From the Oval Office to the Trump Kennedy Center, the gilded makeover expands

Since his return to office, President Donald Trump has undertaken a series of changes aimed at reshaping the look and feel of the White House and other iconic Washington landmarks.

Over the weekend, the president announced in a Truth Social post that the Trump Kennedy Center will close later this year for a two-year renovation.

He said the decision followed a yearlong review involving contractors, arts experts and other advisers. He added that the temporary closure would allow the renovations to be completed faster and at a higher quality than if construction were carried out while performances continued. It was not immediately clear what renovations were planned, how much it would cost and what would happen to the scheduled performances.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES TWO-YEAR CLOSURE OF TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER FOR MAJOR RENOVATIONS

The Trump Kennedy Center renovations are the latest in a series of design projects the former real estate developer has pursued since returning to the White House. Read on to learn more about how the world's most famous real estate developer is leaving his mark on Washington.

In October, Trump unveiled a new monument dubbed the "Arc de Trump," which is planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.

At a White House ballroom fundraising dinner, Trump shared additional details about the newest monument planned for the nation’s capital. He said he was presented with three arch models in varying sizes — small, medium and large — and said his preference was for the largest one. 

TRUMP REVEALS ARC DE TRIOMPHE-STYLE MONUMENT FOR AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

If Trump chooses the largest proposed design, the arch would rise 250 feet, eclipsing the height of the Lincoln Memorial and rivaling the U.S. Capitol dome.

The monument, a near twin of Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe, is meant to welcome visitors crossing the Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the heart of the nation’s capital.

Trump's taste for opulence is unmistakable in the Oval Office, where golden accents now decorate the nation’s most iconic workspace, a reflection of his personal style. Last March, Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham during a tour of the Oval Office that the room "needed a little life" when asked about the gold details.

TRUMP GAVE THE OVAL OFFICE A GILDED MAKEOVER – AND COVERED THE COST HIMSELF

"Throughout the years, people have tried to come up with a gold paint that would look like gold, and they've never been able to do it," Trump told Ingraham. "You've never been able to match gold with gold paint, that's why it's gold," Trump added.

Since then, Trump has added gold accents throughout the Oval Office to include decorative details along the ceiling and around the doorway trim. Even the cherubs inside the door frames were given a gilded makeover.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle previously told Fox News Digital that the gold Trump added to the Oval Office "is of the highest quality," declining to provide further details. 

The spokesperson also said that Trump personally covered the cost of the gold accents, though they did not specify how much gold was added or how much Trump spent.

Outside the Oval Office, the Trump administration unveiled the "Presidential Walk of Fame," a series of portraits of past presidents now displayed along the West Wing colonnade. The portrait of former President Joe Biden features his signature, created with an autopen, a machine that holds a pen and reproduces a person’s handwriting through programmed movements.

WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS PRESIDENTIAL WALK OF FAME WITH BIDEN PORTRAIT REPLACED BY AUTOPEN IMAGE

The Trump administration has also installed several large mirrors in gold frames along the walkway.

Trump said he renovated the Lincoln bathroom in the White House because it did not reflect the style of President Abraham Lincoln's era. 

"I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House. It was renovated in the 1940s in an Art Deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era," Trump wrote in an Oct. 31 Truth Social post.

"I did it in black and white polished statuary marble. This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and in fact could be the marble that was originally there," he added. 

No immediate details were available on the cost of the bathroom renovation.

Among the largest projects currently underway is a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom designed to accommodate roughly 650 seated guests. 

On July 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the planned construction of the sprawling ballroom. "The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building's entrance," Leavitt said during a press briefing, adding the new ballroom will be "a much-needed and exquisite addition."

SPRAWLING NEW $200M WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM TO BE PAID FOR BY TRUMP AND DONORS

The White House does not have a formal ballroom, and the new ballroom will take the place of the East Wing. Construction has already begun on the White House grounds, and the estimated cost is north of $200 million and will be financed by Trump and private donors.

Ahead of Independence Day, Trump also personally financed the installation of two 88-foot flagpoles with American flags in front of and behind the White House, each reportedly costing around $50,000. The new flags on the North and South Lawns were raised at a June 18 ceremony.

Elsewhere on the White House grounds, Trump directed the addition of stone pavers to the Rose Garden lawn, a change designed to better accommodate press conferences and ceremonial events.

Framed by magnolia and crabapple trees, the Rose Garden has hosted everything from diplomatic welcomes to first lady initiatives.

The White House declined to say what additional renovation projects were in the works.

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Senate Republicans push for House GOP rebellion against funding package, voter ID legislation

A pair of Senate Republicans are pushing their House counterparts to reject the Trump-backed shutdown deal unless it includes Homeland Security funding and election integrity legislation. 

Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are calling on House Republicans to push back against the Senate-passed funding package, which includes bills to fund five agencies including the Pentagon, as a partial government shutdown continues on. 

They contended that the package needs to be retooled, and must include a modified version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, which was stripped out after Senate Democrats threatened to blow up the government funding process. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS MUTINY SCHUMER’S DEAL WITH WHITE HOUSE, THREATENING LONGER SHUTDOWN

Doing so could extend what was expected to be a short-term shutdown.

Scott said congressional Democrats would "NEVER fund DHS" and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He voted against the package twice, arguing that the spending levels would further bloat the nation’s eye-popping $38 trillion national debt, and that the billions in earmarks betrayed Republicans’ previous vows of fiscal restraint.

"If House Republicans don’t put the DHS bill back in, add the SAVE America Act and remove the wasteful earmarks, Democrats win," Scott said. "We must protect our homeland, secure our elections and end the reckless spending NOW!"

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES THREATEN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY MEASURE

Lee also rejected the package in the Senate because of earmarks. He also agreed with Scott, and pushed for his SAVE America Act, which he introduced alongside Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., to be included.

"To my friends in the House GOP: Please put DHS funding back in, then add the SAVE America Act," Lee wrote on X. 

The updated version of the SAVE Act would require that people present photo identification before voting, states to obtain proof of citizenship in-person when people register to vote and to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. 

But their demands run counter to the desire of President Donald Trump, who brokered a truce with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to strip the DHS bill following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti during an immigration operation in Minneapolis in order to ram the funding package through the Senate.

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AGAIN AFTER DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER DHS FUNDING

And any changes to the deal, like including the SAVE America Act or adding the DHS bill, would send the package back to the Senate, where Schumer and his caucus would likely reject it. 

That would create a back-and-forth between the chambers that would further prolong what was meant to be a temporary shutdown.

Their demands also place House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in a precarious position, given that several House Republicans want to extract concessions from congressional Democrats. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is already leading a charge to include the SAVE Act in the funding package. 

Johnson will have to shore up any resistance among his conference, given that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made clear to the speaker that any attempt to fast-track the legislation on Monday, when the House returns, would fail.

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Jordon Hudson planning 'huge bash' to celebrate Bill Belichick during Hall of Fame ceremony after snub: report

Bill Belichick being left out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot sent shockwaves around the NFL world earlier in the week.

While Belichick has yet to make an official comment on the snub, his girlfriend Jordon Hudson is reportedly set to make a statement in August when the class of 2026 is officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"Jordon is planning to throw Bill a huge bash on the same day as the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony," an insider told People Magazine.

Big names were reportedly going to be invited to the celebration, including "outspoken supporters" of Belichick who reacted to the snub. Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Patrick Mahomes, LeBron James and Jimmy Johnson were all shocked by the development.

"Tom Brady, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells and others who were planning on attending Bill’s HOF induction ceremony in Canton are invited," the insider told the magazine.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION BRENT JONES SAYS NFL TIGHT END POSITION IS 'EXCITING TO WATCH' AFTER PRODUCTIVE SEASONS

Belichick reportedly missed the first-ballot honor by one vote. The electors were tasked to choose three among Belichick, Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, L.C. Greenwood and Robert Kraft.

Gronkowski shared his thoughts about the snub with Fox News Digital.

"It's very asinine that he was not a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It's just absolutely absurd," he said last week. "Guy has eight rings, second-most wins of all time, most wins in the playoffs.

"This guy not only has a great resume, but he has also touched so many lives in the game of football in very positive ways. From players to coaches, he gave so many people opportunities and fair opportunities as well to succeed in life. And that's what he sure has done. And it's just unbelievable that he wasn't selected. He's obviously going to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but it was just absurd it wasn't the first ballot."

The class will officially be announced on Thursday.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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'Melania' buried with low critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, scores 99% with verified audience

First lady Melania Trump's new documentary, "Melania," was panned by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, receiving a 11% approval rating — as of Sunday — despite scoring 99% with the site's "verified audience."

The first lady hosted the debut of her new film on Thursday, which provides an up-close look at her life across 20 days before the inauguration of the 47th president as she and President Donald Trump prepared to return to the White House. 

Despite receiving high praise from verified viewers, "Melania" was ripped by critics who were unimpressed by the film, with some arguing it was produced as "propaganda" for the Trump administration.

'MELANIA' FILM LEAVES PREMIERE AUDIENCE 'INSPIRED' AS PRODUCER SLAMS MEDIA FOR YEARS OF UNFAIR TREATMENT

"This is not a film concerned at all with the America of today; it is propaganda that serves the formation of a future non-democracy," wrote Screen-Space's Simon Foster.

Adam Olinger, host of the popular film review YouTube channel "Adam Does Movies," said he'd "rather rewatch January 6th."

On the other side of the argument, the reviews from Rotten Tomatoes' "verified audience" praised the film for its portrayal of America and Trump's inauguration from the first lady's perspective.

"A wonderful look into the life of the United States First Lady. Absolutely fascinating, perfect music choices for every scene. The USA is definitely represented most eloquently through Melania Trump. All scenes with Barron Trump are delightful. Highly recommend this movie," wrote one viewer.

MELANIA TRUMP OPENS UP ABOUT SON BARRON'S CAMPAIGN ROLE, LIFE BEHIND THE SCENES BEFORE 2025 INAUGURATION

"An absolutely delightful peek behind the scenes of the days before, during and after the inauguration. So many special moments captured and [I'm] so grateful Melania decided to share them with the American people," wrote another user.

Popular pop culture X account "DiscussingFilm" posted the documentary's Rotten Tomatoes scores, highlighting the film's low critic rating.

Users were quick to point out that despite the post's focus on critics' unfavorable reviews, "Melania" had scored a knock-out 99% among verified users.

Leigh Wolf, executive producer of the "Ruthless Podcast," commented below the post, slamming the critics as "a bunch of salty libs trying to ingratiate themselves to their equally unimpressive lefty friends."

MELANIA TRUMP'S LONGTIME MAKEUP ARTIST SAYS SHE WAS CANCELED FOR WORKING WITH FIRST FAMILY

"But it has 99% audience score?" another X user wrote. "I wasn’t going to watch it, but now maybe I will!"

At Thursday's premiere, several VIPs who walked the red carpet praised the first lady and hoped the documentary would show the public the side of her that they see.

"I hope they get to see what I see," U.S. Attorney Alina Habba told Fox News Digital. "She is incredibly astute. She is incredibly involved. She does everything with grace. She has taken the punches right next to him and always held herself out with such grace. And I'm happy that for a woman who's a girl boss, who's literally a legend, and should have been on the cover of Vogue, she's going to have her time to shine."

"I consider her a good friend," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. "She is the kindest, smartest, most wonderful friend, obviously very private, and just does it her way. So I think we get to see a little bit of that in the movie tonight. She's just such a breath of fresh air because she literally, almost like President Trump, and this is why they're such a good match. She's just going to do it her way."

According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Melania" is on track to open to a better-than-expected $8 million or more at the North American box office as of early Friday.

Fox News Digital's Cortney O'Brien and Nikos Degruccio contributed to this report.

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Driverless Waymo vehicle strikes child in California

An autonomous vehicle struck a student in Santa Monica last week, but the victim was not injured, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

The Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "On January 23, 2026, at approximately 8:31 a.m., Santa Monica Police Department officers responded to a traffic collision involving an autonomous vehicle and a student near 24th Street and Pearl Street, adjacent to Grant Elementary School."

"Preliminary information indicates the student entered the roadway outside the available crosswalk and away from the on duty crossing guard, and was involved in a low speed, non-injury collision with the vehicle," the statement continued.

UBER UNVEILS A NEW ROBOTAXI WITH NO DRIVER BEHIND THE WHEEL

"Santa Monica Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and evaluated the student. No injuries were reported, and the student’s parent was present. Officers conducted an on scene investigation, and the incident remains under review," the statement concluded.

Waymo, a company that falls under Alphabet's umbrella, issued a statement about the incident.

"Following the event, we voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that same day. NHTSA has indicated to us that they intend to open an investigation into this incident, and we will cooperate fully with them throughout the process," the company noted in the statement.

PRIVATE AUTONOMOUS PODS COULD REDEFINE RIDE-SHARING

"The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle's path. Our technology immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle. The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made," the company asserted.

Waymo suggested that the vehicle had slowed down faster than a human driver would have under such circumstances.

"To put this in perspective, our peer-reviewed model shows that a fully attentive human driver in this same situation would have made contact with the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph. This significant reduction in impact speed and severity is a demonstration of the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver," the company declared.

CAN AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS REALLY MAKE HIGHWAYS SAFER?

"Following contact, the pedestrian stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and we called 911. The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed there until law enforcement cleared the vehicle to leave the scene," Waymo noted.

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Minnesota Gov Walz, AG Ellison to testify in House investigation into alleged $9B welfare fraud

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced Wednesday that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison will testify under oath next month as part of a congressional investigation into a massive fraud scandal involving the state's welfare programs.

Walz and Ellison will testify at a hearing on "Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II" on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 10 a.m. EST, the committee says.

Walz, who said this week he is not running for political office again, has become the public face of the fraud scandal which exploded under his watch and could total as much as $9 billion of taxpayer funds, according to prosecutors. 

"Americans deserve answers about the rampant misuse of taxpayer dollars in Minnesota’s social services programs that occurred on Governor Walz’s and Attorney General Ellison’s watch. The House Oversight Committee recently heard sworn testimony from Minnesota state lawmakers who stated that Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison failed to act to stop this widespread fraud and retaliated against whistleblowers who raised concerns," Comer said in a press release. 

FROM CONGRESS, TO VP NOMINEE TO DISGRACED FORMER GOVERNOR: A LOOK AT THE RISE AND FALL OF TIM WALZ

"We look forward to questioning Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison under oath about this scandal to ensure transparency and accountability for the American people, and to advance solutions to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and impose stronger penalties on those who defraud taxpayers."

The House Oversight Committee launched its investigation in December 2025 after federal prosecutors uncovered what lawmakers say is extensive fraud and money laundering across Minnesota’s social services system. According to the committee, criminals have stolen an estimated $9 billion in taxpayer funds intended to feed children, support autistic children, house low-income and disabled Americans, and provide healthcare to vulnerable Medicaid recipients.

As part of the probe, Comer has demanded documents and communications from Walz and Ellison related to the alleged fraud. He has also requested that the U.S. Department of the Treasury provide all relevant Suspicious Activity Reports, or SARs, and ordered transcribed interviews with current and former Minnesota state officials. Those interviews are scheduled to conclude in February.

SCATHING AUDIT REVEALS MORE FRAUD CONCERNS INSIDE TOP MINNESOTA AGENCY WITH FABRICATED DOCUMENTS, 'MISCONDUCT'

The investigation gained new momentum in January after the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor released a report finding that the Department of Human Services’ Behavioral Health Administration failed to comply with most requirements and lacked adequate internal controls to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

On Jan. 7, the Oversight Committee held the first hearing in the series, where Minnesota lawmakers testified about what they described as years of ignored warnings and systemic failures.

Ellison's role and alleged lack of oversight in the developing fraud scandal has raised questions as well, including over a 2021 audio recording of him meeting with members of the Somali community who would soon be convicted of defrauding millions of dollars in taxpayer money.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz and Ellison's office for comment.

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7 Republicans join Dems to block major government funding package as shutdown looms

Senate Democrats stayed true to their threat by blocking a behemoth funding package, but in a surprising turn of events, they were joined by several Senate Republicans to derail the legislation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus made it no secret that they would obstruct the government funding process over the last several days, demanding that Republicans strip the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill from the six-bill package. 

But the defection of seven GOP lawmakers – Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R- Utah, Ashley Moody, R-Fla., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. – was an unexpected development on Thursday. 

Senate Democrats are willing to support the five other bills in the package, however, and have reiterated that bundle would easily pass if given the chance. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN

"Democrats are ready to avert a shutdown," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"We have five bills we all agree on. About 95% of the remaining budget. It is ready to go," she continued. "We can pass those five bills, no problem. All Leader Thune has to do is tee them up for a vote."

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sought to call their bluff and barreled forward with the key test vote, which would have opened up several hours of debate and eventually a final vote to send the package to President Donald Trump's desk.

Ahead of the vote, Thune said he hoped that conversations between the White House and Senate Democrats would produce the "the votes that are necessary to get it passed."

Thune threw cold water on Senate Democrats' several demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) making their way into the current package, too. 

"That's not going to happen in this bill, but there are, I mean, there's a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate, White House," Thune said. "But that's not gonna happen in this bill." 

With the six-bill package, which included major funding bills for the Pentagon and other agencies, now scuttled, Senate Republicans and the White House are looking for a plan B to keep the government open or to at least minimize the damage from a partial shutdown. 

SCHUMER ROLLS OUT LIST OF ICE DEMANDS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS DEMS 'BLOCKED' DEAL-MAKING SESSION

One option gaining momentum among Republicans would be to strip the DHS funding bill from the broader package, advance the smaller, five-bill bundle and then turn to a short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), for just Homeland Security. 

And there are ongoing negotiations among Senate Democrats and the White House on that particular idea. 

A White House official told Fox News Digital in a statement, "President Trump has been consistent — he wants the government to remain open, and the Administration has been working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another shutdown." 

"A shutdown would risk disaster response funding and more vital resources for the American people," the official said. 

But taking that route presents several hurdles and challenges, particularly with the House out until next week.

That’s because any modification to the current six-bill package would require the lower chamber to agree to it. The same is true for any CR that the Senate produces for DHS. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING

Schumer pinned the possibility of a shutdown on Thune, arguing that if he just put the five-bill package on the floor, Senate Democrats would support it. 

"Well, let me tell you first, if funding lapses, it's all because of Leader Thune," Schumer said. "It's on his back."

House Republicans have already signaled their unwillingness to support a modified funding package, and turning to a CR is a simmering taboo that many Republicans in the lower chamber aren’t likely to be happy with.

But it’s an option that could be gaining steam with Schumer and the White House, despite Trump administration officials blaming the top Senate Democrat for canning a meeting among rank-and-file Senate Democrats and the administration on Wednesday. 

Turning to a CR would be an about-face for Senate Democrats, too. Last week they argued that a short-term extension for DHS would amount to a "slush fund" for Trump and the administration to use in their immigration operations with no guardrails.

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