'Making D.C. Beautiful Again': Freedom Plaza reopens in time for America's 250th anniversary
Secretary Doug Burgum via X govt. account
OAN Staff Sophia Flores 4:56 PM – Tuesday, June 30, 2026
The U.S. Department of the Interior has officially welcomed visitors back to a newly updated Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., completing renovations just in time for the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations.
On Tuesday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, joined by National Park Service leadership, delivered remarks at the plaza’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. Burgum opened by thanking Donald Trump for his vision to beautify and “transform” the nation’s capital, crediting the administration with providing the resources necessary for his department to help restore Washington, D.C., to its former grandeur.
“I hope that those that visit this plaza will leave here with inspiration for the future, believing what those patriots believed,” Burgum stated when speaking about the historical significance of the 15 statues that are part of the “Spirit of ‘76” exhibit.
As part of his Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative, we reopened yet ANOTHER renovated @NatlParkService site, Freedom Plaza, which has been revitalized to honor the heroes of the American Revolution and celebrate 250 years of independence. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TT2NcLIMRy
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) June 30, 2026
According to the National Park Service the statues include:
1 Spirit of Liberty Statue: The large central bronze piece serving as the anchor for the new exhibit.
1 Caesar Rodney Equestrian Statue: The large monument of the Delaware Founding Father on horseback, which was relocated here after it was moved by local officials in June 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter protests.
12 Soldiers of the Revolution: Bronze statues depicting twelve specific Revolutionary War figures (including Peter Salem, James Lafayette, and Samuel Whittemore) arranged in a civic tableau.
1 Prison Ship Martyrs Relief: A sculpted historical plaque/monument honoring those who died on British prison ships.
In addition, the plaza also features one permanent historic monument that has been a part of the plaza for decades.
1 General Casimir Pulaski Equestrian Statue: This large bronze monument honoring the Polish-born Revolutionary War cavalry hero stands permanently at the northeast corner of the plaza and has been there since 1910.
Addressing the crowd, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins noted that the blueprint for remodeling Freedom Plaza actually originated during Trump’s first term. She recalled that watching the widespread removal of statues during the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests had left her feeling hopeless about the nation’s future — a sentiment she likened to the uncertainty Americans felt at the dawn of the Revolutionary War.
“This president and this extraordinary secretary of the interior, amongst a lot of other priorities, have in such a short time made Washington, D.C., beautiful and great again,” Rollins declared.
Today, we cut the ribbon on the new Freedom Plaza and unveiled 13 new statues honoring the heroes of the American Revolution.
For a time, it all seemed hopeless. We watched statues torn down, our history erased, and many wondered if America was losing sight of who we are.
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 30, 2026
Notably, a commemorative plaque marking the 250th anniversary of the United States of America’s founding has since been installed at the Freedom Plaza. According to a press release, it is meant to serve as a tribute to the generations of Americans’ “hard work, sacrifice and commitment to liberty.”
“This memorial recognizes the countless individuals whose efforts laid the foundation for our freedoms and prosperity,” the release states.
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Vice President JD Vance pointed out the “silver lining” of the Supreme Court’s ruling rejecting President Donald Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship was that the vote was 5-4, showing that “the concept of birthright citizenship is hanging by a thread.”
During an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on The Ingraham Angle, Vance expressed that the Supreme Court’s ruling was a “major, major mistake.” Vance pointed out that pregnant foreign nationals can come to the United States “on a vacation, give birth” and then their child and family “have the full benefits of American citizenship.”
“One of the things we’re going to have to do is just continue to enforce the border,” Vance said. “This is a very disappointing ruling from the Supreme Court, of course we respect it, but we also think it was a major, major mistake. As Justice’s Alito and Thomas pointed out. One of the things it might invite is people to come here, quite literally on a vacation, give birth and then all of a sudden, the child and their family have the full benefits of American citizenship. It’s just a preposterous ruling.”
While Vance acknowledged that many conservatives were disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling, he pointed out that “a lot of legal experts expected this case to go the wrong direction by 7-2, or even 8-1.”
“The fact that this case was a 5-4 decision effectively, means that the concept of birthright citizenship, which is an absurdity to the Fourteenth Amendment, that concept is hanging by a thread,” Vance continued. “What I take from that is, yes, we’ve got to fix the immigration system even more, we have to be even more aware of who is coming into our country to make sure that they are not benefiting from this atrocious Supreme Court ruling. But, it also means that we have to keep fighting, because we actually have an opportunity to reverse this decision just as we’ve reversed so many bad decisions throughout the generations.”
Vance’s comments come after the Supreme Court voted 5-4 against Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship.
Breitbart News’s Neil Munro reported that although the court’s decision was 6-3, Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out that “Trump and other politicians can change the rule via legislation”:
The decision was 6 to 3 against Trump, but Justice Brett Kavanaugh argued that Trump and other politicians can change the rule via legislation.
“Citizenship, then and now,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority, “was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land.’ We keep that promise today.”
The right applies even to foreign parents who sneak across the United States borders with Canada and Mexico, or who enter as temporary workers or tourists, Roberts insisted.
In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump stated in a Truth Social post that Congress “should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship.”
Benches clear in Red Sox vs. Nationals game as Willson Contreras charges mound, throws helmet at Cade Cavalli
Tempers flared and benches cleared in Boston Tuesday evening during an 8-1 Nationals win. It was the bottom of the fourth inning when Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli dropped in a nice breaking ball for a called strike three. Cavalli could be heard yelling, "Sit down, boy!" The strikeout victim, Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras, was none too pleased with it. He could be seen saying, "Are you talking to me?!"
Contreras approached the mound, and then the benches cleared for a minor scuffle. It got a bit heated in there and Contreras appeared to try to throw his helmet in Cavalli's direction.
Contreras was ejected for the second straight game. Red Sox bench player Nate Eaton and interim manager Chad Tracy were also given the heave-ho. On the Nationals' end, Miles Mikolas, a starting pitcher on an off day, was the only player ejected.
Contreras has publicly spoken about how much the devastating earthquakes in his home country of Venezuela have affected his psyche in recent days. He was involved in a benches-clearing incident on Friday and now he's been tossed two straight nights. He also hit a home run and yelled "Venezuela!" and was seen crying in the dugout.
In the other dugout on Tuesday, Cavalli ended up having quite a night. In seven innings, he gave up just one run on one hit with 13 strikeouts.
Aamir Khan to Celebrate 25 Years of ‘Lagaan’ at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Curtain Raiser (EXCLUSIVE)
Actor and producer Aamir Khan will attend a special Melbourne screening of “Lagaan” on July 9 to mark the film’s 25th anniversary, kicking off the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne‘s (IFFM) 17th edition a month ahead of the festival’s main dates.
The 17th edition of IFFM will run from Aug. 13-23. The curtain raiser will be held at ACMI cinema in Melbourne, where Khan will officially launch this year’s festival celebrations alongside the anniversary screening.
“Lagaan” was the third Indian film to receive an Academy Award nomination in the category then known as Best Foreign Language Film and remains one of the most influential titles in Indian cinema history. The film’s 25th anniversary is being marked elsewhere this year as well: at the London Indian Film Festival’s 17th edition in July, Khan is making a separate appearance tied to the “Lagaan” milestone.
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Released in 2001 and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India” is set in a drought-stricken village in colonial India, where farmers facing a punishing land tax challenge the occupying British officers to a cricket match, with the outcome determining whether the tax is doubled or scrapped entirely. The film starred Khan alongside Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne.
Backed by the Government of Victoria, IFFM has hosted a roster of major Indian film figures over the years, including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, A.R. Rahman, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Ram Charan, Vijay Sethupathi, Vicky Kaushal, Vijay Varma and Keerthy Suresh, along with filmmakers Rajkumar Hirani, Shoojit Sircar, Anjali Menon, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, Zoya Akhtar, Rima Das, Onir and Kabir Khan.
“The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has always celebrated stories that have made a lasting impact on audiences, and there could not have been a better way to begin our 17th edition than by celebrating 25 years of ‘Lagaan,'” said festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange. “The film is a milestone in Indian cinema and continues to inspire generations of filmmakers and audiences around the world. We are delighted to welcome Aamir Khan to Melbourne for this special celebration and look forward to presenting another memorable edition of the festival that brings together the very best of Indian cinema.”
The 17th edition will feature an extensive slate of film screenings, premieres, conversations, masterclasses and cultural events bringing together filmmakers, actors, industry professionals and cinema lovers from around the world.
