Press pool shocks Trump with reaction to Columbus Day news



President Trump was shocked at reactions from members of the press on Thursday while making an official proclamation about Columbus Day.

Appearing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the president spoke to the media about his landmark peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Before his remarks though, he made time to sign a document about the historic explorer Christopher Columbus.

'We love the Italians.'

After a short history lesson from staff secretary Will Scharf about Columbus' travels to the New World in 1492, Trump promptly summarized the document by stating, "In other words, we're calling it Columbus Day."

Shockingly, the press erupted in applause.

"Yes!" one person was heard saying as Trump looked off to his staff, puzzled.

"That was the press that broke out in applause," the bewildered president pointed out. "That was — can you believe that? I've never seen that happen before. The press actually broke out in applause."

Laughing, Trump then presented the newly signed document before delivering one of his famous one-liners.

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"Columbus Day, we're back!" Trump said, showing the document off. "Columbus Day! We're back, Italians! OK? We love the Italians."

The proclamation honors Columbus' life, faith, courage, and perseverance while further cementing October 13, 2025, as Columbus Day. It also discusses attempts by progressives to cancel Columbus with claims he is a controversial figure.

"Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage," the document reads.

Describing "left-wing radicals" who have toppled statues and monuments of the explorer while tarnishing his character, Trump declared in the writings that "those days are finally over."

"Our Nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination," Trump wrote.

The shift in federal guidance comes after President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples' Day — to be observed on Columbus Day — in 2021.

"For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures," Biden wrote at the time. "Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society."

RELATED: Saving History

A depiction of Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) claiming possession of the New World, 1492. Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images

On Thursday, Trump further praised Italian Americans for their contribution to American culture.

"United States and Italy share a special bond rooted in the timeless values of faith, family, and freedom," Trump explained.

Finally, the White House said it will direct the American flag to be displayed on all public buildings on Columbus Day to honor his legacy as well as "all who have contributed to building our Nation."

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Woke gym charged white people double to achieve 'true inclusion'



A Canadian gym that claims the fitness industry is dominated by white people has removed a pricing structure that was based on race.

R Studios released a statement in response to online backlash after reports circulated that showed the company offering classes for "BIPOC ... Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour" at half its typical rate. Its usual rate was $30, but the "BIPOC" rate was $15.

'Our mission has always been to create spaces that feel safe.'

As reported by the Daily Mail, not only did the Halifax, Nova Scotia, studio offer a special "BIPOC drop in rate," but a screenshot of an alleged chat with the company revealed users could get a "reduced" membership cost simply for being "a black person."

"Yes, we offer a BIPOC membership option," the company allegedly responded, according to the image.

In response, the fitness studio posted a series of statements to its Instagram account, seemingly admitting to the pricing program.

"Our mission has always been to create spaces that feel safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all people," the post began.

The statement then immediately positioned the company as implementing diversity programs as a method to fight bigotry. Not only did R Studios claim that the fitness industry has "long been predominantly white and often inaccessible," the company seemed to state it has engaged in race-based hiring practices as well.

"We have taken pride in being leaders who actively promote diversity through our hiring practices, in-studio equity and inclusion training, and the creation of our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Committee."

Further cementing that customers are to "feel seen" at the business, R Studios then addressed "feedback and criticism" surrounding its efforts to create a "discounted membership" created by its "BIPOC team and IDEA Committee to help foster diversity and inclusion."

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City of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2023. Photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

The post continued, claiming that while R Studios' "initiative was built from a place of compassion and community," the company said it understood that some have interpreted the pricing tiers to be "exclusive."

The company then justified the decision by saying part of its work means recognizing "true inclusion," which involves creating "intentional space for those who have been historically marginalized or excluded."

R Studios further announced that it would be removing all discounted memberships and replacing them with an allegedly "even more inclusive" program to provide memberships for those who face "financial or systemic barriers" but "regardless of background."

On the final page of the post, the company said it remains committed to DEI.

This commitment is still displayed proudly on the R Studios website, where it boasts a land acknowledgement.

"The Rstudios community is currently working to be more inclusive," the statement reads. The company also declares in the acknowledgement "that we are in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People."

It adds, "This territory is covered by the 'Treaties of Peace and Friendship' signed in 1725."

The Mi'kmaq have been noted as being scalpers for pay who tortured prisoners of war from other tribes, which was of course common at the time.

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R studios in Nova Scotia charges double for white people, in violation of Sections 5(1) of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act.

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission disgracefully made our human rights a fraud during COVID. CEO Joseph Fraser even made up his own extrajudicial… pic.twitter.com/gvfZSV3L7h
— Jeff Evely (@JeffEvely) October 5, 2025

Local political candidate from the People's Party of Canada Jeff Evely commented that he felt the fitness studio was in violation of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act.

"R studios in Nova Scotia charges double for white people, in violation of Sections 5(1) of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act," Evely wrote on X.

Notably, the studio's owner, Connie McInnes, was celebrated by national Canadian bank TD Canada in 2019 for her efforts to create "safe spaces for women."

R Studios did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment regarding race-based pricing and hiring practices.

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Trump says NFL is passing the blame on Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show: 'I don't know why they're doing it'



President Donald Trump pinpointed two main areas of focus when criticizing the NFL's Super Bowl LX plans for February.

During an appearance on Newsmax with host Greg Kelly on Monday, Trump was asked about the NFL's decision to have Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny perform at the annual halftime show.

'I never heard of him. I don't know who he is.'

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, has been accused of being an odd choice for football fans given the simple fact that he performs mostly in Spanish. This is coupled with the artist's criticisms of the president — which include mocking him in a music video — and previous statements about avoiding U.S. cities on his tour because he fears immigration enforcement may occur outside of his concerts.

In a clip from Newsmax, Trump admitted to never having heard of the singer.

"I never heard of him. I don't know who he is. I don't know why they're doing it. It's, like, crazy," the president said. "And then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it's absolutely ridiculous."

In the NFL's Super Bowl announcement, the league explained exactly who is in charge of the halftime performance.

RELATED: Bad Bunny: Learn Spanish if you want to understand my Super Bowl performance

Bad Bunny. Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for GLAAD

"Apple Music, the NFL, and Roc Nation announced that 3x Grammy Award-winning global recording artist Bad Bunny will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, February 8, 2026, airing on NBC," the NFL wrote in a press release.

Apple Music's key figure is listed as Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and international content.

Roc Nation, the company founded by rapper Jay-Z, has been involved with Super Bowl halftime shows since 2019. In the same press release, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter said Bad Bunny's "unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage."

In response to the announcement, Trump administration adviser Corey Lewandowski said there is "nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."

According to Variety, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called it "a terrible decision" for the NFL to have Bad Bunny perform.

Meanwhile, when hosting "Saturday Night Live" last weekend, Bad Bunny responded to criticisms in a lighthearted manner but also noted in Spanish that the booking was "an achievement" for himself and Puerto Ricans.

He concluded by saying in English: "And if you didn't understand what I just said, you have four months to learn."

RELATED: Super Bowl platforms anti-ICE DRAG QUEEN rapper Bad Bunny to troll MAGA

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

On Newsmax, the president aired another grievance with the NFL, saying, "While we're at it, I'd like them to change the kickoff rule, which looks ridiculous, where the ball is kicked and the ball is floating in the air, and everyone's standing there watching it. It's ridiculous."

The president claimed the new kickoff formation is "not any safer" than the previous format, which the league abandoned before the 2024 season.

The NFL claimed in January, however, that concussions in 2024 were down 43% when compared to the 2021-2023 average.

"I think it just looks so terrible," Trump continued. "I think it really demeans football, to be honest with you. It's a great game, but it demeans football. Do you know what I mean by that? The kickoff rule, the new kickoff rule, it's ridiculous."

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'Alien' director Ridley Scott trashes modern movies: 'Most of it is s**t'



Veteran director Ridley Scott didn't mince words when asked to describe the state of modern filmmaking. In fact, he needed just four letters: "s**t."

The ornery 87-year-old — the force behind iconic movies like "Alien," "Black Hawk Down," and "Gladiator" — brought down the hammer of justice during a public Q and A with his son Luke in London this week.

'I think a lot of films today are saved and made more expensive by digital effects, because what they haven't got is a great thing on paper first. Get it on paper.'

"Well, right now I'm finding mediocrity, we're drowning in mediocrity," he responded when asked about his own moviegoing habits, according to Yahoo.

Smurfy's law

Pretentious? Maybe, but it becomes more understandable if you consider the recent crop of multiplex mistakes foisted on the public, suggested the Guardian. The newspaper cited the recent "Smurfs" movie as well as the widely criticized live-action "Snow White" remake — which used "CGI dwarves [that] looked like semi-melted CGI gonks" — as evidence for the prosecution.

Director Ridley Scott on the set of the movie 'Alien,' 1979. Photo by Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images

During the sit-down at the British Film Institute Southbank, Scott said that this mediocrity prevails despite more movies being made than ever.

"The quantity of movies that are made today, literally globally, millions. There's not thousands, there's millions, and most of it is s**t," he declared.

Numbers game

The "Blade Runner" director then shared the math behind that determination.

"Eighty to 60% eh, 40% is the rest, and 25% of that 40 is not bad, and 10% is pretty good, and the top 5% is great," he explained, as if writing on a chalkboard. "I'm not sure about the portion of what I've just said, but in the 1940s, when there were perhaps 300 movies made, 70% of them were similar, for example."

Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott on the set of 'Blade Runner.' Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

Man in the mirror

Still, there is at least one talented director still working today, affirmed Sir Scott.

"So what I do, and it's a horrible thing, but I've started to watch my own movies, and actually they're really good. And also, they don't age."

Scott continued his rave review, admitting that he was shocked by the quality of his own work.

"I watched 'Black Hawk [Down]' the other night, and I thought, 'How the hell did I do that?' But I think that occasionally there's a good one that will happen, it’s like a relief that there's somebody out there who's doing a good movie."

RELATED: ‘Gladiator II’ is a MAGA metaphor

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Scott then turned to a trend currently irritating moviegoers of all ages: directors attempting to save bad scripts with excessive CGI.

"I think a lot of films today are saved and made more expensive by digital effects, because what they haven't got is a great thing on paper first. Get it on paper," he said.

RELATED: Father-Son Movie Bucket List

'Hood' rich

Not everyone is ready to embrace this curmudgeonly view — even coming from a legend like Scott.

While Scott makes "a few" good points, his rant is "really rich coming from the director of 'Robin Hood,'" entertainment writer Natasha Biase told Align.

"He must have amnesia about some of his own movies," the writer added.

As for Hollywood, it seems to have forgotten how to get butts in seats.

A decrease in movie quality seems to be at least part of the reason about half the amount of tickets were sold in 2024 compared to 2004.

Scott told the audience that his favorite meal is yogurt and blueberries, because he "got over food years ago."

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Reddit founder groans website wouldn't exist if immigration law was enforced



Entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian made a bold assertion to the internet about the founding of his website Reddit.

The online forum is known for having a discussion page about nearly every topic — and often implementing extremely left-wing moderation and rules enforcement across its many pages.

'[Border security] shouldn't come at the cost of crushing lives.'

Ohanian invented Reddit in 2005 as an online bulletin board dubbed "the front page of the internet."

He ended up resigning from the site's board of directors in 2020, at which point he urged the company to replace him with a black candidate in honor of George Floyd.

Now, the entrepreneur has said the site would have never existed had federal immigration law been enforced before he was born. Ohanian was born in New York City in 1983 to an American father and a German mother, whose immigration status was not legal.

Responding to programmer Paul Graham's X post about "masked thugs" who are "dragging people off the street at gunpoint" — referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — Ohanian revealed that his mother overstayed her welcome in the United States.

"As the son of an undocumented immigrant (my mom overstayed an au pair visa for years before marrying my dad, a U.S. citizen), it's deeply personal: Reddit wouldn’t exist if ICE had come for her," he wrote. The Au Pair visa permits bringing in a foreigner for childcare services.

Insisting that he did "think border security matters," Ohanian then advocated for mass amnesty of illegal immigrants.

Border security "shouldn't come at the cost of crushing lives," Ohanian claimed. "A sensible amnesty / legalization policy (like what Reagan offered in 1986!!) could strike a better balance: Path to citizenship for law-abiding, hard-working undocumented immigrants <>."

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— (@)

Adding nuance to his proposal, Ohanian said that those who do not come forward to a pathway for citizenship should "face enforcement under due process."

"This isn't open borders, it's smart borders + humane immigration reform. The guys up at the crack of dawn in the Home Depot parking lot <> or the women hustling their home-made food on the corner are <> the men & women we want contributing to this great nation. We shouldn't be rounding them up at gunpoint."

Former Republican candidate Blake Masters, who ran for Senate in Arizona, mocked Ohanian in his replies.

"Reddit not existing had we enforced immigration law is a great argument for enforcing immigration law," Masters wrote, echoing criticism from other detractors.

Ohanian made additional arguments in response to his original post. For example, he bragged that his "$38B Market Cap" was evidence that "undocumented immigrants can have some pretty productive kids."

RELATED: YouTube admits to secretly manipulating videos with AI

— (@)

While the majority of the replies sarcastically mocked the website guru for providing a great reason to enforce existing laws, Ohanian was not without some support.

Marko Stankovic, vice president of cloud computing company Zenlayer, similarly claimed that if he "came to the US in today’s climate, I don't think we would have been able to stay."

He added, "Ironic that a lot of the tech entrepreneurs and CEOs (including many Trump supporters) came over on H1B or student visas."

However, one X user's rebuff of Ohanian's logic seemingly captivated the sentiment of those who disagreed with him:

"I can't even comprehend the level of entitlement to stay here knowing you’re not permitted, then demand citizenship because you stayed so long that it would be inconvenient to leave," the user wrote.

As for what web surfers may be using if Reddit never existed, tech and education expert Josh Centers told Blaze News, "I think we would still have a lot of independent forums and the web would be a lot healthier."

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ESPN accused of removing host from network after interview about Charlie Kirk



ESPN and Disney have rejected the accusation that executives removed commentator Paul Finebaum from network shows after he spoke about Charlie Kirk in an interview that aired last week.

Finebaum, a legend in college football broadcasting, appeared in a sit-down interview with OutKick's Clay Travis to discuss a possible transition into federal politics.

'This is not true at all. The below is TOTALLY FALSE.'

Finebaum told Travis he was greatly affected by the death of Kirk, saying he was "numb" for hours after hearing about the assassination.

"I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day," Finebaum told Travis. "It's hard to describe, not being involved in politics ... how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country. And it was an awakening."

Finebaum then revealed that he was subsequently inspired by Kirk and may be exploring a run for Senate as a Republican in Alabama.

Since the interview was released on Sept. 30, Finebaum has reportedly been pulled from ESPN network shows.

"Disney/ESPN has removed [Finebaum] from appearing on ESPN since his [OutKick] interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama," OutKick's Travis wrote on X. "ESPN has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus."

However, Travis was immediately confronted by one of ESPN's own.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk assassination inspires famed ESPN commentator to run for Senate — as a conservative

— (@)

About 25 minutes after Travis' post, ESPN's vice president of communications, Bill Hofheimer, responded to claims with a straight denial.

"This is not true at all. The below is TOTALLY FALSE," Hofheimer wrote on X.

Travis hit back, saying the decision was above Hofheimer's "pay grade" while asking the executive to cite appearances by Finebaum.

Travis' claims were followed by college sports site On3 confirming the story through reporter Pete Nakos.

Alabama's AL.com also said it had confirmed the story. However, ESPN is sticking to Hofheimer's statement.

— (@)

In comments to Blaze News, ESPN referred to Hofheimer's X post as its official public comment.

"Finebaum was never banned. Any reporting on this is totally false," ESPN's senior communications director, Amanda Brooks, explained.

She told Blaze News that not only is Finebaum scheduled to appear on ESPN's "First Take" on Tuesday, he is also "scheduled to do hits on SportsCenter this weekend."

The network stated that it is trying to find various college football analysts to step into different roles "in the event that Finebaum chooses to run for office" in order to be "prepared for his potential absence."

ESPN outright denied the claims made by On3, Outkick, and AL.com

Brooks said Finebaum will continue his "SEC Nation" appearances and his own ESPN show, "The Paul Finebaum Show."

Fans had noted that they saw Finebaum on SEC shows over the weekend.

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Illegal Alien Who Ran Des Moines School District Had Long History Of Criminal Charges

In the throes of the DEI era the color of Roberts' skin was more compelling than this loaded weapons conviction.

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Dana White shuts down absurd question about 'toxic masculinity' from CBS host who can't define it



UFC President Dana White defended his company, masculinity, and free speech in an interview on "60 Minutes."

CBS' Jon Wertheim asked White about everything from his relationship with President Donald Trump to the company's financial history, but it was the fight promoter's defense of his audience that served as a popular clip that circulated online.

'How can somebody be too masculine? Is that a possibility?'

The host referred to White describing the ongoing "wussification of America," which White quickly corrected.

"I think I said 'p***ification,' but yeah," White clarified.

This transitioned into Wertheim citing an apparent "cultural movement" dominated by males.

"It's a lot of guys. I mean, they call it 'the manosphere,' you're one of the leaders," he told White.

The UFC president retorted, saying that his audience was definitely male-dominated and masculine, too: "Eighteen- to 34-year-old males and growing," White stated. "We're global. We are definitely, unapologetically masculine."

Wertheim, though, questioned White with the liberal trope that successful male environments and activities are in danger of becoming too masculine. "Can this bubble over to too much? When you hear toxic masculinity?" Wertheim asked.

"Haha, what's that mean?" White asked back.

The host had no answer. "You tell me," Wertheim replied.

Flabbergasted, White continued, "You just said it! What's the definition of toxic? How can somebody be too masculine? Is that a possibility? Can you be too masculine? ... No."

"The answer is hell no," White said.

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White's positions on many topics — and the 13-minute segment as a whole — were seemingly presented as an anomaly; an obscure, niche subset of sports that "60 Minutes" viewers may be blissfully unaware of. Among these topics was White's view of free speech, which he unapologetically defended.

In response to being asked if there were any scenario where a fighter's speech would get them into trouble with the company, White replied, "I'm a big believer in free speech, and unfortunately, probably the most important speech to protect is hate speech."

"I hate it," White said about cancel culture. "I don't like trying to destroy people's lives over doing something dumb."

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(L-R) Canelo Alvarez, Dana White, and Terence Crawford on stage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 22, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

In July, the UFC agreed to host an event at the White House in 2026, which was just one of the connecting points in Wertheim's presentation of White's relationship with President Trump.

The two talked about the early days of the UFC and its struggles when Trump was the only person who was willing to host an event at his venue, the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

"It was so bad at one point," White said about the company's finances. He said UFC owners Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta had even called him to say they could not keep the company going under the circumstances. However, White revealed he got a call the very next day that said, "F**k it, let's keep going."

Regarding his conversations with Trump, White said they are fairly simple.

"We don't talk politics ... we talk about goofy guy stuff that all guys talk about," White explained. "We talk about 'Rocky' movies, we talk about fights that have happened."

While much of the segment presented White and the sport as alien, some 20 years after its success boomed, CBS will soon have to come to terms with its popularity. In July, parent company Paramount acquired the rights to UFC broadcasts for $7.7 billion over seven years, per CNBC.

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NYU Axes Federalist Society Event Scheduled for Oct. 7, Citing Security Concerns

New York University Law School appears to have canceled a Federalist Society event scheduled for Oct. 7 because administrators feared that protesters would disrupt it, according to two people familiar with the matter and emails obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The cancellation has raised concerns about the heckler’s veto and comes as the White House anti-Semitism task force has vowed to investigate NYU, which last year settled a lawsuit alleging that the university failed to crack down on unsanctioned anti-Israel protests.

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