‘In a press conference after the incident, Trump appeared to link the shooting to his long-standing proposal for a new White House ballroom. “I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we’re planning at the White House. It’s actually a larger room, and it’s a much more secure [sic]. It’s got – it’s drone-proof, it’s bulletproof glass,” Trump said. One theory, presented without evidence, is that security may have been deliberately weakened to support Trump’s case for the ballroom. Several far-right figures, including Jack Posobiec, Chaya Raichik, known as Libs of TikTok, and Tom Fitton have shared theories online that are skeptical of the official explanation. Experts say conspiracy theories often emerge after political violence. Sander van der Linden noted that “Trump is an opportunist…He immediately is thinking, ‘How can I use this to my advantage?’”…’ (via Flipboard)

‘Hegseth has his favorite soundbites — but none of them landed here, where he sounded increasingly deluded and desperate, writes Holly Baxter…’ (via The Independent)

‘News broke Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s face would soon appear on new U.S. passports. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, given the way Trump has been slapping his name on various buildings, planning to plaster his face on two different coins this summer, and naming government initiatives after himself. Have you signed up for a Trump Account or TrumpRX yet?

But there has been some confusion about how widespread the Trump passports will be…

Will every U.S. citizen get a Trump passport? When do the new passports start? And how can I avoid getting a passport that bears the face of our dipshit president?

The Bulwark obtained images of the new passport, which includes a portrait of President Trump in front of a copy of the Declaration of Independence. The President’s signature will also be included in gold-colored ink. Trump will be on the first page of the passport, which has featured an illustration of Francis Scott Key since 2021.

The normal passport includes lines from “The Star-Spangled Banner,” including “O say does that star / spangled banner yet wave / O’er the land of the free / and the home of the brave.”

The passports will reportedly be available to all Americans, but only 25,000 to 30,000 will be printed, according to NPR.

The passports will become available shortly before July 4, according to NPR, though the exact date is still unclear.

Applicants at the Washington, D.C., passport office will get the new passport by default, and it will be the only one available at the Washington Passport Agency, according to the Washington Post. If you steer clear of that office, you should be fine. But the passport will also be available online for people outside of DC, according to NPR, so be careful if you’re applying through that channel.…’ (Matt Novak via Gizmodo)