The documents show that the Park Service provided nearly $150,000 in security personnel to Trump and his Fox News guests. They did so in spite of federal regulations prohibiting the use of the Lincoln Memorial for public events. After Trump was involved in the project, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt overruled the rules and allowed the Fox News event to be held in the national monument. Bret Baier explained the circumstances that led to the change in location.

Documents show that the Park Service provided security personnel at a cost of nearly $150,000

A national park has long been a favorite backdrop for presidents and their events. President Barack Obama held a concert on the steps of the memorial during his inauguration and gave a speech there 50 years after Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech. However, the Trump administration went one step further and positioned City Hall and Fox News inside the memorial, violating federal regulations.

The Park Service’s official defended the event, saying that the location was appropriate for the president’s speech during a time of national crisis. The Park Service spokesman, Mike Litterst, told CNN that it monitors events hosted by private entities, but the Fox News event was not. A US Secret Service official later apologized to Fox News staffers for a mistake made in the planning of the event. A park staffer also showed Park Service officials a 1963 march on Washington photo taken from behind the Lincoln statue. In another email, he wrote that “Fox News had moved the event and no permit was required”

The Park Service offered the location on short notice

The Park Service was able to offer the location on short notice to President Donald Trump on the condition that the event was not co-sponsored. Reinbold told colleagues that the Fox News event was planned for the memorial’s front porch. But he mentioned that the plans may change once they were presented to Trump. Ultimately, Reinbold and Fox News agreed to use the location.

The Park Service’s decision to cancel the event has triggered a storm of controversy. The White House has been criticized by conservative media for calling Biden out of Arizona on election night, and Rupert Murdoch has repeatedly been critical of the president. A few Fox personalities have also been critical of Trump after his election. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has emerged as a possible successor to Trump.

The Park Service notified the Secret Service

A federal official says the Parks and Services had to contact the Secret and Fox Information about the President’s planned visit to the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday. The Secret Service has apologized for the error and is working to provide solutions shortly. In the meantime, Fox Information moved its event to the memorial chamber, where the permit application process was much simpler. Initially, Reinbold told colleagues that the event was off-limits until the President’s presentation. However, the decision to move the event occurred so quickly that the Secret Service was not able to prevent the Fox News event from happening.

After receiving the notice from the Secret Services, the president rearranged his meeting with Fox News anchors. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held outside of the Lincoln Memorial, and federal regulations prohibited this event. But due to Trump’s involvement, David Bernhardt, the interior secretary, ruled that the president could hold the interview inside. Bret Baier, a senior Fox News executive, explained the reasons for the move.

Also Read: Prince Harry wading into politics amid reports Meghan Markle could run for US president