk leaves a huge legacy,” she said.
GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas suggests Kirk’s killing “is going to be one of those things that, you know, changes some things”
Far right Republican Chip Roy said of Kirk, “This is a guy that you can disagree with him — I disagreed with him on most things.” But Roy admired that “he was trying to open up dialog and engage in civil discourse across college campus, appeal even those that disagree with them.”
Roy suggested that Kirk’s murder, “is going to be one of those things that you know changes some things.”
“I haven’t quite yet figured out how or what, but you know, it’s, you know, this one, this one hits,” he told reporters at the Capitol.
“We should be able to speak freely and speak with passion and regard about what we believe, without it coming to that. That’s the thing … we’re here for something bigger and greater than all of ourselves,” Charlie lived it, tweeted out three days ago about his faith in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so, I know where he is.”
He blamed “a country that’s turning its back on our collective faith as a nation,” saying that “this is why we’re seeing a breakdown and our ability to band together. We got to do something about that.”
GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna blames Democrats
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, blamed Democrats for Kirk’s shooting. “They did cause this — that type of rhetoric. You calling people fascists? You basically saying that we’re Nazis, taking away people’s rights. Charlie Kirk was literally murdered,” she told reporters. Law enforcement does not have a suspect in custody.
Nancy Pelosi calls shooting “reprehensible”
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, condemned the shooting in a post on X, calling it “reprehensible.”
“Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation,” she said, adding Americans should “hold the entire UVU community in our hearts as they endure the trauma of this gun violence.”
Pelosi, whose husband Paul Pelosi was bludgeoned with a hammer by a man who broke into Pelosi’s San Francisco home in 2022, has frequently condemned political violence.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls on Americans to “engage with each other”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who hosted Kirk on his podcast earlier this year, wrote on social media that Kirk’s killing is “a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.”
“The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse. In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate — never through violence,” Newsom said. “Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.”
There was reason to believe the reception would be even worse. After all, Trump was booed loudly the last time he attended the Open in 2015, when he was a still-largely dismissed candidate. Now a second-term president, Trump’s standing among Open-goers, not unlike the electorate, has improved in the intervening years.
Tennis’ final major of the year –– a magnet for New York’s power centers of business, media and entertainment –– is the type of A-list, culturally liberal gathering that Trump used to frequent. He was a regular at the Open for years, before he started wearing red baseball caps.
Now, with much of the celebrity and entertainment world still at odds with Trump, the tournament represents a bastion of Trump’s pre-MAGA era. (A Fox News headline over the weekend summed up the dynamic: “Left-leaning Hollywood elite flock to US Open with Trump set to attend men’s final.”) One recent poll found that, although sports fans generally lean right, tennis fans tilt liberal.
The scene at Arthur Ashe last Sunday suggested that Trump was entering the lion’s den. On that afternoon, fans showered the embattled late night host and Trump scourge Stephen Colbert with a rapturous ovation.
During changeovers at Ashe, luminaries seated in courtside boxes and luxury suites are shown on the video boards inside the stadium; unlike Trump, most are received warmly. Shonda Rimes, Jon Bon Jovi, Hugh Jackman and newly enshrined baseball hall of famer CC Sabathia each drew applause commensurate with their stature and public standing.
But there was something extra in the ovation for Colbert, who is in his final season as host of The Late Show after CBS announced in July that it will be canceling the program. The network insists the decision is purely a financial one, but to many –– including, presumably, fans at the US Open that day –– it seemed politically motivated, with Colbert serving as a sacrificial lamb in order to secure a merger between Skydance and Paramount, which have formed CBS’s new parent company. (The Federal Communications Commission approved the merger a week after CBS said it is pulling the plug on The Late Show.)
The acclaim for Colbert at the Open last week felt more like an expression of solidarity than simply an assertion of fandom. It was the ideological inverse to the hero’s welcome Trump received at a UFC event in New Jersey in 2024, two days after he was convicted of 34 felony counts.
UFC, of course, is a pillar of the ubermasculine culture that Trump has exploited to tremendous political effect. He has drawn from a similar well of support within the frat boy world of college football. Those sports –– favored by Trump-friendly personalities such as Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Dave Portnoy –– have become central components of the MAGA brand. The Open, on the other hand, represents a link to a time before Trump became the Republican standard-bearer, when he was more identified with The Apprentice than politics and still mostly embraced by the Hollywood set.
First lady Melania Trump hosted a meeting on Tuesday of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education and urged public and private leaders to help protect children from the dangers of the burgeoning technology.
“We are living in a moment of wonder, and it is our responsibility to prepare children in America,” declared the first lady. “Cars now steer themselves through our cities, robots hold steady hands in the operating room and drones are redefining the future of war.”
“Innovations of first-generation humanoids, factory automation and autonomous vehicles have surged from private sector investment,” she said. “Every one of these advancements, it’s powered by AI. The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction.”
The first lady appeared with various federal and private officials, including White House science and technology director Michael Kratsios, billionaire “crypto czar” David Sacks, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna.
“I predict AI will represent the single largest growth category in our nation during this administration,” said Melania Trump.“I won’t be surprised if AI becomes known as the greatest engine of progress in the history of the United States of America.”
“But as leaders and parents, we must manage AI’s growth responsibly,” she continued.
She also made headlines last year after controversially opting to use AI to mimic her own voice to narrate the audiobook version of her memoir. The first lady announced on social media at the time, “Let the future of publishing begin.”
She said Thursday, “During this primitive stage, it is our duty to treat AI as we would our own children — empowering, but with watchful guidance.”
President Donald Trump made a troubling joke Tuesday that clashed with that ethos entirely, however.
“If something happens that’s really bad, maybe I’ll just have to blame AI,” he mused.
The event with the first lady was held amid Federal Trade Commission investigations into OpenAI, Meta and other tech companies over the impact their chatbots have had on children’s mental health. On Thursday, McMahon said her department is eager to bring AI into classrooms across the country.
At the dinner, Trump asked each tech leader how much they planned to invest in the U.S. in the next few years. Zuckerberg said, “at least $600 billion by ’28 in the U.S.” Apple CEO Tim Cook made the same statement, while Pichai mentioned $250 billion overall, and Nadella stated that the figure could reach up to $80 billion per year.
“Good,” Trump said. “Very good.”
(Left to right) “AI and Crypto Czar” David Sacks, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, President Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House dinner on Sept. 4. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
The dinner guest list, which the White House confirmed to the Associated Press, included Google cofounder Sergey Brin, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks, Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang, and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.
During the meal, Trump congratulated Pichai on the recent news of the determined penalties in Google’s landmark antitrust case. The penalties were significantly lighter than what the DOJ had been seeking. For example, Google has to stop entering or maintaining exclusive distribution deals for Search, Chrome, and other products. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, added $230 billion to its market capitalization this week.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Pichai stated at the event, sparking laughter from other guests.
Before the dinner, on Thursday afternoon, First Lady Melania Trump hosted an event focused on AI in education. The First Lady said that it was critical to teach AI literacy from a young age to make sure the U.S. stayed competitive in that field.
The First Lady’s office started an “Age of AI” challenge last month for students to create projects using AI to address community challenges. Submissions are due in December.
“The robots are here,” Melania Trump stated at the afternoon event. “Our future is no longer science fiction.”
Washington — President Trump is hosting a dinner Thursday night at the White House with tech giants and other business and political leaders, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk will not be among those attending.
He said on X, “I was invited, but unfortunately could not attend. A representative of mine will be there.”
Invited guests include Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and OpenAI founder Sam Altman, according to a White House official. The Hill first reported the list of invitees.
Musk earlier this year had a public falling out with Mr. Trump as he left the administration, blasting Mr. Trump and his administration over government spending and the Epstein files. He pledged to begin a new political party, dubbed the “America Party,” although that has yet to come to fruition.
Earlier this week, Mr. Trump predicted that Musk would eventuallly return to the Republican Party.
“I don’t think he has a choice,” Mr. Trump said in an interview this week on “The Scott Jennings Radio Show.” “So what’s he going to do, he’s gonna go with the radical left lunatics? They’re lunatics. I don’t think he has a choice. He’s a man of common sense, he’s a good man.”
The president said of Musk,”He’s a good man. He got off the reservation, incorrectly, and that’s okay, because, you know, it’s just one of those things.” He also characterized the Tesla CEO as “80% super genius, and then 20% he’s got some problems,” and added, “and when he works out the 20%, he’ll be great, but he’s got some difficulty.”
The dinner, expected to take place behind closed doors, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. First Lady Melania Trump is hosting an AI summit earlier in the day, and some of the dinner attendees are expected to attend.
Mr. Trump has pursued close relationships with tech CEOs, hosting a number of them for White House meetings and even giving them prime access at his inauguration. A number of those CEOs donated to his inauguration fund.
Will Melania Trump appear on the cover of Vanity Fair? The question has been the source of much media gossip this week, after Semafor reported that the magazine’s new global editorial director, Mark Guiducci, “told people he’s potentially interested” in putting the First Lady on the cover as part of a broader effort to woo conservative readers.
Within hours, the Daily Mailreported that Vanity Fair staffers were threatening to revolt if Giuducci followed through with the idea:
“I will walk out the motherf – – – – – – door, and half my staff will follow me,” a mid–level editor told the Daily Mail on Monday, hours after Semafor reported the magazine’s new global editorial director Mark Guiducci was trying to woo Melania to star on his cover.
“We are not going to normalize this despot and his wife; we’re just not going to do it. We’re going to stand for what’s right,” the staffer continued.
“If I have to work bagging groceries at Trader Joe’s, I’ll do it. If [Guiducci] puts Melania on the cover, half of the editorial staff will walk out, I guarantee it.”
“It sickens me,” the staffer added. “Even the idea of it.”
The prospect of unrest at the publication made MAGA world salivate. Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt promised to “buy several [copies] if they would do this, just to prove a point.” And several Trump influencers, including Charlie Kirk and Laura Ingraham, were apparently duped by an obviously fake mock-up of a Melania Vanity Fair cover:
But it seems no one is going to have to have a meltdown or start a new career at Trader Joe’s. It turns out Melania — who is often not seen in public for weeks at a time — is simply too busy to sit for a magazine photo shoot. “Page Six” reported that the First Lady has absolutely no interest in a Vanity Fair cover:
A fashion source familiar with the First Lady’s thinking says she “laughed” at the Vanity Fair request in July and rejected it immediately.
“She doesn’t have time to be sitting in a photo shoot. Her priorities as First Lady are far more important … These people don’t deserve her anyway.”
The First Lady hasn’t said much about what’s on her agenda right now, but she did release a one-minute video this week announcing the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge. The final judging will take place in June 2026, and it’s unclear if Melania will be personally involved, but perhaps she needs the next nine months to prepare.
These are some of the best political memoirs of 2024. Courtesy the publishers
Women are climbing the ranks in American politics, from state positions to national offices—and in the case of Kamala Harris, holding the second-highest office as Vice President while campaigning for the U.S. presidency. Yet even as women make inroads at all levels, the political climate has grown more and more polarized, and the public discourse on power, policy and representation increasingly revolves around issues of gender. As a result, many high-profile women in politics have, in recent years, been inspired to share their stories in print, sparking an interest in books highlighting resilience in leadership, particularly from women who have overcome systemic barriers to attain influential positions.
Most recently, a new crop of biographies and memoirs by leaders like Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have pulled back the curtain on not only powerful women’s political perspectives and decision-making processes but also their personal lives. The six recently published memoirs we’ve chosen to feature here highlight these leaders’ unique contributions to governance and American culture while offering an insider’s view of pivotal national events. They’re not always easy reads, but they’re all worth reading.
The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman Speaker of the House by Nancy Pelosi
The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman Speaker of the House by Nancy Pelosi. Simon & Schuster
Nothing could have prepared Nancy Pelosi, 84, for the 2022 attack on her husband, Paul, at their San Francisco home. She opens her second book—her first, Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters, was published in 2008—by recounting this traumatic incident that shook her family’s sense of security. She writes that Paul, still unable to speak about it, bears the scars of that night both emotionally and physically. Pelosi’s commitment to and fight for democracy began in an era when few women held political office. Since then, she has been re-elected to the House eighteen times and served as the first female Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. Throughout her career, she has consistently prioritized children and their futures, describing them as the cornerstone of her platform and the guiding lens for her political decisions, a theme she expands on in her latest book.
Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love and Liberty by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love and Liberty by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Simon & Schuster
In her latest book, former First Lady and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took her editor’s advice to heart: to write as though she’s chatting with guests at a dinner party, blending political and personal stories. Each chapter reads like an essay, offering deep insights into her life beyond politics, including her close friendship with Canadian mystery novelist Louise Penny, her admiration for Joni Mitchell and the loyalty of her grade-school friends. Yet Clinton also writes about her efforts to help evacuate Afghan women to safety and describes the routine she and her husband, Bill, maintain, checking in with each other at the end of each day no matter where they are in the world. And she definitely doesn’t shy away from addressing her 2016 presidential election loss to Donald Trump or his persistent claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “Every day, I make an effort to turn my eyes to the future instead,” she reflects.
With just days remaining before the upcoming presidential election, former First Lady Trump has largely stayed out of the public eye. True to form, those hoping her book will offer insights into her politics may be disappointed—this quick read reveals little about her personal politics beyond her support for abortion rights and her opposition to the violence of the January 6 Capitol Riots. In this straightforward memoir, she reflects on her Slovenian upbringing, life in the spotlight, her relationship with Donald, her fashion career, the joy of motherhood and her advocacy work. She also discusses her entrepreneurial ventures, such as her jewelry line and skincare brand, and the pride she took in building her own career apart from her husband, even as her projects encountered setbacks. The publisher billed Melania Trump’s memoir as “an in-depth account of a woman who has led a remarkable life on her own terms,” and in that regard, it certainly delivers.
Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney
Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney. Little, Brown and Company
Cheney’s sharply focused book addresses her decision to be one of only ten Republicans (and the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House) to vote for Trump’s impeachment following the January 6 insurrection in 2021. This action led to her removal as chair of the House Republican Conference. Her appointment by Speaker Pelosi to the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol provided her with a direct avenue to share her account. The book’s title references the oath every elected official, including the President, swears, pledging allegiance to the Constitution above party loyalty. Cheney clarifies the “warning” in her subtitle on the last page of the prologue: “We cannot make the grave mistake of returning Donald Trump—the man who caused Jan. 6—to the White House, or to any position of public trust, ever again.”
Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson
Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson. Penguin Random House
When President Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court in 2022, it marked a historic milestone: she became the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the United States. Jackson opens her memoir with that pivotal scene, describing the moment she’s ushered into the room to take her oath, before moving into the story of her parents’ and grandparents’ struggles with segregation. Her Miami childhood is marked by hope and more opportunity than her forebears knew, as her parents work tirelessly to support her success. But Ketanji is already a bright, curious and reflective child—qualities that will carry her through Harvard, into motherhood and marriage, and ultimately to the Supreme Court. Her name, translated by her aunt, a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, means “lovely one,” which inspired the memoir’s title.
The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Campaign, a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and Life’s Other Unexpected Curveballs by Amy Klobuchar
The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Campaign, a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and Life’s Other Unexpected Curveballs by Amy Klobuchar. Macmillan
Minnesota-born U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar gained national prominence as a Democratic contender in the 2020 presidential race. Her journey since then has been a whirlwind both publicly and personally: she stood alongside former Vice President Mike Pence on the night of January 6, as he certified President Biden’s victory amidst the insurrection, and in her personal life, she faced the loss of her father to Alzheimer’s, her husband’s COVID-19 hospitalization and oxygen support, and her own cancer diagnosis. Klobuchar’s humor and grounded personality shine through in her fourth book, starting with a lighthearted moment in the opening paragraph where her husband jokes about his “long-haul symptom”—his desire to avoid cleaning out the basement yet again—showcasing her resilience and strength.
Vice President Kamala Harris sits for an interview with Alex Cooper on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
Call Her Daddy
Vice President Kamala Harris was all business in an interview on the sex-positive “Call Her Daddy” podcast that aired Sunday.
Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, spent the bulk of the roughly 40-minute conversation litigating her case against Donald Trump, blasting the Republican nominee’s track record on abortion and women’s rights.
“There are now 20 states with Trump abortion bans,” Harris told “Call her Daddy” host Alex Cooper. “This is the same guy that said women should be punished for having abortions.”
In 2022, three Supreme Court justices whom Trump nominated during his presidency were part of a majority that overturned Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that for a half-century had said there was a federal right to abortion. The decision allowed individual states to restrict or permit abortions as they saw fit.
The “Call Her Daddy” podcast is largely popular with young women, a voter base Harris already polls strongly with.
But the podcast does not typically broach political topics, Cooper noted.
“I am so aware I have a very mixed audience when it comes to politics, so please hear me when I say my goal today is not to change your political affiliation,” Cooper said on the podcast before she began interviewing Harris.
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Harris’ appearance on “Call Her Daddy” is part of a larger media storm her campaign has scheduled for the upcoming week, an attempt to elbow Trump out of the news cycle.
Earlier Sunday, Trump’s wife, former first lady Melania Trump, doubled down on her own pro-choice abortion stance, bucking the Republican party line in a Fox News interview.
