Democrats are ramping up their battle against President Donald Trump’s planned installation of the Memorial Circle arch, pairing heated attacks with a legal push to stop the project in court.

“Democrats are opposed to anything that celebrates the greatness of our Country because they are America last losers,” said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday. “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world.”

Democratic lawmakers are ramping up opposition to President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch, questioning its cost and symbolism after the design’s unveiling Friday, as legal challenges to presidential authority continue to play out. 

“While you worry about healthcare and the price of gas [because] of Trump’s war, he’s busy designing a 250-foot arch he’s calling the ‘Arc d’Trump’ #allabouthim,” Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed posted on X.

WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS CALLING TRUMP’S MASSIVE ARCH ‘TOO BIG’

Rep. Huffman slams Trump’s triumphal arch, calling it a “Christian Nationalist monument” (Harrison Design via the White House Commission of Fine Arts)

“Your taxes might be going up. But don’t worry — at least $15 million of it is going toward Trump’s arch project,” posted California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Press Office on X. 

Meanwhile, California’s long-troubled high-speed rail project was approved in 2008 at an initial $33 billion price tag before ballooning to $126 billion in expected costs this year. The Department of Transportation canceled billions of dollars in federal grants for the project in the summer of 2025, citing it did not have a viable path forward for completion. 

“A gold inscription reading ‘One Nation Under God’? That phrase came from Cold War propaganda, not our Founders,” California representative Jared Huffman wrote on X. “They built this country on freedom FROM religious tyranny. They wrote the First Amendment to keep religion out of the government.”

He added, “Trump stamping it in gold on his vanity arch tells you everything about what this project is: a Christian Nationalist monument, paid for with your tax dollars.”

FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

Huffman, along with other Democrat lawmakers, filed a court brief challenging the project last month, arguing that the president cannot erect the monument on federal land without congressional approval. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Huffman’s office for comment.

“Permitting that Arch to be built without appropriate congressional authorization and review could lead to the unchecked proliferation of monuments, the erosion of public space, and serious constraints on future generations’ ability to memorialize their own losses and achievements,” the amicus brief reads.

President Trump has promised Americans he will make the nation’s capital “safe and beautiiful.”  (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

TRUMP SAYS IT ‘IS TOO LATE’ TO STOP THE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION AMID LAWSUIT

President Trump has been on a mission to fulfill last year’s Executive Order titled, “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.”

“I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN! Before the tents, squalor, filth, and crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the world. It will soon be that again,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in August.

The released designs show a golden, winged Lady Liberty-style figure atop the arch flanked by two bald eagles crowning the monument. Underneath the sculptures across the top of the arch, “ONE NATION UNDER GOD
 is written in gold. The back of the arch has a matching emblem, saying “LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.”

The arch is proposed to sit near the Lincoln Memorial at a roundabout between Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue near the Arlington Cemetery Metro Stop.

“It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today,” Ingle continued in his comment to Fox News Digital.  

Workers affix signage adding US President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

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The legal threats and fiery rhetoric aimed at the upcoming arch echos a broader wave of Democratic backlash to recent Trump-linked cultural and construction moves.

In December, Democrats erupted in outrage over the renaming of the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

Ohio representative Joyce Beatty, along with other plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit to reverse the rebranding of “The Trump-Kennedy Center” and prevent the planned two-year closure.

The $400 million White House ballroom is navigating a legal battle after the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December claiming Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the dated East Wing. 

An appeals court ruled on Saturday that the renovation can continue until Friday, giving the President time to seek a Supreme Court review.

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Saturday cleared the way for President Donald Trump to temporarily resume construction of his planned White House ballroom, granting a near-term win to the administration as it pushes forward with the nearly $400 million project. 

The case stems from a lawsuit filed late last year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sought to block the construction. The group argued that the project violates multiple federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, and charged that the plans amounted to executive overreach without required approval from Congress and federal planning bodies.

A lower court judge last month put the project on hold, triggering the administration’s appeal.

TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS IN COURT TO KEEP WHITE HOUSE EAST WING DEMOLITION, $300M BALLROOM BUILD ON TRACK

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shows a rendering of the White House ballroom to reporters.  (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, in March issued a preliminary injunction blocking construction of the ballroom, finding the Trump administration likely lacked the legal authority to proceed without congressional approval. He said the government had not shown it had clear authorization to replace parts of the East Wing with a privately funded structure.

Leon’s order paused most construction work on the ballroom, though he allowed activity tied to White House security concerns, and briefly delayed enforcement of his ruling until mid-April, to give the administration time to appeal the case to a higher court.

The Trump administration quickly asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to intervene, arguing that the project is critical to the safety and security of the “president, his family, and White House staff.”

The 2-1 ruling from the circuit court did not immediately side with the Trump administration, but gave it temporary relief.

A majority of judges on the panel said the court needed more explanation from Leon before deciding whether construction should remain blocked. 

Specifically, the judges asked Leon to clarify whether stopping the project would harm national security, as the Trump administration claims.

US APPEALS COURT HALTS TRUMP CONTEMPT PROBE ORDERED BY BOASBERG, FOR NOW

President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House.  (Alex Brandon/AP)

The appeals court also paused Leon’s order through April 17, giving the Trump administration time to ask the Supreme Court for emergency intervention if it chooses.

For now, the case will return to the district court for further explanation.

Trump first announced plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom in July, initially estimating the cost at around $200 million. He has said the project would be funded “100% by me and some friends of mine.”

Lawyers for the administration have pushed back on the lawsuit, arguing the president has authority over White House construction decisions and that Congress does not need to approve the project.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

The White House demolition process of the East Wing. (The Associated Press)

“No taxpayer dollars are being used for the funding of this beautiful, desperately needed, and completely secure … ballroom,” Justice Department lawyers said in court filings.

They added that past White House expansions, including the East and West Wings, did not require congressional involvement in their design or construction.

The National Trust, meanwhile, maintains the project cannot move forward without complying with federal law and proper review processes.

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The Justice Department declined to comment on the ongoing litigation or whether it plans to seek Supreme Court intervention.

Pope Leo XIV fired back after President Donald Trump attacked him on social media, saying his calls for peace are rooted in the Gospel and should not be treated as a political argument with the White House.

“I have no fear of the Trump administration,” the pope told reporters aboard the papal plane Monday en route to Algeria.

“The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician,” he added.

Trump had criticized the pope’s positions on Sunday in a scathing rebuke on Truth Social.

POPE LEO URGES WAR LEADERS TO HALT FIGHTING AFTER DEADLY STRIKE ON SCHOOL SPARKS OUTRAGE

Split of Pope Leo and Trump. (Photo: Getty Images) (Getty Images)

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump began in a lengthy post.

“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church,” he concluded.

The pope responded Monday, despite saying, “I will not enter into debate.”

POPE LEO XIV TO VISIT FASTEST-GROWING CATHOLIC CONTINENT DURING 4-NATION AFRICA TRIP

Pope Leo XIV speaks to the media on the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, as he leaves the papal residence to head back to the Vatican, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, April 7, 2026. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

“The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone,” he said, speaking in English, adding, “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”

“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” Leo added. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”

VATICAN DECLINES TO JOIN TRUMP’S GAZA ‘BOARD OF PEACE,’ CALLS FOR UN LEADERSHIP

The pope’s stance against Trump’s peace efforts in the Middle East came after the president’s Sunday night Air Force One tarmac comments.

“We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters, echoing remarks from the Truth Social post. “We don’t want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don’t like it.”

“I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump added. “He’s a man that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.”

President Donald Trump speaks to the press upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on April 12, 2026, returning to Washington, D.C., after attending a UFC event and spending the weekend at his Trump National Doral Miami resort. (Jim Watson/AFP)

POPE WARNS ESCALATING IRAN CONFLICT COULD TIP MIDDLE EAST INTO ‘IRREPARABLE ABYSS’

Leo claimed he was speaking for the church and not himself or Iran.

“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo said. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”

Trump claimed Leo has him to thank for being elevated to pope, the first American pope.

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“I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. “He gets it, and Leo doesn’t.”

“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump said.

Two UFC fighters can thank President Donald Trump for getting onto the card for the White House event two months from now.

Trump was at UFC 327 in Miami on Saturday night as a special guest of UFC president Dana White, marking his first appearance at a pro sporting event since the beginning of the Iran war.

During the event, UFC added a bout between Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit for UFC Freedom 250, and Dana White said the bout was prompted by Trump.

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President Donald Trump attends the UFC 327 event with Dana White at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on April 11, 2026. (Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

“About an hour ago, the president leans over to me and says, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card?’ and I said, ‘Hold on, Mr. President.’ I stepped away and called Derrick Lewis and said, ‘Derrick, the president just asked why you’re not on the card. Do you want to fight on the White House card?’ He said, ‘Of course,'” White told reporters.

Hokit was fresh off a victory against Curtis Blaydes on Saturday when he found out he’d be on the card.

President Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White speak with guests during UFC 327 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on April 11, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool/Getty Images)

TRUMP GREETED AT UFC 327 IN FIRST SPORTING EVENT APPEARANCE SINCE START OF IRAN WAR

Saturday’s event was Trump’s first appearance at a major sporting event since he attended the college football national championship in January, in which Indiana defeated Miami.

Since his second term began, Trump has attended several UFC events, last year’s Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, the NCAA wrestling championships, the FIFA Club World Cup final, the U.S. Open, a New York Yankees game, the Ryder Cup, and the Army-Navy game.

Dana White and President Donald Trump during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on April 11, 2026. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

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The event will take place on the South Lawn as part of the America250 celebration on June 14, Trump’s 80th birthday, and will be headlined by Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria in a lightweight championship unification bout.

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President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom construction will be able to continue for at least a little while longer, after an federal appeals court instructed a District Court judge to reconsider the situation.

A a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Saturday that construction can proceed until Friday, April 17, giving the president time to seek a Supreme Court review as the Trump administration is claiming delaying the prospect leaves the construction site exposed and risks the security of the president and his staff.

The panel instructed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether — and how — his injunction interferes with the administration’s claims over safety and security.

Government lawyers argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards and that holding up construction “would imperil the president and others who live and work in the White House.”

DEMS MOVE TO SET LIMITS ON TRUMP’S DONOR-FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, CLAIMING ‘BRIBERY IN PLAIN SIGHT’

President Donald Trump holds rendering of the White House ballroom in an Air Force One media scrum on the way out of Florida last week. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)

Trump had also made the case the U.S. military was installing a “heavily fortified” facility under the ballroom, including bomb shelters and a medical facility.

Under obstruction from Democrats, their lawyers, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom.

The group claimed Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the dated East Wing — originally built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and expanded in 1942 — arguing the president needed congressional authorization.

TRUMP SAYS IT ‘IS TOO LATE’ TO STOP THE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION AMID LAWSUIT

A rendering of the proposed White House ballroom shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Feb. 3, 2026. (Copyright Donald Trump/Truth Social)

Trump has said the president has historically had say over the White House remodeling, and has long noted Congress does not have to pay for the privately funded project.

A lower court had issued a March 31 injunction to halt ballroom construction, but it also paused that injunction to allow for an appeal.

The White House has argued that the injunction left the White House “open and exposed,” threatening security for the building, the president and his family and staff.

TRUMP UNVEILS NEW RENDERING OF SPRAWLING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

A McCrery Architects rendering provided by the White House of the new ballroom. (McCrery Architects/White House)

NTHP CEO Carol Quillen said in a statement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court.

She said the group was committed “to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome.”

Judge Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the government privately submitted before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.

“We cannot fairly determine, on this hurried record, whether and to what extent the district court’s “necessary for safety and security” exception addresses Defendants’ claims of irreparable harm, insofar as it may accommodate the Defendants’ asserted safety and security need for the ballroom itself or other temporary measures to secure the safety and security of the White House, the President, staff, and visitors while this appeal proceeds,” the D.C. Circuit said in its ruling.

WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS

A McCrery Architects rendering provided by the White House of the new ballroom. (White House)

The appeals panel noted that much of the government’s concerns focused on that below-ground security work, which the White House argued was “distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently.”

The White House is making the case now that those security upgrades are “inseparable” from the project as whole, the appeals court said, making it unclear “whether and to what extent” moving forward with certain aspects of the ballroom is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades.

TRUMP PUSHES BACK AFTER MICHELLE OBAMA KNOCKS EAST WING RENOVATION, CALLING OLD ARRANGEMENT ‘A DISASTER’

Although Trump’s project is funded by private donations, public money is paying for construction of underground bunkers and security upgrades.

The three-judge appeals court panel was made up of Judges Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by former President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Rao was nominated by Trump. Garcia was nominated by former President Joe Biden.

Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, which cited a statute that allows the president to undertake improvements to the White House.

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“Importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of ongoing security vulnerabilities at the White House that would be prolonged by halting construction,” Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the “generalized aesthetic harms” presented in the lawsuit.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump was greeted by a packed crowd at UFC 327 in Miami Saturday night during the president’s first appearance at a sporting event since the start of the Iran war. Fans in attendance erupted into raucous applause as Trump walked into the venue. 

Trump made his way out with UFC CEO and president Dana White and went around to the announcers and had an exchange with Joe Rogan, who was sitting at the announcers’ table. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was standing nearby the seats right before Trump walked out, then leaned in to Trump and started whispering very closely to the president, cupping his hands over his mouth and they each exchanged a few words. Trump then turned around, pumping his fist to those sitting behind him, smiling and waving, then pointed a few times to the crowd. 

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US President Donald Trump arrives at UFC 327: Jiri Prochazka vs Carlos Ulberg at Kaseya Center in Miami, on April 11, 2026. (Jim WATSON / AFP)

Trump has been a frequent fixture at UFC and other combat sports events during his presidency, during his 2024 campaign and even dating back to his first term.

In 2025, Trump attended UFC 316 and Miami fight night. In 2024, he attended UFC 302 in June and UFC 309 in November.

President Donald Trump waves to the media after walking off Air Force One at Miami International Airport in Miami, Fla., on April 11, 2026. Trump was in town to attend a UFC fight. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

In 2019, he attended UFC 244.

Before Saturday, the last major sporting event Trump attended was the College Football Playoff national championship game between Indiana and Miami at Hard Rock Stadium Jan. 19.

IRAN POSTPONES TEHRAN FAREWELL CEREMONY FOR KHAMENEI WHERE LARGE CROWDS WERE EXPECTED TO GATHER

US President Donald Trump chats with UFC CEO and president Dana White before UFC 327: Jiri Prochazka vs Carlos Ulberg at Kaseya Center in Miami, on April 11, 2026. (Jim WATSON / AFP)

Trump was notably absent from this year’s Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in Italy and didn’t attend any other events after the Iran war broke out.

But after Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement, Trump has returned to sport. Trump addressed the ongoing situation with Iran at the White House before departing for Joint Base Andrews to travel to Miami for the UFC event.

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“We’re in very deep negotiations with Iran. We win regardless. We’ve defeated them militarily,” Trump told reporters. “Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me. And the reason is because we’ve won, whether you listen to the fake news or not.”

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused the Republican Party of being “politically brain-dead” on issues relating to American families and affordability on Thursday.

Clinton wrote in The New York Times that national Republicans — singling out Vice President JD Vance and right-leaning organizations — were obsessed with birthrates.

“They ignore the financial burdens crushing parents who are trying to provide a safe, healthy, middle-class life for their kids. Their answer is too often nostalgia and misogyny: If we could turn back the clock to a time when women didn’t work (and knew their place), the economy would thrive and families would flourish. This is substantively and politically brain-dead,” she said.

Clinton put forward a “kids agenda” that included expanding a child tax credit model in more states, national paid family leave, investments in early childhood care and education, protecting children’s healthcare, and providing guidance in a rapidly changing digital world.

HILLARY CLINTON SAYS EVENTS IN MINNEAPOLIS SHOW THE ‘MORAL ROT AT THE HEART OF TRUMP’S MAGA MOVEMENT’

Hillary Clinton speaks to members of the media outside the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in Chappaqua, N.Y., on Feb. 26, 2026. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg)

“Mr. Trump is not going to wake up tomorrow and care about any of this. He thinks American parents are raising children in a new Golden Age — if he thinks about parents and kids at all,” Clinton wrote.

Clinton urged Democrats to be ready ahead of November.

“Beyond the gilded walls of Mar-a-Lago, too many families are struggling. In November, they will look for candidates who will listen to them and lead on behalf of all our kids. Democrats should be ready. We know what works. We know how to help families. If we’re serious about making this election about affordability, then kids should be front and center,” she continued.

“Hillary Clinton’s favorite hobby for the past decade has been reminding everyone why she lost in 2016,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The Trump administration has done more for parents and aspiring parents than any administration, from slashing fertility drug prices to expanding child tax credits to supporting school choice.”

HILLARY CLINTON TELLS HOUSE ‘I DO NOT RECALL EVER ENCOUNTERING’ JEFFREY EPSTEIN

Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on Sept. 24, 2025, in New York City. (JP Yim/Getty Images)

Clinton testified in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein probe in February in a testimony that lasted around six hours.

After the testimony, she criticized Republicans.

Clinton told reporters she answered questions “repetitively, literally over and over again” after blasting Republicans for holding a closed-door deposition instead of a public hearing.

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U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to address the nation from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)

The failed presidential candidate has been critical of President Donald Trump throughout his second term.

She called out the president’s ballroom project in October and said he was destroying the White House.

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“It’s not his house,” Clinton wrote on X. “It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.” 

NASA unveiled the first-ever photo of Earth from the far side of the moon after a flyby Tuesday, taken by the Artemis II astronauts that President Donald Trump hailed in a phone call as “modern-day pioneers.”

The historic image, taken for the very first time by human beings from this exact perspective, was compared by NASA to the iconic “Earthrise” photo taken by astronaut Bill Anders from the Apollo 8 mission nearly 60 years ago.

NASA dubbed the photo “Earthset,” as a callback to the 1968 photo.

“Humanity, from the other side,” The White House wrote in a post sharing the photo on X. “First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon.”

NASA CHIEF JARED ISAACMAN SAYS ARTEMIS II WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE ‘IF IT WASN’T FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP’

“Earthset” is captured through the Orion spacecraft window Monday during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the moon. (NASA)

Trump took a call with the astronauts on the Artemis II mission late Monday, saying: “Today you’ve made history and made all of America really proud. Incredibly proud.”

“Humans have really never seen anything quite like what you’re doing in a manned spacecraft. It’s really special,” Trump added. “I want to personally salute and congratulate Commander Reid Weissman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.“

NASA reported that the Earthset photo was captured through the window of the Orion spacecraft around 7 p.m. ET on Monday during a flyby of the moon, without giving any of the four Artemis II crew members specific photographer’s credit.

ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUT TELLS TRUMP WHAT COMMUNICATION BLACKOUT WAS LIKE: ‘I SAID A LITTLE PRAYER’

NASA described the view from the photo as a “muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface.”

“The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime,” NASA wrote. “On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region.”

The Orion holds 32 cameras, according to NASA. Fifteen cameras are fixed to the spacecraft, and 17 are handheld by crew members.

ASTRONAUT VICTOR GLOVER PRAISED FOR SAYING MOON MISSION IS ‘HUMAN HISTORY,’ NOT ‘BLACK HISTORY’

The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby on Monday. (NASA)

Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch remarked upon the beauty of the Earth from the crew’s unique vantage point, calling it “special.”

“The thing that changed for me, looking back at Earth, was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of the Earth, but how much blackness there was around it and how it just made it even more special,” Koch recalled.

The Artemis II astronauts begin their journey back to Earth Tuesday, with the crew expected to travel a total of 695,081 miles total from launch to splashdown. Their mission is projected to be over 4,000 miles further from the Earth than Apollo 13.

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The Artemis II capsule is projected to make its West Coast splashdown early Friday evening off the coast near San Diego.

“Your mission paves the way for America’s return to the lunar surface very soon,” Trump told the Artemis II crew.

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Landon Mion contributed to this reporting.

An investigation is “underway” to determine who leaked to the press that one of the two American airmen was still missing after their fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Good Friday, a White House official told Fox News Digital.

During a Monday afternoon press conference centered on the successful rescue mission, President Donald Trump said his administration is working “very hard” to determine who the leaker is, which he said put the missing pilot at greater risk.

“We think we’ll be able to find it out because we’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘national security, give it up or go to jail,'” Trump said.

“When they did that, all of a sudden the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life. And it also made it much more difficult for the pilots and for the people going in to search for him.”

TRUMP CALLS RESCUE OF DOWNED AIR FORCE PILOT AN ‘EASTER MIRACLE’

President Donald Trump gestures after speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AP)

The Military Times attributed an X post by Israel’s N12 News reporter Amit Segal as the first to break that one of the “crew members was successfully rescued,” citing a Western source around 11 a.m. on Friday.

But another Israel N12 News reporter, Barak Ravid, wrote an article for Axios that was published hours before Segal’s X post, which shared that one pilot was rescued and another was still missing. Ravid cited his sources as “an Israeli official and a second source with knowledge.”

“An American fighter jet was shot down by Iranian fire. A search is underway to locate the two crew members, according to a source familiar with the details. Read my article at @axios,” Ravid posted on X.

HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters were involved in rescue efforts for the downed airman in Iran. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Deanna Muir)

The New York Post reported that shortly after Ravid posted his story on X, Segal posted in his Telegram channel “Search operation in Iran — for two American crew members.”

While Segal shared in his Telegram channel Monday that he was the first to break the news of the missing airman, he walked back his statement to the New York Post.

“I’m not sure I was the first,” Segal said. “And anyway — I will protect my sources.”

MAURO COMPARES IRAN RESCUE OF MISSING COLONEL TO MADURO CAPTURE, CREDITS INTELLIGENCE PREPARATION

CBS News, the Washington Post and Reuters reported hours later on the missing airman but cited U.S. officials as their sources.

Trump called the “leaker” a “sick person,” claiming that they will face jail time.

A view of wreckage and remains of the downed F-15 fighter jet is seen in Iran on April 05, 2026. (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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“They put this mission at great risk,” Trump said. “They put that man at great risk, and they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him, because everyone now knows that we’re going in.”

Fox News Digital reached out to CBS News, the Washington Post, Reuters and Israel’s Channel 12 for comment. Axios declined to comment at this time.