WASHINGTON (OSV News) — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and special envoy Steve Witkoff made a rare trip to Gaza Aug. 1, after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would be “going to be even more involved” in the response there.
The same week, an appeals court heard a legal challenge to Trump’s tariffs as he set higher rates, and Trump revived the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools.
Witkoff, Huckabee visit Gaza after Trump says US will be ‘more involved’ in aid
Witkoff and Huckabee inspected a distribution site of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S. and Israel-backed aid distribution system that has been met with scrutiny by the United Nations and other international entities for not adequately responding to the deepening crisis.
The U.N. said more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to get food, hundreds of them near GHF sites, but the GHF disputes that statistic.
Witkoff wrote on X the officials “spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions,” and meeting with agencies including GHF.
“The purpose of the visit was to give (the president) a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said.
Trump said July 28 during a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland that children in Gaza are suffering “real starvation.”
“I see it, and you can’t fake that,” Trump said.
Trump’s longtime ally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that starvation is occurring in Gaza, an account contradicted by international humanitarian organizations.
Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued a statement July 31 commending Trump “for acknowledging that starvation is happening in Gaza, especially affecting children, and I urge him to demand the immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance through all channels in Gaza.” Bishop Zaidan leads the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.
Appeals court hears legal challenge to Trump tariffs as he sets higher rates
A federal appeals court on July 31 questioned Trump’s use of an emergency powers law to impose a sweeping “reciprocal tariff” policy on nearly every country that trades with the U.S., the same day Trump finalized his plans to attempt to reshape global trade.
Trump said he would increase tariffs on merchandise from about 70 countries, including raising taxes on imports from Canada, one of the United States’ largest trading partners, to a high rate at 35%.
Trump argued the tariffs, or a tax imposed by a government on imported goods, would protect American manufacturing, but some economists have cautioned they will raise consumer prices on many consumer goods, with some economists also predicting they could lead to a recession.
Stocks dipped in response to the announcement, as investors also grappled with a sluggish jobs report.
A coalition of businesses and another of states each previously sued the Trump administration in response, arguing that the president overstepped his authority in issuing some of the tariffs.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard arguments in that challenge to the tariffs, which are a key part of Trump’s economic agenda.
Religious goods industry professionals previously told OSV News the tariffs created uncertainty for their businesses.
Trump revives Presidential Fitness Test
Trump on July 31 reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for children in U.S. public schools.
The White House said in a press release it would reestablish the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition to develop “bold and innovative fitness goals for young Americans with the aim of fostering a new generation of healthy, active citizens.”
“I was always a person that loved playing sports. I was good at sports,” Trump said at an event announcing the order. “When you are really focused on sports, you’ve thought about nothing else. To an extent, this is one of the reasons I like golf. You get away for a couple of hours.”
The most recent version of the test, which was introduced in 1966, included a one-mile run, modified sit-ups and other exercises. In 2012, the Obama administration replaced the Presidential Fitness Test with a program called the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which prioritized promoting physical activity over meeting particular benchmarks.
CUA architect to lead construction of new White House ballroom
The White House said it will in September begin a $200 million dollar construction project to add a larger ballroom and event space to the historic building.
“I always said I was going to do something about the ballroom, because they should have one,” Trump told reporters July 31. “It’ll be a great legacy project, and I think it’ll be special.”
“The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance,” the White House said in a statement. “The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.”
The White House said Jim McCrery, an architect and professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, was hired to undertake the project for the White House, also known as “The People’s House.”
“Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman,” McCrery said. “I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House, while preserving the elegance of its classical design and historical importance.”
The White House said Trump and others are donating the funds to build it.
Biden warns of ‘dark days,’ risks to rule of law
Former President Joe Biden said July 31 he was concerned about the rule of law in remarks to the National Bar Association’s 100th Annual Awards Gala in Chicago.
“We are, in my view, at such a moment in American history, reflected in every cruel executive outreach, every rollback of basic freedoms, every erosion of long-standing, established precedent,” he said.
Biden did not name Trump but argued the nation was facing “dark days” as a result of some of his early actions.
Other policies Biden criticized include the Trump administration’s hardline immigration enforcement, which he called “cruel,” citing “immigrants who are in this country legally … getting dragged away in handcuffs.”
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.
