Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed populist veteran Graham Platner in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on Thursday, further intensifying an already contentious race against Gov. Janet Mills. Platner has also been backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), while Mills is supported by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The winner will face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the November general election, which is expected to be competitive and costly. “Graham Platner is the real deal,” Warren said in a video announcement. “He’s a fighter, and he’s ready to take that fight to Washington.” Warren argued that Platner could help Democrats reclaim the Senate majority, currently held by Republicans, 53-47. “Graham Platner has the grit to go against the grain and to fight for what is right,” she added, saying Platner exhibits the “fighting spirit that the Democratic Party needs now more than ever.” Platner’s campaign faced numerous scandals last fall, including old Reddit posts from 2013 in which he described himself as a “communist” and made demeaning comments about women. He has since apologized for the remarks. He also faced scrutiny over a tattoo that critics said resembled a Nazi symbol, which he later covered. The Mills campaign made the past Reddit comments a key focus of a new ad released earlier this week, specifically highlighting posts saying women should “act like an adult for f*** sake” and “not get so f***ed up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.” “Just no way I could vote for you,” a woman says in the ad. In response, Platner re-shared a previous apology video from October and said in a post on X that he “was horrified” by the comments and “did not recognize the man on the other side of the posts.” Samantha Cantrell, a National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson, said that “Chuck Schumer’s handpicked candidate is so unpopular in Maine that Elizabeth Warren just endorsed a guy with a Nazi tattoo.” Despite the past controversies, most polling averages show Platner leading Gov. Mills ahead of the June 9 primary, according to RealClearPolling. The Cook Political Report has the general election race ranked as a “toss-up.” Collins, who has represented Maine since 1997, won re-election in 2020 with roughly 51% of the vote, defeating Democrat Sara Gideon, who received about 42%.

When I was in college, I passed the César Chávez statue every day on my walk to class at the University of Texas. Now, César Chávez is the name of the road I take to work.  For years, Chávez was presented as the figurehead for Mexican Americans, a symbol we were expected to revere. But he represented a collectivist ideology that perpetuated ethnic tribalism. After the New York Times broke the story of his sexual abuse of young girls, this false idol is finally toppling. My only hope is that he is not replaced by another. Chávez has long been celebrated as a symbol of the Civil Rights era and as a champion of labor unions in America. He co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) union to fight for better conditions for migrant laborers. But in truth, he exploited the very people he claimed to protect, while tying Mexican Americans to socialist ideology. He carefully crafted a public image as a family man devoted to Catholic social teaching, but the reality was much darker. Chávez’s philosophy echoes Marxist rhetoric about the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. At a UFW convention in 1981, Chávez proclaimed:  I would not take one cup of coffee from a grower [farmer]… There’s not a good one. I hate them. A few presents, a little talk, then the noose. That’s how capitalism works. It isn’t just his rhetoric that sounds alarm bells. Early in his career, he worked with Saul Alinsky (the community organizer who defined the modern leftist playbook in “Rules for Radicals”). Chávez and the UFW later implemented Alinsky’s tactics, fostering confrontational, divisive organizing. Then, there is the recent revelation of his extensive sexual abuse of minors. The behavior is not distinct from other far-Left figures. From Josef Stalin to Mao to Kim Jong-il, communist and socialist leaders often share a troubling connection to sexual predation. We should not be surprised that evil ideology attracts evil people. If the warning signs around Chávez have existed for decades, why did he become the face of an entire ethnicity in America? Partly, because he was effective at mobilizing Mexican Americans in California, using rhetoric that created a lasting “us vs. them” mentality. But how did that ideology extend to Texas? Chávez never belonged in Tejano heritage the same way he does in Chicano culture. The Chicano culture and movement are a direct outgrowth of the California Hispanic labor movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s. On the other hand, the Tejano culture traces back to the Mexican settlers of Texas prior to Texas Independence and is a component of what created the Texas identity.  That history is also tied to farming and a cowboy ethos that is incompatible with Chávez’s ideology. Texas agriculture thrived because of ranchers like my ancestors, who embraced a free-market approach, not because of unions or collectivist movements. Before the New York Times exposé, one could argue that Chávez fought for Mexican Americans and deserved gratitude. Yet his legacy has encouraged a troubling mindset: To be loyal to one’s Hispanic heritage, one must embrace left-wing ideology. On campus, I was often labeled a “race traitor” at conservative events, accused of “wanting white approval,” or dismissed as “too white-passing” to comment on border and immigration issues. The type of tribalism promoted by Chávez is just like any other kind of identity politics, limiting and stereotyping the people it is intended to empower. In a political climate in which Texas Hispanics are considering Republicans on the ballot, it is clear why the Left is feeling threatened. So why is a street in Austin named after César Chávez? Why did his statue watch me as I walked to class? The answer is clear: ethnic tokenism. It was fitting for Bill Clinton to award him a Presidential Medal of Freedom and for Joe Biden to display his bust in the Oval Office. Chávez represents the Hispanic worker the political Left wishes we all were: obedient to a union boss and beholden to collectivist ideology. The UFW announced it will not be celebrating César Chávez Day this year amid the allegations. The idol all Hispanics were once expected to adore is finally falling from his pedestal. My hope is that we do not replace him with another. * * * Ariana Guajardo is the Video Production Manager at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. She is the creator and host of “The Sweet Tea Series” and co-host of “The Hard Country,” where she and Joshua Treviño examine the history and modern tensions shaping U.S.–Mexico relations. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Virginia Dems are consolidating power

"Who knows better about surprise than Japan?"

In the wake of terror attacks across the United States, House Democrats told The Daily Signal that President Donald Trump is to blame for the heightened threat of terrorism. “Donald Trump has made our country less safe, that’s for sure,” Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, told The Daily Signal when asked about the increased terrorism threat. When The Daily Signal asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., about the threat of terrorism, Jeffries put the onus back on Trump, emphasizing he “is concerned with Trump’s unexplained war in Iran.” Democrats in Congress, however, have repeatedly refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which shut down in mid-February after a lapse in funding. While Democrats have continued to demand reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement before reopening the department, Congressional Republicans have repeatedly claimed the reforms demanded are unworkable and expressed their concern that Democrats are leaving Americans vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Republicans have blamed their Democratic colleagues of “refusing to acknowledge and condemn the threat of radical Islam.” “Hakeem Jeffries is leading a party where 53 members side with Iran’s terrorist regime,” Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., said in reference to a recent House vote on a resolution condemning Iran as the largest state-sponsor of terrorism. While the resolution passed by a large margin, 53 House Democrats voted against it. “Hakeem Jeffries is in a party that supports radical Islamic terrorism and enemies of the United States,” Fine added. To anyone offended by me calling radical Islamic jihadists the enemy:If the shoe fits, wear it. https://t.co/fF0pMdRt1u— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) March 17, 2026 Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told The Daily Signal he does not know why Democrats “haven’t acknowledged the threat.” “There is definitely the sentiment among Americans that the threat is elevating,” Massie added. “I talked with some gun industry executives, and they say that firearm sales are up because of the perceived threat Americans have” The post Democrats Blame Trump for Elevated Terrorism Threat Despite DHS Shutdown appeared first on The Daily Signal.

For the 10th month in a row, no illegal aliens were released into the United States from the border, according to the Department of Homeland Security. “Ten straight months of ZERO illegal aliens released at the border. President Donald Trump promised to secure the Border, and that is a promise we delivered,” outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement Thursday.The announcement comes amid a sustained decrease of apprehensions at the border. Border encounters fell by 22% in February from January and are down 88% compared with the monthly average during the Biden administration, according to DHS. Border Patrol’s apprehensions of illegal aliens between ports of entry at the southern border are 92% lower than the average over the past 33 years, DHS reports, noting that the “number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions per day in February was less than a single hour during the height of the Biden administration.” “We have the most secure border in American history. Our borders are CLOSED to lawbreakers,” Noem added. Noem is preparing to exit DHS following Trump’s announcement in early March that he had tapped Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin to become the new Homeland Security secretary. Noem’s second-to-last month as secretary marked the highest number of drug seizures since October 2021, according to the agency. In February, Customs and Border Protection apprehended 79,609 pounds of drugs, including a 67% increase in fentanyl apprehensions since January. “While threats to our national and economic security continue to evolve, so does our resolve to meet them, as we carry out our mission of protecting the homeland while facilitating lawful travel and trade,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said. The homeland security agency, which oversees trade and tariff enforcement and seeks to protect U.S. supply chains, seized more than 400 shipments of counterfeit goods valued at more than $580 million in February and stopped more than 260 shipments for potential forced labor violations. Noem took over the agency in January 2025. Trump’s decision to replace her with Mullin follows the controversial immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, as well as reports that the president was upset with Noem’s testimony before Congress. Trump has appointed Noem to be the special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a “new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the president. The post EXCLUSIVE: Noem Hails ‘Promise We Delivered’ Following 10 Months of No Illegal Alien Border Releases appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Joseph Foreman, better known as Afroman, walked out of an Ohio courthouse Wednesday having beaten a $4 million defamation lawsuit brought by the sheriff’s deputies who raided his home in 2022. The jury found in his favor on every count. Police executed a warrant, found nothing actionable, filed no charges, and left behind a broken door and gate. Foreman responded the way artists respond: he made songs about it. The deputies responded by suing him. “The whole raid was a mistake. All of this is their fault. If they hadn’t have wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit. I would not know their names,” Foreman said. “They wouldn’t be on my home surveillance system, and there would be no songs, nothing.” The videos, which racked up more than 3 million views on YouTube, pulled directly from Foreman’s home security footage. They showed deputies breaking down his front door, rifling through his suit pockets, and lingering near a cake on the kitchen table. That last detail became a song title: “Lemon Pound Cake.” Another track went after the deputies personally and called them “crooked cops” over $400 that Foreman said went missing during the search. The deputies claimed the videos caused public harassment and damaged their reputations. One testified the videos questioned her gender and sexuality. A sergeant said his child came home crying after being hazed at school. Their attorney, Robert Klingler, told the jury that Foreman had lied about “these seven brave deputy sheriffs” for three years. “Even if somebody does something to you that hurts you, that you think is wrong,” Klingler argued, “that doesn’t justify telling intentional lies designed to hurt people.” What Klingler was describing as lies, a jury just classified as protected speech. Defense lawyer David Osborne put it plainly in closing: “No reasonable person would expect a police officer not to be criticized. They’ve been called names before.” The warrant that sent armed deputies through Afroman’s front door cited a drug and kidnapping investigation. No charges followed. Foreman was not even home at the time. His wife was, and she recorded parts of the search on her phone. His testimony was direct about what he believed he had the right to do: “Police officers shouldn’t be stealing civilians’ money. This whole thing is an outrage.” He told the court the raid traumatized his children, then aged 10 and 12, and that he used revenue from the diss tracks to cover the damage the deputies left behind. The lyrics in “Will You Help Me Repair My Door?” address the officers directly: “Did you find what you were looking for/ Would you like a slice of lemon pound cake/ You can take as much as you want to take/ There must be a big mistake.” Another passage: “The warrant said, ‘Narcotics and kidnapping’/ Are you kidding? I make my money rapping,” and “You crooked cops need to stop it/ There are no kidnapping victims in my suit pockets.” Judge Jonathan Hein read the verdict plainly: “In all circumstances, the jury finds in favor of the defendant; no plaintiff verdict prevailed.” Foreman walked outside and shouted: “We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on!” He posted the clip to social media. The deputies who wanted him silenced gave him the material for that post. Seven public officials with law enforcement authority, a $4 million damages claim, and three years of litigation. That is a significant amount of institutional power to bring against one person for making songs about what police did in his house. The jury was not persuaded that it was justified. Foreman showed up to deliver his closing arguments in a red, white and blue American flag suit. For once, the outfit matched the occasion. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Afroman Wins Defamation Lawsuit Brought by Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies Over Videos and Songs About 2022 Home Raid appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Vulgarians in the Oval Office and the Self-Appointed Guardians at the Gate