Under intense pressure to drop out, the Graham Platner campaign is digging in, accusing the Democratic establishment of working behind the scenes to install a replacement nominee. In a mass text message to supporters, Ben Chin, campaign manager for Graham Platner, accused the Democratic Party of working against the will of Maine voters. Chin insisted that the campaign has never been about Platner, rather “a movement of working class people” united to defeat incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. “If the Maine Democratic Party hopes to harness our movement and avoid disillusioning the hundreds of thousands of supporters who came into the fray because of our movement’s policies, it must consult the feedback and proposals of the people who built and sustained this,” Chin said in the text message. NEW: Ben Chin, campaign manager for Graham Platner in #MESEN, blasted out a mass text Chin slams the Maine Dem Party for allowing the DSCC to send staffers to plan “a nominating process behind closed doors” It also includes a Survey Monkey link for feedback? pic.twitter.com/uFY0MgtSQ4 — Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick) July 8, 2026 The Maine Democratic Party shot back Wednesday afternoon, writing, “While the Platner campaign remains focused on distracting from the job of defeating Susan Collins in November with false accusations against us, the Maine Democratic Party remains hyper focused on developing a representative, transparent, and inclusive process to select a new nominee when he chooses to withdraw from the race.” “While we may be frustrated with Graham Platner’s continued efforts to manipulate this process, we are so thankful for his supporters and all of their efforts to defeat Susan Collins — they are a vital part of our Party and deserve to participate in an open process to select Platner’s replacement,” Maine Democrats added. The blowup follows an extraordinary Tuesday night statement from the Maine Democratic Party, which accused the leftist campaign of trying to “put their thumb on the scale.” “Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like,” Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said. “We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like.” On Wednesday, Chin fired back. “Under their watch and direction, they allowed the DC-based Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to send staffers to plan a potential nominating process behind closed doors. Both the state and national parties cut our team, our volunteers, and our vast networks of supporters out of the conversation completely,” Chin said. “We firmly believe that the supporters and volunteers who built this movement deserve to have a real role in any nomination process,” he added. It remains unclear who could replace Platner. Many party officials, however, have pointed to former Maine State Senate President Troy Jackson, a Platner ally, as a leading contender. Other potential nominees include Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former state public health chief Nirav Shah, former city mayor Valli Geiger, and Jordan Wood, the former chief of staff to former Rep. Katie Porter. Platner’s campaign unraveled over the 4th of July weekend following explosive allegations of rape and sexual assault. Politico interviewed 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who accused Platner of entering her home without permission in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. In a one-two punch, CNN released an interview with Racicot, who described the alleged assault as rape. The Senate hopeful has repeatedly called allegations of nonconsensual sex “categorically false.” On Tuesday, another ex-girlfriend accused Platner of repeatedly removing condoms without her consent during sex, according to a report by The Washington Post, which he denied. Platner’s exit would mark a stunning fall from grace for the Bernie Sanders-backed oyster farmer, who leaned on a working-class, populist message to catapult himself onto the national political stage and buck his party’s unpopular establishment wing. Maine Democrats have until July 13 to replace him on the ballot, leaving the party just days to settle on a new nominee to take on Collins in a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.

Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Trump, released a statement on Tuesday emphasizing their full support for Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and condemning the “lies” being peddled for “attention” regarding Kirk’s assassination. The pair were in the Provo, Utah, courtroom on Monday and Tuesday for the preliminary hearing for the Tyler Robinson murder trial. Don Jr. and Kirk were close friends for years; Don Jr. has described Kirk as a younger brother. The statement, which was posted to Bettina’s Instagram and reposted by Don Jr., opened by saying that the couple was “honored to be in court alongside Erika and Charlie’s family.” “Over these past two days, we have heard and seen a significant amount of evidence, including extensive video footage, much of which has or will become public and will answer many of the questions that have been irresponsibly filled with speculation and false narratives,” it continued. “There is a PROFOUND difference between seeking truth through the judicial process and spreading lies for attention,” the couple said. “Erika is not a public spectacle. She is a widow and a mother of two children who lost their father in an unimaginable way. She, her children, and Charlie’s family deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion.” Notably, Candace Owens has led the charge with attacks against Erika. Owens recently said Kirk never received actual romantic love when he was alive, insinuating that Erika never loved her late husband, the man with whom she shared two children. She’s also mocked Erika and criticized her grief and reaction to Kirk’s murder. Owens has suggested, without ever presenting any evidence, that Erika and others at Turning Point USA were somehow connected to the assassination or part of a grand cover-up. The statement from Don Jr. and his wife did not include Owens’ name. Screenshot: Don Jr. Instagram “There are no words that can fully capture the weight of this moment, but standing with them was a powerful reminder of the love, strength, and faith that continue to surround Charlie’s family,” the statement said. “Erika has carried herself with extraordinary grace and courage, and we are in awe of her strength.” The statement strongly underscored Don Jr. and Bettina’s love and full support for Erika. “We remain committed to standing with Erika, their beautiful children, and the entire Kirk family as they walk through this painful process,” the couple added. “Our prayers are with them.” Don Jr. said on Fox News the following day that he attended the preliminary hearing to honor Kirk and his legacy, and also provide any support he could to Erika and Kirk’s parents. “I’m there to not only honor Charlie’s legacy [but] to support Erika, his parents, who were there seated all in the row with us,” he said. “It was just important to be there. It’s a legacy that needs to be preserved. The impact that Charlie had on so many Americans and so many youth is frankly generational.” Reacting to what he heard at the hearing, Don Jr. said Robinson’s defense team’s “only real tactic” was trying to stall or get evidence tossed “because I guess it would be too damning to their client.” “Once this hard evidence was laid out to me in a courtroom before my very eyes, seeing the reaction of the defense; this thing is much more cut and dry than I would have ever even imagined,” he added. Related: The Chilling Moment Judge Flinches While Watching Charlie Kirk Assassination Footage

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) called out Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), arguing that he was part of the push to elevate embattled Maine Democrat Graham Platner. Platner, who is Maine’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, has faced a litany of scandals since he entered the race — from a Nazi-inspired tattoo and dubious social media history to multiple accusations of troubling behavior and even rape. Fetterman told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday that Sanders ought to apologize for so aggressively pushing Platner. WATCH: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) on Bernie Sanders support for Graham Platner: “Honestly I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator more than anyone he helped elected” pic.twitter.com/qMnv3HY4H4 — DSA Watch (@DSA_Watch) July 8, 2026 Ingraham noted that almost across the board — with few exceptions, of which Fetterman was one — the Democratic Party had been all too willing to ignore the questionable items in Platner’s history, and she asked whether any of them should be held responsible for the ensuing situation. “I refused to overlook that,” Fetterman replied. “But honestly, I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator — more than anyone he helped [to] elect — and now apologize to the victims, especially the woman that she claimed that he raped her, so I don’t know why you want to keep pushing these kinds of people.” “Maybe he should consider [sitting] a few out and stop pushing these kinds of communists, and now people like P. Hustle, now he has been credibly accused of rape — and that’s fairly recent, too, that was only less than five years ago,” Fetterman continued. Fetterman has repeatedly challenged members of his own party over their support for Platner — and has argued that the scandals, even before the rape accusation, should have been disqualifying.

Yesterday, Nigel Farage resigned as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton, triggering a by-election that he intends to contest himself. The resignation follows weeks of scrutiny over undeclared financial support Farage received in the run-up to the 2024 general election. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is currently in the process of investigating whether a £5m gift from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor and Reform UK’s largest donor, should have been declared under parliamentary rules. Reports have also raised questions about support allegedly provided by George Cottrell, a longtime Farage associate with a prior conviction for fraud, for elements of his political operation, including staffing, travel, and security. Farage insists he has done nothing wrong and says he is seeking a fresh mandate from the voters of Clacton. “The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” he said, describing the contest as “a people versus the establishment by-election.” He also argued that recent media scrutiny has extended to his family members. Under the House of Commons Code of Conduct, MPs are required to register financial interests and benefits that “might reasonably be thought by others to influence” their actions or words. Benefits relating to a member’s political activities that are received before entering Parliament may also require declaration. Rather than waiting for the standards process to conclude, Farage has chosen to return to his constituents. The investigation will continue irrespective of the by-election, but the contest also gives Reform an opportunity to regain political initiative after weeks dominated by questions over Farage’s finances. Farage’s line is fairly straightforward: Parliament may determine whether its rules have been followed, but only the electorate and the people of Clacton can determine whether Farage deserves to remain their representative. There is little constitutional controversy over the mechanism itself. MPs cannot technically resign from the House of Commons. Instead, in a quirk of Britain’s venerable unwritten constitution, they vacate their seats by accepting appointment to one of two nominal Crown offices which are formally incompatible with being an MP, automatically triggering a by-election. The procedure has existed for centuries and has been used by MPs from every major political party. Whether Farage hopes to regain political momentum following weeks of damaging headlines or genuinely believes his constituents should deliver the first political verdict are not mutually exclusive explanations. By-elections have long been used by politicians seeking to either reinforce or renew their democratic mandate. The more unusual aspect of the episode has been the reaction from Farage’s opponents. Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, has urged the Chancellor to prevent Farage’s resignation from taking effect until the parliamentary standards investigation has concluded. Davey’s proposal is particularly striking because there is no convention that prevents members under investigation from vacating their seats. The last known refusal was in 1842, to Viscount Chelsea, who had arranged to resign his Reading seat and campaign for Thomas Mills, in return for Mills dropping an election petition alleging bribery at the 1841 election. Farage’s circumstances are plainly different. If Parliament believes the rules should change, then it is free to legislate. But asking ministers to intervene in individual resignations would itself represent a significant constitutional departure. Meanwhile, both Labour and the Conservatives, as well as most other parties, have announced they will not field candidates in Clacton, leaving the perennially satirical independent Count Binface – the alias of Jonathan Harvey, a BBC comedy writer – as Farage’s most prominent confirmed opponent. The response stands in contrast to the criticism leveled only weeks ago at Labour’s apparent plans to return former Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, to Westminster via the Makerfield by-election. Critics argued Burnham should not be effectively ushered into Parliament ahead of a leadership contest he would be expected to win. There was ample opportunity for the parties of all stripes to attempt to “delegitimize” the Makerfield by-election. Commentators of all stripes have already written Farage’s move off as a fumble, but the decision could play into Reform’s hands. For years, Farage has argued that Britain’s established parties operate as a de facto “Uniparty.” Whether or not this characterization is fair, the refusal of both Labour and the Conservatives to challenge him at the ballot box is likely to reinforce that perception amongst Reform supporters and perhaps convince some floating voters. By attempting to deny Farage the contest he says he wants, his opponents risk strengthening the very narrative they have spent years trying to rebut. It also leaves Britain facing yet another parliamentary by-election at a time when Westminster has become increasingly accustomed to political instability. The previous Parliament saw 23 by-elections — the highest number for more than three decades — and Clacton will become the sixth since the 2024 general election. None of this determines whether Farage complied with Parliament’s rules on declaring financial interests. That remains a matter for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, whose investigation can continue irrespective of the political outcome. Nor would victory in Clacton answer questions about whether benefits should have been registered. But those are separate questions from whether Farage should be permitted to seek a renewed mandate. Parliament’s procedures expressly allow MPs to vacate their seats. Having chosen to do so, Farage is asking the same voters who elected him less than two years ago whether they still wish him to represent them. In a representative democracy, that is a question which ultimately belongs to the electorate, and more specifically the people of Clacton. *** Matthew Bowles is senior policy researcher at the Prosperity Institute.

Pepsi riled up some especially sensitive social media followers with a post they somehow interpreted as making light of sexual consent.   The beverage company apologized for the post and deleted it after getting slammed in the comments. The original post, immortalized in screenshots, was shared on July 6. It said: “Pepsi Wild Cherry is what happens when regular cherry stops asking permission.”  Pepsi has apologized for this post. I’m sorry, I’m just not going to buy that Pepsi was posting out rape culture jokes, as some have implied. The “wild” alongside “stops asking permission” clearly implies that their intention was about celebrating rebellion not about… pic.twitter.com/WlrQriMUHx — Yashar Ali