Happy Friday, Wake Up Right fam! As I write this, President Trump is en route to Alaska for his summit with Putin. Expect the media will be in full hyperventilation mode — but you can skip the noise. I’ve got you covered with a preview of what to expect from today’s events.

• ⛪️ Pope Leo XIV has a +46% favorability rating

• ❤️‍🩹 52% approve of RFK Jr's MAHA efforts, 33% oppose

• 🗓️ The Panama Canal opened on this day in 1914

• 📉 Trump approval avg: 45.6% approve, 51.5% disapprove

^{Sources: Gallup, Trafalgar, History, RCP}

Tip sheet: What to expect from Trump and Putin’s Alaska face off

President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska today – aiming to jumpstart a deal to end the Ukraine war.

The details: The heads of state will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage at 3:30 p.m. ET. Their itinerary includes:

• 1-on-1 meeting with interpreters only

• Working lunch with delegations

• Joint press conference

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a quick, impromptu photo-op/press gaggle before the 1-on-1.

Zoom out: Since taking office, just over 200 days ago, Trump has not been shy about his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. And at times, has voiced his frustrations with both parties – Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Why meet with Putin? Trump's critics – both Democrats and RINOs – oppose his decision to meet with Putin. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended him, saying,

• “The president feels like, ‘Look, I’ve got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face-to-face. I need to hear him one-on-one. I need to make an assessment by looking at him.”

What are the odds of a deal? Trump told Fox News Radio: “There is a 25-percent chance this meeting will not be a successful meeting."

What is Putin saying? On the eve of these historic talks, the Russian leader said Trump “is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in the conflict.”

What's Zelensky up to? He flew to London yesterday to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer's office said the Trump-Putin summit presents “a viable chance to make progress."

The numbers: A new Gallup poll found that 69% of Ukrainians support seeking a negotiated peace to end the war as soon as possible – up from just 27% in 2023. Just 24% want to continue fighting.

The goal: The White House has already stated publicly that it does not expect to walk out of Anchorage with a deal. However, a senior official told Politico that Trump is "intent on delivering the beginnings of peace."

What would happen next? Trump says, if the meeting goes well, he will return to D.C. and look to schedule a summit with Putin, Zelensky, and European leaders. If it doesn’t go well, he is “not calling anybody.”

Hillary said what? Failed presidential nominee Hillary Clinton recently said: “[H]onestly, if he could bring about the end to this terrible war... without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory... I’d nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize."

Real talk from G: Temper your expectations for today’s meeting. But don’t temper your appreciation for a president who is genuinely working to bring peace.

[Source: Daily Wire, Politico]

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Purging ‘woke’ from the Smithsonian

President Donald Trump has ordered a review of Smithsonian museums to ensure exhibits portray U.S. history “fairly” – and not through a “woke” lens – ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.

What is the Smithsonian? It’s basically America’s national museum system. It's federally funded and overseen by a Board that includes the Vice President. Its job is to collect and share objects and knowledge about history, science, the arts, and culture.

The details: A White House letter Tuesday outlined plans to review social media, exhibit text, and educational materials for “tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals.”

• Targeted sites: Eight museums, including the National Museum of American History, African American History and Culture, American Indian, Air and Space, American Art, and the National Portrait Gallery.

What Trump is saying: "We want their museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner or in a racist manner, which is what… many of them are doing."

How is the Smithsonian woke? The White House and lawmakers cite examples such as:

• An American Art Museum exhibit which claims the United States "used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.”

• In 2023, Hispanic Republican lawmakers called out the American Latino Museum for an exhibit that they said was overly-focused on European colonialism and the U.S. government's support for right-wing dictators in Latin America while avoiding criticisms of left-wing regimes like the Castros in Cuba.

• The National Museum of African American History and Culture recently published a graphic claiming that “objective, rational, linear thinking” and the attitude of “hard work before play” were “white” qualities.

The last word goes to White House advisor Stephen Miller, who wrote on X,

• "[T]he exhibits have clearly been taken over by leftwing activists who have used the Smithsonian as yet one platform to endlessly bash America and rewrite / erase our magnificent story."

[Source: NY Post, Fox News]

👏 Nearly 275,000 illegal aliens have been kicked off the Social Security system, President Trump revealed at a press conference yesterday. Read more.

📈 The Producer Price Index [which measures how prices change for raw materials and wholesale products used to make the goods we eventually buy] rose 0.9% in July, the biggest jump in three years. Read more.

⛱️ D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has jetted off to Martha’s Vineyard – a retreat for the political elite – while President Trump tackles the crime and homelessness plaguing her city. Read more.

🛸 The U.S. flew an MQ-9 Reaper drone deep into Mexico this week, after Trump authorized the military to take action against cartels in Mexico. Read more.

🥪 AG Pam Bondi revealed that the man arrested after he allegedly threw a Subway sandwich at a law enforcement officer was a DOJ employee and has been fired. Read more.

☄️ NASA is tracking a house-sized asteroid, 2025 PR1, expected to pass Earth on August 16 at a speed of approximately 17,717 miles per hour. Read more.

💬 When asked about his Oscar awards, actor Denzel Washington said: “I don’t do it for Oscars... Man gives the award. God gives the reward.” Read more.

🧊 D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith amended existing procedures to allow officers to cooperate with ICE. Read more.

🏈 The NFL will continue the inclusion of social justice messages like "End Racism" and "Stop Hate" in the end zones. Read more.

🎥 Jillian Michaels TRIGGERS a CNN panel as she defends Trump's calls to remove the WOKE from the Smithsonian museum. Watch. Well done, ma’am. 👏 

🎥 Amazon worker pleads on homeowners security camera to stop ordering heavy items. Watch. LOL at least the way he went about it was kinda funny.

🎥 Border Patrol conducts a raid outside a Gavin Newsom press conference. Watch.

🎥 Trump thinks Liz Warren needs a drug test. Watch.

🎥 Inside the remote Alaska military base where Trump and Putin will meet. Watch.

🎥 Rep. Anna Paulina Luna talks aliens with Joe Rogan. Watch.

🎥 Hakeem Jeffries ducks and dodges questions about socialism. Watch.

🎥 This raving lunatic was arrested in his underwear, using racial slurs, referring to himself as God, and threatening Rep. Nancy Mace. He’s also the Democrats’ pick for South Carolina governor. WATCH.

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