Special Report

WATCH: “In 2017, in the White House, early days. I told the president... you have to really get to know Lindsey Graham... The two of them were like two peas in a pod.” Former White House Chief of Staff @Reince reveals how he personally engineered the relationship between Donald Trump and the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2017.

WATCH: “What is lost is the persuasive influence of Lindsey Graham. Not only among Republicans but at times across the aisle.” @TheJuanWilliams

REMEMBERING GRAHAM: “He was an interventionist in a time when that was going out of style in his party. He was pro-NATO. Deeply pro-Israel... He realized with Trump in the White House, that’s where the big lever was.” @brithume details the legislative strategy of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, analyzing his unwavering defense of NATO and Israel alongside his calculated pivot to align with Donald Trump to maximize his foreign policy leverage in Washington.

🚨 EXTREME SPORTS HEAT: Philadelphia welcomes the MLB Home Run Derby for the first time in 30 years under an oppressive heat dome bringing triple-digit indices. @thekatiebyrne reports on the dangerous weather pattern, which is also fueling tornado threats in New England and life-threatening flood warnings across Texas.

JURASSIC PARK ACTOR DIES: Renowned New Zealand actor Sam Neill has died suddenly at age 78 surrounded by his family. Best known for his iconic role as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, the veteran star leaves behind a towering multi-decade legacy in global cinema.

WEST BANK INCIDENT ESCALATES: Representative Ro Khanna claims Israeli soldiers sided with settlers who illegally detained his delegation for 90 minutes in the West Bank. The IDF stated troops responded to uncoordinated foreign nationals entering a sensitive area, as new polling highlights a widening generational shift within the Democratic base regarding Middle East policy. @MikeEmanuelFox reports.

TRUMP IRS DEAL VOIDED: A federal judge has struck down President Trump’s settlement agreement with the IRS, dismantling a planned $1.8 billion compensation fund for victims of government weaponization. The court ruled the lawsuit was filed for an "improper purpose," pointing out the paradox of a president suing an agency under his own control. @BretBaier reports.

🚨 HORMUZ TRANSIT TOLL: President Trump announced the U.S. will impose a 20% security fee on commercial cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that American naval protection is not free. The hardline shift follows the sudden collapse of a marathon 11-hour negotiation session with Iranian mediators over the weekend. @AlexandriaHoff reports.

BREAKING: Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump rejected concerns over a "new normal" in the Gulf, calling the conflict a temporary "military skirmish." He claimed U.S. forces have crippled 92% of Iran's drone production and 89% of its missile manufacturing to block a near-term nuclear breakout.

POLLING ILLUSION: "Democrats still have a lot of soul searching they need to do... Voters want someone who is going to fight and push back, but they also want that coupled with someone who will moderate. There has been a lot of attention paid to these far-left candidates, but their positions poll terribly and their general elections are nonstarters." @JohnWMcCarthy The functional boundaries of low-threshold primary mobilization, national party branding liabilities, and long-term legislative caucus management face a definitive evaluation.

WATCH: “This is a bipartisan bill, extremely popular and addressing an issue the people are concerned about. Why wouldn’t the President want to have a signing ceremony...?” @SusanPage dissects the executive calculations behind letting a historic housing bill clear the midnight threshold without a formal validation event.

WATCH: "The President understands he needs to keep the bombs going. He needs to keep the negotiating going, and he can’t flinch. So they are the schoolyard bully. When you confront them, they back down, and when you let up, they come at you again... He’s got the leverage, and they are going to continue to pressure Iran." @Reince

WNBA CONGRESSIONAL PROBE: 11 House Republicans are demanding the WNBA address repeated "physical hostility" against Caitlin Clark. @markpmeredith reports lawmakers are threatening a DOJ hostile work environment probe, comparing hard fouls to factory-floor assault.

THE PROGRESSIVE PUSH: @ChadPergram breaks down the intensifying Democratic civil war. While progressives fight to capture Platner's base with plans to expand the court, Republicans seize on "radical extremism" to flip key swing seats this November.

FEDERAL ELECTION SHAKEUP: President Trump has removed members of the bipartisan federal election commission who resisted his push to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, leaving the agency key posts completely vacant. @aishahhasnie reports.

VOTER I.D. STANDOFF: “He’s not vetoing this by any means... simply by doing nothing to allow this bill to become law by default... as an act of protest for Congress not moving forward with the Save America Act...” @AlexandriaHoff A historic bipartisan housing bill becomes law at midnight without Trump's signature. The White House confirms he is allowing it to pass by default as a protest against Congress stalling on voter I.D. requirements in the Save America Act.

PLEA DEAL BLOCKADE: “This is a circumstantial evidence case with a ton of physical evidence... I cannot imagine or fathom the state accepting or acknowledging a request for him to plead out to take the death penalty off the table.” @JamesAGagliano

COURT ADJOURNED: “There is more than enough evidence... DNA may be able to be explained. Certain surveillance may be questionable. But whether a defendant out of their own mouth admits their involvement—that’s hard...” @JoshuaRitterESQ Joshua Ritter joins to analyze the strategic realities confronting the defense as the court adjourns until September 1.

WATCH: “He understands gasoline prices are high going into the midterms... even though he’s not on the ballot he effectively is because his party is on the ballot.” @adrienneelrod With oil hitting levels not seen since 1983, the panel breaks down Trump's cautious approach to Iran, warning high gas prices mean a "very difficult time" for the GOP, noting the President is effectively on the ballot.

WATCH: “Prior to the most recent round of fighting we had been engaged in what President Trump called love taps... This time as Trump said, it was 20-1... the Iranian message can’t exercise a veto over the Strait of Hormuz.” @continetti The functional boundaries of asymmetrical military deterrence, sovereign international waterway preservation, and executive warfighting doctrines face an uncompromised trial.