Savanah Hernandez of TPUSA speaks out about her being assaulted

Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez was assaulted by three anti-ICE/anti-American communist-loving cowards, in Minneapolis. The trio has been indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday involved in the attack. They have been outed by Acting AG Todd Blanche as: Christopher Ostroushko, DeYanna Ostroushko and Paige Ostroushko.

"[Savanah] Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist. That is NOT 'peaceful protest.' These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence," Blanche wrote on X.

Ms. Hernandez told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that she was "grateful" to see indictments brought against her alleged attackers. 

"I feel so grateful that the federal government is actually paying attention to assaults on journalists," she said. "For years, both myself and my friends have been attacked for doing our jobs. So, to see the DOJ and the FBI take this seriously and utilize the full force of the government and the justice system to help Americans like myself is incredible."

Happy-Go-Lucky Commies

Hernandez expressed her gratitude to the grand jury, telling them, "I'm just grateful that a grand jury was able to watch the evidence that was brought forth and come to this conclusion. Again, this isn't a left versus right issue and this wasn't the Trump DOJ that was politically persecuting people, this was a grand jury that came to this decision based off of the evidence that was brought forward."

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office finally crawled out of its progressive coma on Wednesday and announced it has charged 51-year-old Christopher Ostroushko with one count of fifth-degree assault. The news dropped right in the middle of Savanah Hernandez’s chat with Fox News Digital, prompting her to say she was "grateful that they were at least willing to bring charges forward against Chris."

Hernandez was minding her own business reporting on yet another anti-ICE temper tantrum on April 11 outside the Whipple Federal Building, an ICE field office that doubles as a detention facility, when the usual leftist circus escalated into a full-on assault. She’d already made it clear she wasn’t engaging with the protesters, just standing on the sidelines filming like any journalist with a pulse. Things went predictably pear-shaped the second the mob realized she works for TPUSA, the outfit founded by the late, great Charlie Kirk.

Video shows the predictable pack-mentality surround: a large crowd closing in, multiple moonbats screaming at her at once. Horns blasted in her face, obscenities flew, and then Christopher Ostroushko allegedly shoved her from behind while screaming in her ear as his daughter, Paige, helpfully blew a whistle right next to her head. Real classy family activity there. Frontlines TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez speaks with Fox News Digital after a grand jury indicted three people in connection with an assault on her during an anti-ICE protest. (Fox News Digital)

On video, you can hear Hernandez trying to de-escalate and leave, only to have the “peaceful” activists block her in. After four or five attacks, a deputy finally grew a spine and escorted her to safety. She walked away with a concussion, two sprains, and a collection of bruises—because nothing says “social justice” like piling on a woman with a camera.

"I was just brutally assaulted by multiple people outside of the Whipple ICE facility in Minneapolis," Hernandez wrote on X on April 11. "Multiple people swung on me and a grown man pushed me to the ground. My glasses are broken. ANTIFA still alive and well."Even liberal streamer Andrew Mercado couldn’t quite bring himself to run cover for this one, condemning the assault on X and noting that it "shouldn't have happened."

"Savannah [sic] was filming, not engaging with anyone, and it escalated into a physical confrontation that ultimately gave law enforcement a reason to step in and declare an unlawful assembly, shutting the entire protest down," Mercado wrote.

By April 15, Hernandez was forced to cancel interviews, admitting she felt "drained" and needed time to recover from the headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness. A doctor confirmed the concussion. Shocking no one who’s watched these “mostly peaceful” lefty protests over the years.

Christopher Ostroushko, meanwhile, went on “Pushing The Limits” on April 15 to insist that he and his family are "absolutely not violent people" and that they "tend to shy away from it." He claimed he wasn’t even at the front, just hanging in the back “watching what was going on.” Sure, buddy.

Hernandez wasn’t having any of the revisionist history. "if I hit them first, it would be on camera." She pointed out there are "multiple angles of Paige walking up to me as I’m standing by myself." The reporter added that DeYanna Ostroushko, Christopher's wife, was the one who "came up and started harassing me."

"At no point was I walking up to these people," Hernandez told Fox News Digital in a previous interview. "All three of them walked up to me. The mother and father shoved me first and then instructed their daughter to come assault me."

When speaking to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Hernandez recalled the attack, again saying that Christopher, Paige and DeYanna Ostroushko approached her first.TPUSA Frontlines reporter Savanah Hernandez was pushed to the ground by a protester. (Savanah Hernandez/Frontlines TPUSA)

What made it especially jarring, Hernandez noted earlier this month, is that it crossed a line that used to be pretty basic in civilized society.

"There is an aspect that or a threshold that has been passed now," she said at the time. "Typically in the United States, typically in the West... it's a basic common thing that men don't attack women that are unarmed and not touching them. So a threshold has been passed with that and that was why this was so jarring to me."

Welcome to 2026, folks. The tolerance mob’s idea of debate is still “punch first, lie about it later.” At least one of them is finally facing a charge—even if it’s only fifth-degree. Baby steps.

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Kash Patel flips Walz's script in response to viral tweet on MN fraud raids

Federal agents raided 22 businesses in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tuesday as part of a major federal fraud investigation. Brooke Taylor reported live that the operation ties directly to a viral YouTube video from Nick Shirley that blew the lid off alleged childcare funding fraud back in December. The Trump administration had already frozen the funding and demanded a full audit of suspect daycare centers.

Democrat Minnesota Governor [Tampon] Tim Walz immediately tried to take credit for the raids and got slapped down hard by FBI Director Kash Patel.

The episode highlights the deep political tensions surrounding this massive fraud probe. Critics note the scandal festered on Walz’s watch until federal authorities stepped in to clean house.

"Come again?" Patel posted on X in response to Walz, who claimed that Tuesday’s raids happened because Minnesota state agencies "caught irregular behavior and reported it."

"This FBI and DOJ with our DHS partners drafted and executed every search warrant today. But go ahead and take credit for our work while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship."

Walz’s tweet racked up more than a million views in just hours. Conservatives roasted him, pointing out that the enormous fraud exploded under his leadership and that relentless public pressure finally forced him to abandon his re-election bid."Arsonist masquerading as a firefighter," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.

"The main problem Tim Walz has now is that no one – Republican or Democrat – takes him seriously," Republican operative and Trump 2020 communications director Tim Murtaugh posted on X. "He’s proven that he’s that much of a boob."

"The same guy who spent a whole hearing dodging questions about $9 BILLION in fraud in Minnesota and talking about ICE instead is now praising fraud control," the Republican-led House Oversight Committee posted on X. "Tomorrow, we will pass legislation in the Committee to make sure it never happens again. Sit this one out, Tim."

"@GovTimWalz is a stolen valor POS," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, (R-WI), posted on X, referencing past criticisms of Walz’s military record that surfaced during the 2024 presidential campaign. "This is par for the course."

Walz singing "I Feel Pretty"

"Well, the American people know we can actually thank @nickshirleyy and @VP," Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) posted on X. Social media users also flagged an X post from the city of Minneapolis assuring residents it had nothing to do with the raids.

Federal authorities hit more than 20 locations, including childcare facilities, in Minneapolis on Tuesday in a sweeping fraud investigation targeting largely Somali-owned businesses, sources confirmed to Fox News.

"Today the FBI with federal, state and local law enforcement is involved in court-authorized law enforcement activity as part of an ongoing fraud investigation," a Department of Justice spokesperson said.

Authorities executed 22 federal search warrants in Minnesota Tuesday morning. Sources stressed the operation is not immigration-related.

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34,000 dead folks found on NC voter rolls

North Carolina just dropped a fun little bombshell: they have unearthed around 34,000 dead people chilling on the state's voter rolls. Because nothing says "secure elections" like a roster that includes folks who have been pushing up daisies for years. This delightful discovery comes as the Tar Heel State is also busy checking to make sure its registered voters are, you know, actual living American citizens.

According to WTDV, the North Carolina State Board of Elections stumbled upon this afterlife voter bloc after running a thorough comparison between the state's rolls and the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database, also known as SAVE.

Sam Hayes, the executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in a statement, "While we expected to find some cases, this is higher than we anticipated. The benefit of entering into cross-state and federal database checks is that it allows us to uncover issues like this. Our goal is to use every available and legal tool at our disposal to achieve the most accurate voter rolls possible."

He added, "Now, we must roll up our sleeves and begin the hard work to act of verifying that every person registered to vote in North Carolina is eligible. Our team, along with our state and federal will do what's necessary to meet this responsibility."

Democrat voting blocks

Election officials were quick to assure everyone that finding tens of thousands of deceased voters on the rolls does not necessarily mean anyone was out there committing voter fraud in their names. Of course not. Those ballots probably just filled themselves out. The state board will now team up with county officials to start the thrilling process of removing these phantom voters before the next election cycle turns into a séance. 

Democracy: it's alive and well. Mostly, but not so much for Democrats.

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Lordy, Lordy, Comey indicted for alleged threats against Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted for a second time by the Justice Department. The charges stem from that unforgettable May 2025 Instagram masterpiece: a photo of seashells arranged in "86 47" formation on a beach, evidently during one of Comey's famous nature walks.

Comey is charged with "knowingly and willfully making a threat to take the life of, or inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States and knowingly and willfully transmitting a communication in interstate and foreign commerce that contained a threat to kill President Donald Trump," according to the indictment.

Both charges, released Tuesday by the DOJ, carry up to 10 years in prison. This follows a predictable wave of Republican criticism and Trump administration officials pointing out that a former FBI boss posting what sure looked like a coded hit on the president might be, you know, a problem.

"I think it's fair to say that threatening the life of anybody is dangerous and potentially a crime threatening the life of the president of the United States will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice," Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters during a news conference without going into specifics of the case.

"While this case is unique and this indictment stands out because of the name of the defendant, his alleged conduct is the same kind of conduct that we will never tolerate and that we will always investigate and regularly prosecute," he added.

In the slang often used in the service industry, to "86" something means to eject, cancel or get rid of it, kind of the similar expression: to 'deep 6' something.  And Trump is the 47th president. A reasonable person familiar with the circumstances would interpret this image as a "serious expression of an intent to do harm" to the president, per the charges.

The indictment also includes a Forfeiture Notice. If convicted, Comey must forfeit any property or proceeds derived from his alleged unlawful activities to the government.

A grand jury issued an arrest warrant for Comey. Blanche said he expects communication with Comey's legal counsel.

U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan, a George W. Bush appointee, has been assigned to the case.

"Well, they're back. This time about a picture of seashells on a North Carolina beach a year ago," Comey said in the 39-second clip. "But nothing has changed with me. I'm still innocent. I am still not afraid and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. So let's go."

Comey added that it was "really important that all of us remember this is not who we are as a country."

"This is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be. And the good news is we get closer every day to restoring those values," he added.

In a statement to Fox News, Comey's lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said, "Mr. Comey vigorously denies the charges contained in the Indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. We will contest these charges in the courtroom and look forward to vindicating Mr. Comey and the First Amendment."

Comey removed the social media post of the shells the same day it was uploaded, claiming he had misinterpreted the shells as a general political message.

"I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message," Comey wrote in a subsequent post. "I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down."

Following the post, Comey was questioned by the U.S. Secret Service in Washington D.C. At the time, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the former FBI chief should be "put behind bars" for allegedly "issuing a call to assassinate" Trump.

In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump rejected this explanation.

"He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant," Trump said. "If you're the FBI director, and you don't know what that meant, that meant ‘assassination,’ and it says it loud and clear."

House Judiciary Ranking Member Jamie Raskin criticized the move by the DOJ, while recalling Trump's own remarks about Democratic lawmakers who urged military service members to disobey unlawful orders and his statement about former Rep. Liz Cheney.

"Trump's DOJ just criminally indicted James Comey for a beach photo of seashells and no other evidence cited," he said. "If that’s a crime in America, then what is calling the free speech of six Democratic Members of Congress ‘seditious behavior, punishable by DEATH’? What is suggesting a former Republican Member of Congress should have to ‘face nine barrels shooting at her’ with ‘the guns trained on her face’?"

This second indictment against Comey comes just hours after a federal judge in New York allowed a separate lawsuit brought by his daughter, Maurene Comey, to move forward against the DOJ.

Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor, is suing the DOJ over what she describes as an unlawful dismissal. Her lawsuit alleges she was terminated "solely or substantially because her father is former FBI Director James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both."

Comey was fired by Trump in 2017 during his first term over the handling of the Russia investigation. Since then, Comey has been a vocal critic of the president.

In September 2025, Comey was charged with lying to Congress regarding press leaks. However, a federal judge dismissed that case after ruling that the prosecutor involved had been improperly appointed. Comey’s legal team has declined to comment on this latest indictment.Earlier this month, Blanche said Trump has a "right" and a "duty" to influence federal investigations, including those involving his political enemies who probed him in the past.

"We have thousands of ongoing investigations and prosecutions going on in this country right now. It is true that some of them involve men, women and entities that the president in the past has had issues with and believes should be investigated," Blanche said at a press conference.He previously dismissed the notion that the DOJ has improperly been going after Trump opponents.

On April 14, the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group published a report accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing federal law.

Poor Jim. The seashells were just innocent little shells, you guys. Nothing to see here except a guy who ran the FBI deciding to play amateur assassination semaphore on Instagram. The left is already melting down, because of course they are. This is going to be fun.

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FBI Director turns table on Walz after viral tweet on MN fraud case

Minnesota Gov. Tim 'Rockette' Walz wasted no time sashaying in front of the cameras Tuesday to take credit for the federal fraud raids in Minneapolis. That move earned him an instant and brutal smackdown from FBI Director Kash Patel.
The whole mess highlights the growing political fireworks around this sweeping probe into fraud that critics say ran wild on Walz's watch while federal authorities are now cleaning house.
"Come again?" Patel posted on X in response to Walz, who claimed that Tuesday’s raids happened because Minnesota state agencies "caught irregular behavior and reported it."
"This FBI and DOJ with our DHS partners drafted and executed every search warrant today. But go ahead and take credit for our work while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship."
Walz’s tweet, viewed over a million times in just a few hours, was widely panned by conservatives who pointed out that the massive fraud scandal unfolded under his watch and that the public pressure was ultimately what forced him to drop his re-election bid for governor.
"Arsonist masquerading as a firefighter," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X."The main problem Tim Walz has now is that no one, Republican or Democrat, takes him seriously," Republican operative and Trump 2020 communications director Tim Murtaugh posted on X. "He’s proven that he’s that much of a boob."
"The same guy who spent a whole hearing dodging questions about $9 BILLION in fraud in Minnesota and talking about ICE instead is now praising fraud control," the Republican-led House Oversight Committee posted on X. "Tomorrow, we will pass legislation in the Committee to make sure it never happens again. Sit this one out, Tim."
".

@GovTimWalz

is a stolen valor POS," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., posted on X, referencing past criticisms of Walz’s military record that surfaced during the 2024 presidential campaign. "This is par for the course."

"Well, the American people know we can actually thank

@nickshirleyy

and

@VP

," Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) posted on X.
Others on social media pointed to an X post from the city of Minneapolis assuring citizens that it is not involved in the raids.
Federal authorities raided more than 20 locations, including childcare facilities, in Minneapolis on Tuesday as part of a sweeping fraud investigation into largely Somali-owned businesses, sources confirmed to Fox News.
"Today the FBI with federal, state and local law enforcement is involved in court-authorized law enforcement activity as part of an ongoing fraud investigation," a Department of Justice spokesperson said.
Authorities executed 22 federal search warrants in Minnesota on Tuesday morning as part of the operation, which is not immigration-related, sources said.

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Fauci's top advisor indicted as 'co-conspiritor' in huge COVID cover-up

The United States Department of Justice dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, announcing that Dr. Richard Morens, one of Dr. Anthony Fauci's most trusted lapdogs, has been indicted for his starring role in the great COVID origins cover-up.

According to the DOJ press release, Morens was "charged with conspiracy against the United States; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; concealment, removal, or mutilation of records; and aiding and abetting." To his credit, he did not get indicted for pedophilia.

Morens spent 16 years as a top adviser in the NIAID's Office of the Director, from 2006 to 2022. That would be the same joint where Fauci ran the show from 1984 to 2022.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had this to say about the indictment: "These allegations represent a profound abuse of trust at a time when the American people needed it most during the height of a global pandemic. As alleged in the indictment, Dr. Morens and his co-conspirators deliberately concealed information and falsified records in an effort to suppress alternative theories regarding the origins of COVID-19. Government officials have a solemn duty to provide honest, well-grounded facts and advice in service of the public interest not to advance their own personal or ideological agendas."

Gee, ya think?

FBI Director Kash Patel piled on in a separate statement: "Circumventing records protocols with the intention of avoiding transparency is something that will not be tolerated by this FBI. Not only did Morens allegedly engage in the illegal obfuscation of his communications, but he received kickbacks for doing so. If you have engaged in activity conspiring against the United States, we will not stop until you face justice."

At NIAID, a ton of the information those so-called "experts" possessed flowed through channels that Morens either controlled or had serious pull with. The indictment claims he used that perch to rig the data that eventually got spoon-fed to the public about COVID and where it really came from. Part of the game plan allegedly involved steering grant money away from any research that dared challenge the approved narrative. He and his crew also supposedly huddled up in emails to plot how to bury their manipulation so some pesky Freedom of Information Act request wouldn't expose them later.

"[I] learned from our foia [sic] lady here how to make emails disappear after I am foia’d [sic] but before the search starts," Morens explained in a Feb. 24, 2021, email. "Plus I deleted most of those earlier emails after sending them to gmail [sic]."

And he's a doctor [sic].

"[T]here is no worry about FOIAs. I can either send stuff to Tony [Fauci] on his private gmail [sic], or hand it to him at work or at his house," Morens wrote in an April of 2021. "He is too smart to let colleagues send him stuff that could cause trouble."

In yet another email from that same year, he told the recipients to just shoot the sensitive stuff straight to his Gmail account to skip the whole forwarding-and-deleting dance from his official accounts.

Even back in June of 2020, Morens was already thinking ahead about potential problems. "We are all smart enough to know to never have smoking guns, and if we did we wouldn’t put them in emails and if we found them we’d delete them," he wrote. Not very smart to put it in writing then, is he?

The DOJ press release notes that Morens could be looking at up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge against the United States, plus up to 20 years on each count of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations. He could also face up to three years for each count of concealment, removal, or mutilation of records. Any actual sentence if he's convicted will be up to a federal judge after checking the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. 

The chances of this clown actually serving and amount of serious time is highly questionable. They rarely go to prison even though that's where they belong.

The case was investigated by the FBI along with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Bijon A. Mostoufi for the District of Maryland.

Finally, some accountability theater for the pandemic grift machine. About time.

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Jasmine 'I Was Like Yo' Crockett social media hypocrisy re: WHCD shooting

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, (D-TX) took to social media and delivered what can only be described as a master class in Democratic messaging schizophrenia about the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend. 

In the chaos at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., gunman Cole Tomas Allen of California blasted through a security checkpoint armed with guns and knives. One Secret Service agent took a round to the chest but walked away thanks to his bulletproof vest.

The Justice Department hit Allen with charges including attempting to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and a host of administration officials were there along with members of Congress and the media. Trump and the rest were hustled off the stage while the suspect got himself detained.Crockett, who just got bounced from her Democratic primary bid for U.S. Senate this year, cranked out multiple posts on the incident. Some of them condemned political violence. Others floated the usual conspiracy theory that assassination attempts on Trump are all staged productions.

On her official X and Threads accounts, she, along with her eyelashes said, "The political violence is unacceptable and must stop. I am grateful that everyone attending tonight’s WHCD is safe." 

But on her Jasmine For US campaign Threads account, she posted, "Has there ever been a president have this many close 'attempts' on their life?"

"Maybe it’s lax gun laws, maybe it’s lack of mental health funding, or maybe it’s fake . . . who knows," the post continued. Fox News Digital, who originally posted this story, reached out to Crockett's office for comment. A message was also left with the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, (D-NY) seeking comment accompanied by his bizarre hand gestures.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the President pointed out that the whole mess proves the need for his proposed White House ballroom. Other administration officials and his allies in Congress jumped on the ballroom bandwagon right away. 

The dinner was hosted by the White House Correspondents' Association and not the White House, and it had more than twice as many guests as the proposed ballroom could hold. 

But the worst part was that both the President and Vice President were in the same room at the same time. I believe this is a huge mistake as the WHCD exposed. And wasn't it weird that when the shots were fired during the dinner, it was JD Vance who was first whisked out of the room while it took about 8 seconds more to get the President to safety? 

Anyway, back to the ballroom controversy.

A judge had, on multiple occasions, halted construction of the $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that it lacked congressional approval, while offering an exception for actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds.

It turns out that a basketball court, a la Obama; solar panels in 1979 by Jimmy Carter; a press briefing room that was converted a swimming pool of FDR's and also added a bowling alley by Richard Nixon; and an outdoor swimming pool added by Gerald Ford.

FDR in 1942 expanded the East Wing by adding a second story and bunker during WW2 [not WW Eleven as Ilhan Omar mentioned]. He was criticized by Congress but went ahead anyway citing wartime executive priorities.

But allowing President Donald Trump to build a large ballroom? Forget about it. He must have Congress' approval.

Final thought: have you noticed how Hakeem Jeffries, and many Democrats, are going a bit wild with their hand gestures when they speak publicly?

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King Charles arrives in US to discuss Iran war and maybe even Islam

L-R: Queen Camilla, sans hijab, King Charles, sans head rag,
President Trump and Melania Trump

The state visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles' reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from British rule.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla on the day of an afternoon tea and McDonald's at the White House. 

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in the United States on Monday for a four-day state visit. They were greeted by self-proclaimed royal fan Donald Trump, even as the president continues to have some very public differences with the British government over the war in Iran.

This whole production is easily the biggest and most important trip of Charles' time on the throne. It celebrates 250 years since we told the British to pound sand with the Declaration of Independence, and it is the first visit by a British monarch to America in two decades.

The royal couple landed at Joint Base Andrews, where diplomatic types, state officials, federal bigwigs, and British embassy staff rolled out the welcome mat. Some kids from British military families stationed here even handed over flowers. From there it was straight to the White House for the full dog-and-pony show. 

Trump and Melania greeted them warmly. There were cheek kisses from the First Lady with the king and queen, firm handshakes from the president, a quick pose for the cameras, and then everyone headed inside for private tea . . . and did someone say 'McDonald's?'

The rest of the week features a Tuesday address to Congress, a lavish state dinner back at the White House, and a Wednesday jaunt up to New York City. All of this is happening while Washington remains a bit jumpy after the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting on Saturday.

Trump has always been an unabashed fan of the British royal family and has regularly called Charles a "great man." That said, he has had some sharp disagreements with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government.

Starmer is probably hoping this visit papers over the cracks and rescues the "special relationship," which is currently in the worst shape it has seen since the Suez Crisis in 1956. The long-planned trip has gotten tangled up in a nasty political fight between the two countries over the US-Israeli war on Iran. Trump has made no secret of his deep displeasure with the British for not backing the offensive.

The 77-year-old king, who is still battling cancer, will address the US Congress on Tuesday. He will be only the second British monarch to do so.

Tea, crumpets, and McDonald's

After that the royals head to New York City to commemorate the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks ahead of the 25th anniversary. Camilla will also mark the centenary of the Winnie the Pooh stories. The trip wraps up in Virginia, where Charles will meet with folks doing conservation work. That is a nice little hat tip to his decades of environmental lecturing.

It is not known if he plans to spend time alone, but he did inquire as to the direction of Mecca. 

Britain's ambassador to the US, Christian Turner, said the visit would highlight the shared history, sacrifice, and common values between the two countries. He added that the approach would be very British: "Keep calm, carry on."

Trump has dialed back his criticism of Britain on the Iran issue in recent days. Even so, an internal Pentagon email floated the idea of reviewing the US position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands as payback for the lack of support. That certainly did not help the mood. 

One topic Charles will be working overtime to dodge is the Jeffrey Epstein mess. Royal sources say it simply is not possible for the couple to meet any of Epstein's victims during the trip, despite requests, because it could mess with potential criminal cases.

Charles' brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has seen his reputation and royal status torched by his ties to the late sex offender who supposedly committed suicide. The former Prince Andrew is facing police inquiries over those connections. 

He has denied any wrongdoing, but there are photos.

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