Politics
Column: Presidential foundation was too scared to honor Liz Cheney, so he quit in disgust
Every year, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation bestows an award meant to honor acts of political courage. The criteria include strength of character, sound judgment, decisiveness (“particularly during periods of crisis”) and determination “in the face of adversity.”
David Hume Kennerly, a member of the foundation board, had in mind the perfect candidate: Liz Cheney.
The former Wyoming lawmaker sacrificed her political career and was effectively excommunicated from the Republican Party for defying President Trump and overseeing the congressional probe into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, as well as Trump’s treacherous attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
“There was only one human on the planet who should have been getting that award,” Kennerly, who served as White House photographer during the Ford administration, said in an interview. “She checked every box.”
But the foundation’s executive committee ignored Kennerly’s recommendation and passed over Cheney — even after others declined the award — citing concerns that, as a possible 2024 presidential candidate, her selection could imperil the group’s tax-exempt status.
It’s a fig leaf so thin the merest whisper of a breeze wafts it away.
In truth, Kennerly said, the executive board feared retribution from the vengeful Trump should he return to the White House. Earlier this week, he resigned his board membership in protest.
“If the foundation that bears the name of Gerald R. Ford won’t stand up to this real threat to our democracy, who will?” Kennerly said in a five-page letter to the executive committee.
(Ford’s singular act of political courage was pardoning former President Nixon, hastening the country’s healing from the Watergate scandal though it quite possibly cost Ford the closely fought 1976 presidential election.)
“I can’t in good conscience stay on the board of an organization representing Gerald R. Ford that doesn’t manifest his kind of guts,” said Kennerly, who was personally close to the late president and his wife, Betty. “It’s now a place whose leadership is cowed by a demagogue creating and promulgating the greatest crisis our country has faced since the Civil War.”
Kennerly elaborated in the interview. His resignation was intended as a quiet act of protest, he said from his home in Los Angeles. But it became public almost immediately when someone — not he — leaked the letter to Politico.
“Any time you put something out there … ,” said Kennerly, his voice trailing off. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer has spent decades in and around politics, he said, so, “I’m not naive.”
During a half-hour conversation, Kennerly toggled between anger — “chickens—,” he called the board’s snub of Cheney — and concern that his actions not be misconstrued.
“This is not an easy thing. I don’t want this to appear to be dropping a B-52 strike on the Ford Foundation,” said Kennerly, whose searing images of the Vietnam War have become an indelible part of America’s historical record. “It’s more about the fear factor facing people in our country now. People are afraid to step up, and you can thank the former president for that.”
Kennerly’s protest, heartfelt as it may be, could easily be dismissed as the griping of someone who simply didn’t get his way. He described Cheney as one of his best friends and he is also close to her family.
But as someone steeped in history, who has witnessed politicians up close and cataloged courage and human failings in a way few have, Kennerly’s observations are worth noting.
The foundation board has dozens of trustees — Cheney among them — who offer nominations to a 12-member executive committee, which has the final say on each year’s winner of the Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
Kennerly first recommended Cheney for the award last fall. The executive board chose someone else — even though it was abundantly clear Cheney, who had been mentioned as a possible stop-Trump candidate, was not running for president.
That should have eliminated those putative concerns about the group’s tax status.
When that individual turned down the award, and then another, Kennerly again recommended Cheney. (He would not say who else was chosen and why they declined the honor.)
Instead, the executive board selected Indiana’s former governor, Mitch Daniels, and Kennerly quit soon after. (No knock on Daniels, he said.)
After Kennerly’s resignation became public, the executive director of the Ford Presidential Foundation, Gleaves Whitney, issued a statement citing fiduciary responsibility, tax issues, legal risk, blah blah, blah.
Those matters were apparently not a concern in 2004 when Dick Cheney, Liz’s father, received the Ford medal. At the time, he was running for reelection as vice president.
Upon further reflection — and after a day of scathingly negative publicity — Whitney issued a follow-up statement Wednesday night.
Cheney, he said, “meets all the criteria the Ford Presidential Foundation medal signifies — courage, integrity, and passion to serve the American people.”
“The Foundation’s decision … is not a reflection on her but on the law governing nonprofits,” Whitney said. “The Foundation’s action this year in no way precludes her from serious consideration to receive the medal in a future year.”
Kennerly’s response was curt: “Total cop-out.”
So as it stands, Cheney — with all those criteria going for her — maybe someday, after serious consideration, will be recognized with the Ford Medal for the vitally important service she rendered the country by exposing Trump and his mutinous acts.
At no small personal cost, it should be said.
For now, however, leaders of the foundation lack the courage to honor Cheney for performing her sterling act of courage.
It would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.
Politics
Video: Cassidy Loses Primary After Drawing Trump’s Ire
new video loaded: Cassidy Loses Primary After Drawing Trump’s Ire
transcript
transcript
Cassidy Loses Primary After Drawing Trump’s Ire
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy lost his Louisiana primary on Saturday after President Trump targeted him for voting to impeach him in 2021. The two-term senator took veiled swipes at the president in his concession speech.
-
Thank you, Louisiana! I want to say thank you to a very special man who you all know, the best president this country has ever had, President Donald Trump. I’ve been able to participate in democracy. And when you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to. But you don’t pout. You don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen. Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about our Constitution. And if someone doesn’t understand that and attempts to control others through using the levers of power, they are about serving themselves. They’re not about serving us.”
By Cynthia Silva
May 17, 2026
Politics
Trump warns Iran’s ‘clock is ticking’: Move ‘fast’ or ‘there won’t be anything left’
Drone strikes generator at nuclear power plant in UAE
Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports on a drone attack against a nuclear power plant in the UAE as President Donald Trump is set to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid stalled negotiations with Iran.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump renewed his stern warnings for Iran to come to peace and end its nuclear weapons aspirations Sunday.
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
Trump, fresh off his trek to meet China’s Xi Jinping face to face, is weighing restarting military action on Iran, Fox News Digital reported earlier Sunday.
TRUMP WARNS IRAN’S ‘CLOCK IS TICKING’: MOVE ‘FAST’ OR ‘THERE WON’T BE ANYTHING LEFT’
President Donald Trump is renewing threats for Iran to come to peace and commit to giving up its nuclear weapons aspirations. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
The president also had a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
“Our eyes are also open regarding Iran,” Netanyahu said Sunday morning, as translated from Hebrew. “I will speak today, as I do every few days, with our friend President Trump.
“I will certainly hear impressions from his trip to China, and perhaps other matters as well. There are certainly many possibilities, and we are prepared for every scenario.”
TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS IRAN DEAL BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION
Trump remains at the White House on Sunday, but no public or press appearances were on his schedule.
The call with Netanyahu came amid regional intelligence assessments on Iran that restarting of military strikes might be coming because of Trump’s frustration with Iran’s tactics amid the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and the rejection of his demand to give up nuclear weapons aspirations.
“The prevailing assessment inside Iran is that President Trump may resort to restarting military action, and Tehran is now deliberately pursuing a strategy of ‘deception and delay’ with the hopes that buying time will complicate any potential return to war,” two regional intelligence officials told Fox News.
EXPERTS WARN IRAN’S NUCLEAR DOUBLE-TALK DESIGNED TO BUY TIME, UNDERMINE US PRESSURE
Intelligence officials believe that the Iranian regime thinks it can delay developments and stretch the crisis out for at least two more weeks, so that the situation could become more difficult for Trump to restart the military campaign, both politically and operationally.
These sources say Iranian officials are looking at the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary as a backstop that could work in their favor.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The impact of the U.S.-led blockade is becoming increasingly visible inside Iran, according to a senior Israeli official, early signs of a developing fuel crisis emerging over the weekend – including long lines at gas stations and growing public discontent over fuel shortages and distribution problems.
“It’s getting exponentially worse,” the official added.
Fox News’ Trey Yingst and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Politics
Commentary: Californians on a confounding race for governor: ‘I haven’t … a clue who I’m going to vote for’
Eddie Martinez can’t stand Donald Trump. So when Eric Swalwell entered the race for California governor, Martinez had his candidate.
“I liked the way he took Trump on, the impeachment thing in Congress,” Martinez said of the former Bay Area congressman, a Trump nemesis who served as one of the House prosecutors in 2021 when Democrats held the wayward president to account for the second time.
Then, suddenly, Swalwell’s campaign collapsed under the weight of allegations of abuse, including charges he sexually assaulted a former aide. With Martinez’s choice out of the running, the Democrat turned to the candidate who’d been his second pick all along, Xavier Becerra.
Martinez has been familiar with Becerra for decades, going back to when the former congressman, state attorney general and Biden Cabinet member was in the state Assembly. To his credit, said the 65-year-old retired public relations strategist, Becerra has largely kept clear of controversy and there’s never been a whiff of personal scandal — an important consideration after Swalwell’s spectacular self-destruction.
On top of all that, Martinez said as he prepared to drop his mail ballot at a post office in Alhambra, it would be nice for California to elect its first Latino governor in modern times. It’s been, Martinez observed, more than 150 years.
With the gubernatorial primary entering its final two weeks, a contest that had been stubbornly formless has finally gained coherence. Becerra, who’d been widely given up for dead as he foundered near the bottom of polls, has unexpectedly emerged as the Democrat to beat.
“He has the most experience,” said Ruben Avita, a 57-year-old actor who leans Democratic and is tilting toward Becerra over hedge-fund billionaire Tom Steyer. “At this point,” Avita said as he waited to catch a double feature at a cineplex in Monterey Park, “I want someone with a proven track record.”
Among the Republicans running, Trump’s pick — conservative commentator Steve Hilton — seems firmly ensconced atop the GOP field.
“He’s got a lot more common-sense approach than any of these other idiots,” said Wayne The Flame — yes, he explained, that’s his legal name —which, while not exactly a ringing endorsement, still counts as a vote.
The Claremont independent, retired at 73 after a career selling motorcycles and hot rods, described Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, the other major GOP contestant, as a racist and dismissed the entire Democratic field with a string of epithets. “Dumb—,” he said of the voters who keep putting the likes of them in power.
Peaches, a chihuahua/boxer rescue, stands alongside her owner, Wayne The Flame
If not terribly enthused, at least The Flame has made up his mind. Many voters remain undecided — or, at least, not entirely wed to a candidate.
Some are holding on to their ballots longer than usual, awaiting any last-minute developments and weighing the election odds as though wagering in a high-stakes game of poker.
Like many Democrats, Bryce Dwyer’s concern is that Hilton and Bianco will seize both spots in June’s top-two primary, advancing to a November runoff and giving California its first Republican governor in 16 years.
A 40-year-old project manager at the Getty Research Institute, Dwyer held his 2-year-old daughter as his son, 6, romped on a pleasant afternoon in Sierra Madre’s Memorial Park. Across the street, the bells of Christ Church chimed the hour.
“None of the Democrats are putting forth anything that is making me excited,” said Dwyer, who’s ruled out Becerra (he doesn’t see much there) and is deciding between Steyer and former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter. He’s trying to cast his ballot strategically, the East Pasadena resident said, and “it’s the first time in a while I haven’t really had a clue who I’m going to vote for so close to election day.”
Democrat Priscilla Vega of Monrovia has yet to settle on her candidate for governor
This is a deeply unsettled season in California, with precious little hope the next governor — whoever he or she turns out to be — will make things better anytime soon. That mix of discouragement and discontent surfaced repeatedly, like a dull ache, in conversations with dozens of voters across the San Gabriel Valley.
The region’s ethnic and economic diversity — from the working-class neighborhoods of Pomona through the Asian-majority suburbs to the mountainside mansions of San Dimas and Pasadena — make the valley a prime battleground in the race for governor.
Alana H., who asked not to use her last name, said she wasn’t even bothering to vote.
She ticked off some reasons: The soaring price of gas and rising cost of, essentially, everything else. The fear her college-age daughter will never be able to buy a home in California. Worse, is her loss of faith. She no longer believes in the promise, once taken for granted, that each generation will improve its lot over the last. And, Alana said, she’s not alone: “Anyone who’s an average person is in the same boat, we’re all just trying to stay afloat.” Standing in front of the post office in Alhambra, the 52-year-old paddled her arms as though to keep from sinking.
Jaunenito Pavon, in his Glendora wine and chocolate bar, would like California to elect a governor who could unify the state. He’s still deciding on a candidate
The politicians in both parties are “so out of touch,” she said, “all they’re doing is fighting over this and that, when everyone I know doesn’t care what party you’re in. They just want to put food on their table. They want their kids to have a better life.”
Shelby Moore has some of the same concerns. Forget about ever buying a home, said the 30-year-old California native, a Democratic-leaning independent. It’s no small feat scraping up money for rent. “I’ve lost almost every single friend that I went to high school or college with,” Moore said between waiting tables at a Mediterranean restaurant in Glendora. “They’ve all moved out of state.”
Shelby Moore, 30, a waitress in Glendora, said all her friends from high school and college have left California because it’s so expensive.
She’ll definitely vote, Moore said, though she doesn’t know for whom. One of the Democrats. Someone who’ll work to make California more affordable and keep people like her friends from being priced out.
In Claremont, Eric Hurley was another undecided Democrat. He attended last month’s gubernatorial debate at Pomona College, where the 56-year-old professor teaches psychological science and Africana studies. Otherwise, he’s been too busy to pay much attention to the race.
But it’s important, Hurley said, that whoever wins “keep fighting the good fight and standing by our liberal principles. I would hate to see someone in the governor’s office start capitulating to what the current administration is asking.”
Democrat Eric Hurley is undecided in the governor’s race. But he wants someone who’ll stand up to the Trump administration.
Others seconded that notion, that California needs to stand as a bulwark against Trump and his excesses, such as the draconian crackdown that has terrorized the state’s large immigrant population.
But there’s not a great appetite for the sort of performative pushback that’s won the current governor a wide audience on social media and boosted Gavin Newsom’s political stock as he positions himself ahead of the 2028 presidential campaign.
Jennifer Harris, 56, is a single mom in Monrovia who oversees payroll at a food manufacturing company. She has to stretch each of her dollars to make ends meet; soon she’ll be shelling out $30,000 a year for her daughter to go to college. Buying a home, Harris said, is out of the question.
She confessed to chuckling at the governor’s memes — an over-the-top oeuvre that includes Newsom as super hero, Newsom as religious beacon, Newsom as romance-novel hunk — and his other cheeky jabs at the president. “But that’s not an adult way to handle it,” Harris said between errands in Monrovia’s quaint shopping district. “It’s not solving any problems.”
Better, she said, for the next governor — she hasn’t decided whom she’ll support — to focus on practicalities: improving the economy, making housing and healthcare more affordable, dealing with homelessness and the underlying mental health issues.
Jennifer Harris said Gov. Newsom’s over-the-top social media presence is amusing. But she wants the next governor to focus on more practical things.
Britnee Foreman echoed that sentiment.
The 41-year-old, who lives in Azusa and works in the music business, was meeting a friend, Priscilla Vega, 43, for lunch in Monrovia. Along with a meal, the two Democrats shared their concerns about inflation and income inequality.
“Memes are great for publicity,” said Foreman, who’s deciding between Becerra and Porter, based on their policy experience. (Vega, a lifestyle marketer, has yet to narrow down her choice.)
Britnee Foreman says the next governor needs policies “with teeth,” not an active social media presence.
“But I prefer policy,” Foreman went on. “I don’t want them just to be the popular person out there on social media. It’s great if they’re tweeting and have a cute little Insta-story. But I need their policies to have teeth and actively move us forward. And not just look like it’s moving forward.”
After nearly eight years, amid widespread unease, California seems ready to put the Newsom era in the past. It’s just not clear what path voters will choose, or which candidate they’ll prefer to steer the state toward, hopefully, a better place.
-
New York24 seconds agoRead the complaint filed against a top militia commander linked to Iran.
-
Los Angeles, Ca6 minutes agoLong Beach man arrested for murder in deadly hit-and-run crash
-
Detroit, MI30 minutes agoPistons’ playoff run ends in Game 7 blowout to Cavaliers
-
San Francisco, CA42 minutes agoSan Mateo supervisor urges CDC to step up protections amid hantavirus outbreak
-
Dallas, TX48 minutes agoThe art of showing up: how two Dallas women paint a new vision for relief
-
Miami, FL54 minutes agoMessi’s goal, assist lead Inter Miami to 2-0 win over Portland and first at new stadium
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoFire breaks out at East Boston home, spreads to neighboring buildings
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoNuggets’ Nikola Jokic finishes 2nd in MVP voting; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander repeats