“The Trump administration broke the law when it withheld funding for the nation’s libraries, a nonpartisan government watchdog said on Monday, a finding that inches the White House another step closer to a legal showdown over its powers to reconfigure the country’s spending,” the New York Times reports.

“The decision by the Government Accountability Office was the second time in two months that oversight officials have found fault in the ways that President Trump and his top aides have tried to circumvent lawmakers in their quest to reshape the federal budget so that it conforms with their political views.”

New York Times: “The drama offers a case study in how Elon Musk’s team sought to run a critical government agency through misinformation and social media blasts — and how longtime employees responded.”

“They knew that these were losing positions from the beginning and were not actually hoping to win in court, but rather to intimidate firms into settling, as many firms did. Now that they have racked up the four losses in district courts, it is not surprising that they are not appealing, because I don’t think they ever thought these were serious positions.”

— Cornell law professor W. Bradley Wendel, quoted by the New York Times, on President Trump’s strategy of targeting big law firms with executive orders and not appealing his losses.

Benjamin Wallace-Wells: “Even before Musk fell out with Donald Trump, the agency’s projected savings had plummeted. But he nevertheless managed to inflict lasting damage to the federal government.”

“President Donald Trump deemed his multimillion dollar military birthday parade a ‘tremendous success’ Sunday, despite it being dwarfed by the thousands protesting against his presidency on the same day,” the Daily Beast reports.

Said Trump: “Last night was a tremendous success with a fantastic audience. It was supposed to rain, they gave it a 100% chance of rain and it didn’t rain at all. It was beautiful.”

He added: “And so I asked, if they gave it a 100% chance, right? 100% it was going to rain like crazy—and it didn’t rain at all—how do they predict 100 years out? And 50 years out or 200 years out? They didn’t do too well the weather people last night, but it was beautiful.”

The Wrap: Dismal scenes from Trump’s military parade.

“The vast majority of American adults believe the Trump administration must comply with federal court orders, though the president’s strongest supporters are split over the issue,” according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll.

“In the poll, 81% of U.S. adults say that if a federal court rules that an administration action is illegal, then the administration has to follow its ruling, while 19% say the administration can ignore the ruling and continue its action.”

President Donald Trump told ABC News on Sunday that he “may” call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a political assassination sent shockwaves through the state.

Said Trump: “Well, it’s a terrible thing. I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too.”

President Trump disclosed over $600 million in income and $1.6 billion in assets in a new financial disclosure, the Washington Post reports.

Daily Beast: “Commenters on social media were quick to note that at several points throughout the parade, First Lady Melania Trump appeared to almost be dozing off, or at least resting her eyes at multiple intervals.”

“At the very least, she looked incredibly bored, as did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Seated between them, Trump looked disappointed or disconcerted—whatever he was feeling, the sour expression on his face suggested it was not an overly positive emotion.”

New York Times: Melania Trump suits up for the military parade.

“President Trump began the week of his 79th birthday reeling from his explosive public breakup with Elon Musk,” Axios reports.

“He ended it with tanks in the capital, Marines in Los Angeles, a Democratic senator dragged away in handcuffs, thousands of protests planned nationwide, and a new war in the Middle East.”

“In a year already brimming with ‘holy shit’ moments, the past eight days have brought unprecedented new intensity, stakes and challenges to Trump’s presidency.”

Washington Post: Trump’s parade comes at end of one of the most tumultuous weeks of his presidency.

New York Times: “For an event that relied on mesmerizing production and an awe factor for spectators, a number of logistical obstacles and muted enthusiasm were palpable on the ground.”

“Reporters for The New York Times who attended the parade described an at-times underwhelming performance and crowds dispersing early amid a light drizzle.”

Washington Post: Tanks, troops and flyovers in D.C. as Trump gets his military parade.

Graham Parsons: “Up until a week ago, the blurring of the boundaries between the administration’s ideology and the military had not yet manifested as an attempt to employ the military directly on Trump’s—or the Republican Party’s—behalf. The steps taken until that point had been mostly symbolic…”

“But these symbolic expressions of military politicization have paved the way for that endgame—presidential orders that deploy the military for directly partisan ends. In just the past week, the Trump administration responded to protests against the enforcement of his immigration policies with military deployments. The likelihood that the administration will try to use the military against its political opponents is now very high. If that comes to pass, we will then learn just how successful Trump’s efforts to politicize the military have been.”

Adam Nagourey: “This country has faced — and survived — spasms of tension and disruption before. Debate and disagreement, as well as military and even domestic conflict, are knitted into its history and DNA, from the Civil War to the antiwar demonstrations of the 1960s (not to mention two World Wars, the assassinations of four presidents and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks).”

“But two things, many historians suggest, distinguish this moment from other troubled times in our past. The first is the sheer number of conflagrations taking place at once — not only in the United States but also around the world…”

“The second thing is Trump himself. At fraught moments like this, it normally falls to the president to step up as the reassuring figure, whether it was George W. Bush heading to downtown Manhattan after the destruction of the Twin Towers in 2001, or Bill Clinton going to Oklahoma City after a truck bomb destroyed a nine-story federal building and killed 168 people in 1995.”

“Not Trump.”

“President Trump prepared on Saturday to make a show of American military might with a parade of tanks, missiles and aircraft through the heart of the nation’s capital,” the New York Times reports.

“The celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States Army has already transformed into a test of wills and competing imagery, with demonstrators around the country decrying his expansion of executive power.”

“The parade is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.”

Trump said in a post on social media that the military parade would go ahead “rain or shine.”

Nearly 2 in 3 U.S. adults — 64% — oppose the use of government funds for this weekend’s military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the Army’s 250th birthday, according to new data from the NBC News Poll.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for Washington D.C. ahead of President Trump’s $45 million military parade, scheduled for Saturday.

USA Today: “President Donald Trump’s sources of income range from luxury properties around the world to royalty payments and license fees for using his name and likeness on everything from sneakers to bibles, according to a financial disclosure form filed June 13.”

“The 234-page document covered the calendar year 2024.”

“One of the biggest money-making ventures for Trump was World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency platform launched last year. It brought in $57.3 million. His meme coin $TRUMP was not part of the form as it was only released this year.”