“President Donald Trump has installed a statue of Christopher Columbus on the White House grounds, his latest effort to remake the presidential campus and celebrate the famed and controversial explorer,” the Washington Post reports.

“Now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent, Democrat Party!”

— President Trump, on Truth Social.

Jonathan Lemire: “The absurdity of a man who avoided Vietnam due to ‘bone spurs’ dancing on the grave of a decorated combat veteran.”

New York Times: “Presiding over gatherings in the secretary’s office was just one way Mr. Lewandowski exerted power far beyond the scope of his role as unpaid adviser.”

“While he joined the department early last year in what was supposed to be a limited, part-time role, the longtime Republican operative used his perch to build an expansive portfolio in which he had wide influence over personnel, contracts and the department’s operations on the ground, according to nearly 20 current and former administration officials, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.”

“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

— President Trump, on Truth Social.

Bloomberg: “Those privately pressing Trump to strike Iran included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and some conservative commentators, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The News Corp. founder communicated with Trump several times as he urged the president to take on Tehran.”

“Meanwhile, some of Trump’s closest advisers were more muted about the prospect of an armed conflict, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.”

“Few, if any, told him directly it was an ill-conceived idea.”

New York Times: “All across Washington, some of the most powerful people in the federal government are hosting one another for dinner, comparing their rent prices and fixing leaky pipes — which, in one unfortunate case, recently flooded a cabinet secretary’s basement.”

“It sounds relatable, except for one detail: These high-ranking officials are not living in Georgetown or Kalorama or the wealthiest enclaves of Northern Virginia, as many did in administrations past. An increasing number of them are living in secure military housing.”

Zeteo: “Trump has talked to longtime advisers about what it would take to officially make his birthday a national, federal holiday.”

“Similarly, he has already repeatedly inquired about getting a Donald Trump-shaped monument built in our nation’s capital, and mentioned that he wants final approval on the size, look, location, content, and design of the statue and memorial.”

“President Trump on Friday argued he’s healthier than the Navy championship football team and got his former White House doctor to agree,” the New York Post reports.

Said Trump: “He said, I’m the healthiest human being he’s ever seen. Ronny – Am I healthier than these guys back here?”

Shouted Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who was in the audience: “Yes sir.”

“The 2030 U.S. census is poised to look very different than the one released in 2020. It’s not necessarily because the country’s demographics are radically changing — but because the Trump administration is radically changing who it wants to count and how it’s counting them,” NOTUS reports.

“President Donald Trump has renewed his calls for the U.S. Census Bureau to not count undocumented residents — a demand that remains legally tenuous. And last month, the administration announced changes to field testing, reducing the locations it will run test surveys and only offering those surveys in English.”

“A federal arts panel comprised of members appointed by Donald Trump on Thursday unanimously approved a commemorative gold coin featuring his image, the latest effort by the administration to celebrate the president,” Reuters reports.

“The U.S. Mint will now produce final dimensions for ⁠the coin. Trump has already approved the design and it is expected that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a Trump loyalist, will order the coin to be minted.”

Rachel Bade: “A person close to Gabbard tells me this afternoon that she has no plans to resign anytime soon — war or no.”

“The real question is what Trump thinks of Gabbard’s performance. I reported last summer that he grew annoyed with her cryptic video warning about getting sucked into a deadly nuclear war — a missive she posted as Trump was deliberating about whether to strike Iran. But more recently, I hear she’s won favor for that little election-security jaunt to Georgia — a topic that has always been dear to the president’s heart.”

“It’s worth noting that Trump has a reputation for welcoming debate among his advisors. He doesn’t mind disagreement and believes conflicting points of view offer a fuller spectrum of possibilities. But Trump also expects his advisors to be team players. And I have wondered how he’s taking Gabbard’s frequent dodging on these matters.”

“A person familiar with their relationship tells me the president has sought Gabbard’s input on Iran multiple times in recent weeks. He’s called her to the White House for one-on-ones to get her thoughts — and I’m told he knows exactly where she stands, even if she cannot articulate those disagreements publicly.”

Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed in the wide-ranging “grand conspiracy” case against the ex-officials who investigated and prosecuted President Trump, Axios reports.

“The Trump administration’s grand conspiracy theory posits that Democratic officials bent the rules, broke the law and lied under oath to investigate, prosecute and otherwise undermine Trump from his election in 2016 through his federal indictments in 2023.”

New York Times: “Across both of his terms, Mr. Trump has granted clemency to more than 70 allies, donors and others convicted in fraud cases. In his second term, Mr. Trump’s pace of pardoning those convicted of fraud has increased. In the first year of his second term, he handed out nearly three dozen pardons and commutations for people accused of fraud.”

“Mr. Trump is unabashed about using the government to reward friends and supporters and punish foes. Still, his handling of fraud cases stands out. Not only are there striking similarities between some of the crimes that were prosecuted and those that were pardoned, but the president also has excused some of those who have stolen the most.”

“President Donald Trump and his allies are attacking news organizations for their coverage of the Iran war, a conflict the administration says is going well for ​the United States but is unpopular with the public and has plunged the Middle East into chaos,” Reuters reports.

“While Trump has for years disparaged news coverage he deems unfavorable, his recent ‌comments mark an escalation of threats against the news media. Some press freedom advocates worry about a chilling effect on journalism during wartime, and point to freedoms of speech and the press enshrined in the Constitution.”

“Two companies with ties to veteran political operatives received at least $23 million in commissions for their role in the controversial Department of Homeland Security ad campaign that helped lead to Secretary Kristi Noem’s ouster,” Politico reports.

The Economist: “Never bet against Donald Trump. No politician can defy political gravity like the man whose supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6th 2021, only for him to be re-elected in 2024 with a bigger share of the vote. And yet it is hard to imagine a crisis more precisely engineered to intercept the trajectory of his presidency than his ill-judged, heedless war against Iran. Even a short war will alter the course of his second term. One that lasts months could bring it crashing to earth.”

“The reason is that the fight against Iran diminishes Mr Trump’s three political superpowers: his ability to impose his own reality on the world, his remorseless use of leverage and his dominion over the Republican Party. Even without Iran, the potency of these Trumpian strengths was likely to wane after the midterm elections. Wars accelerate change.”

The UFC fight President Trump is holding on the White House’s South Lawn on June 14 is — at least according to him — the “hottest ticket that I’ve ever seen,” Axios reports.

“Donors, lobbyists, members of Congress and well-connected fans are clamoring for tickets.”

“But in a Trumpian twist of marketing, the tickets’ elusiveness is building buzz for the event, which will be on the president’s birthday, and Flag Day, in the run-up to America’s 250th on July Fourth.”