Washington, D.C

Surprised by Tony P’s NATO video? He was too.

Published

6 months ago

July 10, 2024

Surprised by Tony P’s NATO video? He was too.

A singular question loomed over Washington this week as some of the globe’s most powerful leaders gathered for NATO’s 75th anniversary summit.

Why in the world was Tony P the face of the security organization’s official welcome video?

The mild-mannered 25-year-old D.C. influencer, whose Instagram account promises “cooking, fashion, and adulting tips,” was probably not on anyone’s shortlist — or long, long list — to drop a one-minute video explaining how Washington was the birthplace of NATO and that its 32 member states are working “on the most important security challenges facing our world today, continuing to boost NATO’s ability to keep our 1 billion people safe.”

A Reddit user was not impressed. “Like what was the point of this?” they wrote. “Is this the only spokesperson DC could find? With all the unemployed international policy folks, this is who we use to do this work?”

A poster on X was puzzled as well, saying, “career diplomats being ousted for a media job by a 25 year old bachelor in dc. what in the world.”

To be fair, even Tony P, a.k.a. Anthony Polcari, was surprised.

“They want to work with me? Like, an influencer guy? I couldn’t believe it,” Polcari said in a phone interview Wednesday. “Really, just — I’m blown away by it. And, you know, any way I can help was just really cool for me.”

Polcari, who said he wasn’t paid for the video, is one of several dozen social media influencers invited by NATO, the Defense Department and the State Department to be a part of the high-level summit. As the alliance faces growing questions about its future, it wants to better explain its mission and bolster its image with young people who may have only a vague understanding of why it was formed.

Polcari said NATO reached out to his agent a few weeks ago. After he got over the shock of the request, he read the short script and jumped on board. The video was filmed on a blazing hot June day in front of various Washington landmarks as Polcari, boiling in a dark blue suit, delivered his lines without letting anyone see him sweat.

He thinks he may have been asked because he has become a more visible face in the District as his Instagram following — where he chronicles his bachelor life in aggressively inoffensive videos — has swelled from about 2,000 people a year or so ago to more than 200,000.

“They wanted someone who could showcase D.C., who was an influencer, you know, in the D.C. space,” Polcari said. As if on cue, a woman in the background could be heard yelling out, “Tony P!”

But not all of his Instagram followers were pleased with his new tie to NATO.

“I hate this so much,” one wrote. Another posted a vomit emoji.

On X there were more jabs:

“God, this is embarrassing. You got to be kidding me …”

“Congratulations! This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen!”

“D.C. really needs better local celebrities.”

Polcari shrugs off the naysayers.

“There’s some people saying that I’m one of those hated influencers in D.C. That’s just not true,” Polcari said. “It’s funny, the fact that people will take time out of their day to crap on me for doing a NATO video made me kind of laugh. Because I use the old line from the show ‘Mad Men’: ‘I’m not thinking about you, but you’re thinking about me.’”

Negativity has no place in Tony P’s world.

“I want to create a space for fun and positivity where people can come together,” he texted after the interview.

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Washington, D.C

Jimmy Carter’s life honored at funeral in Washington, DC

Published

6 minutes ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Jimmy Carter’s life honored at funeral in Washington, DC

Former President Jimmy Carter’s life and legacy will be honored with a national day of mourning and a state funeral at the National Cathedral Thursday where family, friends and fellow leaders will pay their respects. TODAY’s Craig Melvin reports from Washington, D.C.

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Washington, D.C

Capitol Police arrest man attempting to set his car on fire amid Trump DC visit with GOP senators

Published

8 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Capitol Police arrest man attempting to set his car on fire amid Trump DC visit with GOP senators

The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) said that they arrested a person who attempted to set his car ablaze near the U.S. Capitol building during President-elect Trump’s visit late Wednesday.

“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”

The agency said that during Trump’s visit with Republican senators and his time paying respect to President Carter, a 35-year-old man from Virginia attempted to set his car on fire.

POLICE ARREST MAN AFTER ATTEMPTING TO CARRY MACHETE, 3 KNIVES INTO US CAPITOL, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP ARRIVES

A general view of the U.S. Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst )

Police said that just before 5:30 p.m., USCP officers were alerted to a man who had parked on First Street, NW, near the Grant Memorial, and had lit a bag on fire atop his vehicle.

POLICE ARREST MAN AT US CAPITOL WHO HAD BOTTLES OF FUEL, FLARE GUN, BLOW TORCH

When officers ran over to the man, the bag extinguished on its own.

A general view of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington February 28, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Jason Reed)

Out of an abundance of caution, the USCP said that the vehicle was declared suspicious, and the agency’s Hazardous Incident Response Division cleared the vehicle.

Officials determined that the car was not a danger at approximately 7 p.m.

The car had been spray-painted. Investigators determined that accelerants were in the bag. The driver was arrested for unlawful activities.

The U.S. Capitol Police stopped a man from entering the Capitol at a security checkpoint, after he was found to allegedly have a machete and three knives in his bag. (U.S. Capitol Police)

Hours prior to this arrest, the USCP detained a man who attempted to carry a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC).

The Capitol Police said in a social media post that the incident happened just after 2 p.m., when officers working at a security screening at the CVC’s north doors spotted a machete in the man’s bag.

The X-ray machine was stopped as the bag went through, then police arrested 44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., before securing the machete.

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Police said Horne was arrested for multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon and will be interviewed by investigators to determine his motive.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.

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Washington, D.C

Still need help shoveling? DC's ‘Snow Heroes' are a phone call away

Published

16 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Still need help shoveling? DC's ‘Snow Heroes' are a phone call away

As D.C. continues to dig out of Monday’s snow storm, there are many residents who need help clearing their sidewalks, walkways and driveways.

Even a little snow can be problematic for seniors and people with disabilities.

That’s where D.C.’s “Snow Hero” program comes in.

More than 200 volunteers from all walks of life signed up with the D.C. government to lend a hand.

Nigle Brake and his team with the environmental organization Ward 8 Woods are some of them.

“Well, it’s about taking care of your community and giving back when you can,” Brake said.

Brake and his team were called to shovel at one home in Southeast D.C. Wednesday morning, but noticed the neighbors’ sidewalks also needed shoveling.

“We noticed that next door there were two houses, and that house had a veteran sign on it. So we looked at that house, knocked on the door. But then we saw the elevator lift, and saw that the individual is possibly in a wheelchair. So, we took the opportunity to knock on the door,” Brake said.

Hundreds of residents called the city for help clearing their steps and walkways after Monday’s snow storm dumped several inches on the city.

“So far, over a thousand D.C. residents have been matched with volunteers to shovel their driveways and walkways, but we still have hundreds more that need help,” Serve D.C. Director Dominique A. Scott told News4.

“I think it shows the resilience of the community, of people giving back and caring about those in need,” Brake said.

“They’re amazing. We couldn’t do this without them. The engagement of the residents makes all the difference, and when people see that their community members are showing up for them, it warms their heart,” Scott said.

Any D.C. residents who need help shoveling their snow, or who want to volunteer, can call 311.

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