Darline Graham Nordone said that she would focus on domestic issues as she announced her decision to run to succeed her late brother in the Senate.
Nordone, appointed last week to finish out Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) term, told Fox News host Sean Hannity during an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF6f0V_4Tao">interview</a> on Monday that she has decided to seek a full term in office. During the interview, Nordone said she would advocate for similar positions as her brother, but also suggested she would have a different focus.
“I&#8217;ve thought, and I prayed,” Nordone told Hannity. “He&#8217;s worked so hard for so long, I just, I can&#8217;t just let that die. I&#8217;ve got to step in and carry on his legacy. I know he cared about the people of South Carolina so deeply.”
Like her brother, Nordone said she would like to see Congress pass the Russia sanctions for which Graham had advocated before he died unexpectedly earlier this month. Doctors believe that Graham died of an aortic dissection related to underlying cardiovascular disease.
“I really wanted to push those across the finish line,” Nordone said of the sanctions.
Nordone, who works on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, also suggested that if elected in her own right, she would focus more on domestic issues than national security.
&#8220;I used to see him on the talk shows. I would watch him, and I&#8217;d be like, ‘Lindsey, are you just talking about national security all the time?,'&#8221; she said. &#8220;And I understand that&#8217;s important. Protecting our borders, national security, absolutely.&#8221;
&#8220;I said, ‘But talk about also what matters to the average person. The price of groceries, the price of gas, health care. Insurance, those kinds of things.’ That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m worried about,” Nordone added.
Nordone said she was still reeling from her brother’s shocking death.
“I&#8217;m just taking it day by day. I am not gonna lie. It&#8217;s been tough, extremely tough.  Lots of prayers, heartfelt messages from friends and family, colleagues really got me through this week,” she said. “It was like I was living a nightmare when I got the unexpected news. I was just, I can even tell you how devastated I was when I got that call.”
She didn’t have much time to process her thoughts before she was asked to finish out her brother’s term — and then encouraged to run in the special primary. The deadline to enter the race is July 28 and the special primary election is scheduled for August 11. Her decision to run came after President Donald Trump gave her his preemptive endorsement.
Several other Republicans have jumped into the special primary race, including Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry.

Darline Graham Nordone Is Ceremonially Sworn In To Take Her Brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat

Lindsey Graham’s Sister Breaks From One Of His Defining Priorities

Darline Graham Nordone

Donald Trump

Lindsey Graham

Senate

South Carolina

Before launching his latest bid for Senate, Democrat Roy Cooper implemented policies as North Carolina&#8217;s governor that created a sanctuary state and shielded some bad hombres from federal immigration authorities.
As governor, Cooper <a href="https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2021/55334/0/S101-BILL-NBC-9598" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vetoed</a> a bill in 2022 that would&#8217;ve required local police to make an effort to determine the immigration status of inmates being held in their jails, and to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of their findings.
At the time, the Democratic politician said the proposed legislation was &#8220;only about scoring political points and using fear to divide North Carolinians.&#8221; He went on to claim it could hurt local law enforcement&#8217;s &#8220;ability to protect their counties.&#8221;
In 2019, Cooper vetoed a similar bill to force local police to hold detainees for ICE to pick them up in compliance with federal immigration detainers.
After Cooper&#8217;s vetoes, several illegal immigrant criminals were shielded from ICE.
<div id="attachment_1132563" style="width: 240px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1132563" class="wp-image-1132563 size-medium" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/260120charlotte_JulioCesarXocopVicente-230x300.jpg" alt="" width="230" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/260120charlotte_JulioCesarXocopVicente-230x300.jpg 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/260120charlotte_JulioCesarXocopVicente.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px" />Julio Cesar Xocop-Vicente (ICE)</div>
Local authorities allowed Guatemalan national Julio Cesar Xocop-Vicente to walk free after he was convicted in 2023 for driving under the influence and without a license, and had a criminal record that includes a previous arrest for assault on a female, <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/operation-charlottes-web-ice-arrests-criminal-illegal-alien-who-killed-15-year-old" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ICE.
Xocop-Vicente went on to kill 15-year-old Amber Paris after speeding through a stop sign in a Charlotte neighborhood on November 24, 2025, the agency said in January after finally catching up to the suspect who had been let go for a second time.
Cooper was not serving as governor when the Guatemalan man was released for the second time.
<div id="attachment_1132557" style="width: 188px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1132557" class="size-full wp-image-1132557" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-10T120906.719.jpg" alt="" width="178" height="132" />Claudy Ngoy (DHS)</div>
Under Cooper&#8217;s leadership, Claudy Ngoy, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, also had multiple releases despite having a rap sheet.
Authorities charged the illegal immigrant in August 2020 with second-degree trespass, intoxicated and disruptive, and resisting a public officer, but the charges were subsequently dropped, according to court records.
Ngoy was charged with trespassing in December 2020 and a misdemeanor probation violation.
He was then caught for allegedly trespassing again in July 2021, but the charge was dismissed.
In August 2021, Ngoy was charged with possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises, which was ultimately dismissed by the district attorney.
Ngoy turned up on local law enforcement&#8217;s radar again in April 2023 for alleged breaking and entering, larceny, and resisting a public officer, according to court records. The charges for larceny and resisting an officer were dismissed, while he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge for breaking and entering.
Still, he was released onto the streets again, according to court records.
In July 2024, Ngoy was charged with trespassing and sentenced to one day behind bars, according to court records.
Ngoy allegedly assaulted a woman and was hit with another trespassing charge in August 2024, for which he received a 35-day sentence, per court records.
Authorities hit Ngoy with an indictment for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill in January 2025, after Cooper left office. He was released the next month and <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/02/23/wowdhsgov-over-weekend-ice-arrests-pedophiles-rapists-violent-assailants-and-other" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ICE</a> was able to quickly nab him.
ICE issued a detainer with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff&#8217;s Office in May 2019 for the arrest of Honduran national Luis Analberto Pineda-Anchecta after he was charged locally for domestic assault, according to The Charlotte Observer. Pineda-Anchecta, who was previously deported in 2006 after entering the country illegally, was released on bond.
Four days later, he allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend, wrapping a plastic rope around her neck and driving her to a fishing hole where he planned to kill her, The Charlotte Observer reported. During the incident, he allegedly told her &#8220;I love you and I’m going to kill you.”
Days later, Pineda-Anchecta was arrested after an hours-long standoff with local police, according to WBTV. ICE filed a detainer in the case, but the request was reportedly ignored by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff&#8217;s Office.
ICE tracked him down the next day and took him into custody while he was sitting in a vehicle that had a loaded firearm and ammunition inside, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Cooper&#8217;s Senate campaign didn&#8217;t respond to a request for comment.

Roy Cooper runs for US Senate in North Carolina

Dem Senate Hopeful Vetoed ICE Cooperation, And These Migrant Criminals Took Advantage

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

North Carolina

Roy Cooper

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) shared a photo from his hospital bed — and delivered a long-awaited explanation regarding his twenty-eight day absence from the Senate: pneumonia. 
Despite spending the last month in the hospital — after being admitted on June 14 — the former Senate Majority Leader said that he plans to return to the Senate to complete his term. “I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do,” he said. 
McConnell added that he has been working closely with his legislative staff from the hospital — who have been briefing him as often as it is warranted — so that he can keep abreast of the most current issues before the Senate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MCCONNELL releases a photo &#8211; and statement.
“To my fellow Kentuckians –
“When you elected me to a seventh term and made me our Commonwealth’s longest serving Senator, you did so trusting that I’d keep showing up to fight for you every day. And over the past several weeks,… <a href="https://t.co/YTzTXDhEgu">pic.twitter.com/YTzTXDhEgu</a>
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://x.com/JakeSherman/status/2076417700407173481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
McConnell also shared that he has been in close contact with a number of his colleagues in the Senate — but the longer he remained out of sight, the more rumors began to swirl suggesting that something far worse might have happened to him. 
After several colleagues attempted to quash the rumors by issuing statements detailing their conversations with McConnell, a joke quickly emerged: people would claim to have spoken to McConnell, and then detail outlandish things that they said transpired during their discussions.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), wrote last week, “I spoke to McConnell for about 20 minutes this morning. He said we should end the war with Iran, quit giving aid to Israel, stop spying on Americans without a warrant, and he’s really sorry about how my primary turned out.” 
But McConnell&#8217;s own recent statements contradict Massie&#8217;s claims: the Kentucky senator told the American people in April that he was fully supportive of President Donald Trump&#8217;s military actions in Iran. “They&#8217;ve been at war with us for 47 years. They&#8217;ve killed Americans, they&#8217;ve killed Israelis, they&#8217;ve killed throughout the region, our Sunni Muslim allies &#8230; they are bad guys,” he said. 
Despite McConnell’s stated eagerness to get back to work, he says his doctors told him it will take time. “As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet.” McConnell revealed he’s recovering from an initial fall that left him &#8220;briefly unconscious.” During his hospital stay, he contracted “a mild case of pneumonia.” McConnell gave an overall status update on his health saying he hadn’t broken any bones, suffered a stroke or heart attack, and did not have any tumors or hemorrhages. 
McConnell’s wife, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, was pictured next to him with his hand behind his back smiling. Chao had been in China just days prior where she issued an update on her husband’s health. She had said his condition did not require her to return from China early. Calls reportedly from dispatchers and Emergency services were released from the day of his hospitalization where dispatchers <a href="https://www.wlky.com/article/elaine-chao-mitch-mcconnell-health-statement/71858467">mentioned </a>“cardiac arrest” and “CPR.”

Screenshot 2026-07-12 at 7.46.55 PM

After 28 Days Of Silence, Mitch McConnell Offers Proof Of Life From Hospital

Media

Mitch McConnell

Politics

Appearing on MS NOW, progressive golden boy Troy Jackson froze like a deer in the headlights when host Katy Tur grilled him on why he stood by disgraced nominee Graham Platner for so long.
Tur unloaded a laundry list of Platner&#8217;s baggage, including a literal Nazi tattoo, racist Reddit posts, and a history of aggressive behavior toward women.
Jackson’s defense? He claimed he is an internet novice. “I’ve never been on Reddit,” the former Maine state Senate president whimpered, offering a pathetic excuse that Platner merely told him those bigoted scandals were from a “dark” time and arguing that “people can change.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Katy Tur asks Troy Jackson why he supported Graham Platner even after he was exposed for having a Nazi tattoo, saying he would rape someone to show his &quot;dominance,&quot; and his ex girlfriend came out claiming he abused her <a href="https://t.co/954PPxh6TX">pic.twitter.com/954PPxh6TX</a>
&mdash; DSA Watch (@DSA_Watch) <a href="https://x.com/DSA_Watch/status/2075332054439387646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yet, despite carrying water for a toxic candidate, Jackson immediately threw his hat into the ring to replace him, quickly securing the backing of left-wing California Rep. Ro Khanna.
But Jackson is far from alone in this chaotic, fast-moving circus to take on incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. The Democratic field has instantly mutated into a crowded, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/08/maine-democrats-graham-platner-senate#:~:text=Here%20are%20the%20options%20so%20far.,Susan%20Collins%2C%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.">free-for-all</a>.
Among the top contenders is Nirav Shah, the former Maine CDC director who gained a following during the pandemic. After losing a gubernatorial primary earlier this year, Shah is demanding a televised debate to keep the process transparent. He’s joined by Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who famously lost to Collins by over 30 points back in 2014, and former congressional staffer Jordan Wood.
Meanwhile, far-left activist Paige Loud is pitching herself as the &#8220;anti-imperialist, anti-billionaire&#8221; woman for the job. Rounding out the pack are Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban, who wants to pivot the focus back to bashing Collins, and perennial candidate David Costello.
With only weeks for the party to pick its savior, Maine Democrats are handing Susan Collins an early Christmas present. If Jackson&#8217;s spineless television appearance is any indication of what’s to come, national Democrats should start kissing this Senate seat goodbye.

Maine Democratic Candidate For Senate Graham Platner Campaigns Across The State

Deer In The Headlights: Troy Jackson’s Platner Excuses Fall Flat As Maine Democrats Scramble

Deer In The Headlights:  Troy Jackson's Platner Excuses Fall Flat As Maine Democrats Scramble

graham platner

MS NOW

Troy Jackson

“Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey addressed speculation that he could replace disgraced Maine Democrat Graham Platner in the U.S. Senate race, revealing that he seriously considered a run before deciding against it. 
The former “Sexiest Man Alive,” 60, said he gave the idea &#8220;real thought&#8221; before concluding he could make a greater impact outside elected office. 
“Over the past several days, I’ve been asked a question more than once: Would you ever run for the United States Senate?” Dempsey <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2026/07/08/why-im-not-running-for-us-senate-patrick-dempsey/">wrote</a> in an op-ed published in the Portland Press Herald earlier this week.
Ultimately, he decided to stick to his day job. 
“As I reflected on all of this, I kept coming back to one question: Do I truly want to serve in Congress?” he wrote.
“After a lot of thought, I realized the answer is no. Not because public service isn’t honorable — it absolutely is. But because I believe I can contribute more effectively through the life I’ve already built,” Dempsey said.
He ended the piece by encouraging fans to help others no matter what.
 “That’s the work I want to keep doing. So no, I’m not running for office. But I am asking something of the people who do,” he wrote, encouraging the community to “Lead with humility. Tell the truth. Put people before party.”
Dempsey&#8217;s comments come as Democrats search for a replacement after Platner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-video-shows-disgraced-graham-platner-doing-house-chores-after-campaign-imploded">suspended his campaign</a> for the U.S. Senate after a series of scandals — ranging from his Nazi-themed tattoo and raunchy social media posts to allegations of troubling behavior, sexual assault, and even rape.
Several names have since been floated online as potential replacements, including anti-ICE children’s content creator Rachel Accurso, known as “Ms. Rachel.&#8221;

Patrick Dempsey

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Makes Decision On Maine Senate Run

Celebrities

Maine

Maine Democrats

With the suspension of Graham Platner’s campaign for Senate, all eyes have turned to the Maine Democratic Party and who it could select to replace the scandal-plagued candidate. 
Platner said Wednesday that he had decided to suspend his campaign in the wake of rape accusations from a former girlfriend he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-video-shows-disgraced-graham-platner-doing-house-chores-after-campaign-imploded?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=What+Graham+Platner+Did+After+Suspending+His+Campaign+Caught+On+Video">categorically denied</a>. His announcement came after days of feuding with Maine Democrats over how the party would replace him if he dropped out of the race.
A nominating convention is planned in the coming days, but few details are available. Democrats have until July 27 to select a new candidate to replace Platner, assuming he formally withdraws from the race by July 13. 
Candidates are already throwing their hats into the ring, including former state Senate President Troy Jackson. Jackson is backed by the leftist organization “Our Revolution,” a group founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). He previously ran for governor and was <a href="https://x.com/DSA_Maine/status/2074374354209579100">endorsed</a> by the Maine chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. 
“There is a powerful movement of working class people in the state of Maine, and millions more across America who are ready to send a progressive fighter to the Senate. I’ve been fighting for that movement my whole life — and I’m sure as hell not backing down now, when this fight is needed most,” Jackson <a href="https://x.com/TroyJackson207/status/2075020899397292237">said</a> Wednesday. “I’m in.”
The leftist group Progressive Victory <a href="https://x.com/ProgressiveVic/status/2074660153995988994">briefly posted</a> an attack on Jackson, claiming he once threw a bottle at a woman during his time in the state legislature. That post was deleted, and Progressive Victory apologized by saying it had not vetted the allegations. 
Another candidate who jumped into the race on Thursday is Nirav Shah, who previously <a href="https://pdsoros.org/fellows/nirav-shah/">worked</a> for the Cambodian government in the country’s health ministry before running the Illinois Department of Public Health and serving as the top Centers for Disease Control official for Maine. 
“I will fight for Medicare for All because nobody in the wealthiest country on earth should go bankrupt over a medical bill,” he said in a video announcing his campaign. “I will fight to make billionaires and the biggest corporations finally pay their fair share. I will fight to rein in ICE and end the targeting of our immigrant neighbors. And I will fight to end Trump’s reckless foreign wars.”
Dan Kleban, the co-founder of Maine Beer Company and a major Democratic <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dan+Kleban">donor</a>, announced a run for the seat Wednesday evening — his second attempt after a short-lived first primary bid that fizzled out barely a month in.
“I’m glad that Graham Platner has ended his campaign. For too long, this race has not been about Susan Collins’ repeated failures to do what’s right for Maine. We need to get back to that,” he said. “Mainers deserve a senator who will fight for them against the DC establishment while also doing what’s right. I plan to be that senator.”
Jordan Wood, a leftist activist who was once the chief of staff for former California Rep. Katie Porter, said Thursday morning that he was also running to replace Platner. 
“I have been told that I am too progressive, that I am too young, that a gay man can&#8217;t win,&#8221; he said. &#8220;These cynics are wrong. They have been wrong all of our lives. They remain wrong today. I&#8217;m asking for your support to take back control of our party, and our country.&#8221;
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who attempted to kick President Donald Trump off the 2024 ballot, is also considering a run for the seat. Bellows issued a ruling in December 2023 finding Trump’s primary petition to be “invalid” because of claims he violated the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause related to the January 6 riot.  

Another candidate <a href="https://www.wmtw.com/article/valli-geiger-graham-platner-supporting-her-senate-race-maine/71871349">reportedly</a> encouraged by Platner to run is Democrat state Rep. Valli Geiger, the former mayor of Rockland.

Democratic Candidate Graham Platner Holds A Town Hall As He Campaigns for Senate In Maine

Here’s Who Democrats Could Pick To Replace Graham Platner

U.S. Politics

Despite claims that he never pushed to defund the police, leftist darling Abdul El-Sayed once said that “we do need to defund the police” and argued that funds used for law enforcement should go to public libraries instead. 
El-Sayed, running for the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20251116082605/https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/15/abdul-el-sayed-distances-himself-from-past-defund-the-police-rhetoric/87276996007/">argues</a> that he “never, never, called for defunding” the police. That claim contrasts with anti-police positions he took during the summer of 2020 as riots broke out over the death of convicted felon George Floyd in Minneapolis. 
“I believe that we do need to defund the police in so far as defunding the police is disinvesting in the means of incarcerating someone or killing them on the streets, and investing more in the means of educating and empowering engaging communities, with the means of being able to take on systemic poverty that we&#8217;ve allowed systematic racism to allow a fester in too many communities,” El-Sayed said in a June 23, 2020 MichMash Politics <a href="https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/michmash-politics-1990214/episodes/abdul-el-sayed-discusses-racis-100146585">interview</a> first <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/07/politics/kfile-abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-defund-police-fact-check">flagged</a> by CNN. 
That comment came after he suggested that he generally did not use the term “defund the police” but advocated for the policies pushed by the movement. 
“Rather than investing in a force of people who respond with guns and put people in jails, what if we were to take on systematic poverty by investing in the means of uprooting that poverty itself?” he said. “What if we were to invest in social services? If we were to invest in public schools? What if we were to invest in public libraries?”
El-Sayed is facing off against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in the competitive Democratic primary race to replace outgoing Senator Gary Peters. The winner of the primary will likely go on to run against Republican Mike Rogers. 
Facing scrutiny over his previous police rhetoric, El-Sayed is now trying to distance himself from the defund the police movement. That contradicts what he told MichMash back in June 2020. 
“I want a refund on the taxpayer dollars that I pay to police who use that to buy war material, to wage war in our streets, and I want to refund public health and public libraries and public schools,” El-Sayed said. 
Later in the same interview, he argued that people imprisoned are the real victims of crime because of “over-policing” and failure to combat poverty. 
“The fact of the matter is every single person winds up in jail, or worse, dead, at the hands of a police officer, has been failed by our system, either directly because of our over-policing, or indirectly because we have failed to invest in the things that uproot poverty in communities across the country,” he said.
The Daily Wire reached out to El-Sayed, the former public health director for Detroit, to explain his stance on defunding the police. 
“Abdul worked closely with law enforcement as Director of Health, Human, and Veterans services for Wayne County. As hands-on experience always allows, his perspective has become more nuanced,” campaign spokeswoman Roxie Richner told The Daily Wire. “One simple word has never been enough to fully explain the reforms we need for a challenge as complex as our criminal legal system.”
Richner added that El-Sayed believes &#8220;we need to improve law enforcement recruitment, retention, and retirement funding so that law enforcement officers come from the communities they serve.” El-Sayed also supports “community violence intervention” policies and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Richner said. The act would weaken legal protections for police officers. 
That response was similar to the comment given to CNN for an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/07/politics/kfile-abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-defund-police-fact-check">article</a> highlighting El-Sayed’s history of anti-police rhetoric. The outlet noted that El-Sayed had deleted at least a dozen posts pushing defund the police policies. 
“Most major US cities spend WAY TOO MUCH on police departments to police poverty &amp; WAY TOO LITTLE on public schools, health departments, recreation departments, &amp; housing to eliminate poverty. Fixing that is what the #Defund movement is about,” he wrote in one post from June 2020 that he later deleted. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1131227" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-4.47.55-PM.png" alt="" width="1368" height="851" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-4.47.55-PM.png 1368w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-4.47.55-PM-300x187.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-4.47.55-PM-926x576.png 926w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-4.47.55-PM-768x478.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1368px) 100vw, 1368px" />
El-Sayed, who claims that Floyd was the victim of an “assassination” and was “lynched,” suggested during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idJzgpT200c&amp;t=1s">seminar</a> hosted by the University of Michigan that police officers should not be armed. 
“So we have to ask ourselves, do police departments really need tanks and weapons of war and the material that’s coming back as hand-me-downs from the military abroad? Do police really need to use guns? Do we need as much of a police force?” he asked. 
He added that the &#8220;defund the police&#8221; movement was about getting the government to move away from &#8220;racist ideologies&#8221; that led police to &#8220;invest in war material&#8221; for law enforcement.
During his time pushing anti-police rhetoric, El-Sayed was heavily <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/michigan-senate-candidate-abdul-el-sayed-helped-lead-anti-police-group-as-it-organized-detroit-protest-turned-deadly-riot/">involved</a> in a group called Michigan United which compared police officers to &#8220;slave catchers&#8221; and helped organize a protest that turned into a riot, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

Bernie Sanders Continues His “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour In Detroit With Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed

Yes, Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed Really Wants To Defund The Police. Here Are The Receipts.

2026 elections

2026 Midterms

Abdul El-Sayed

Defund The Police

Michigan

Police

President Donald Trump said it would be “very hard” for Democrats to replace Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner as he faces calls to drop out after being accused of rape. 
“So he won the primary,” Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHhlrvRwGt8">told</a> reporters on Air Force One while traveling back from a NATO summit in Turkey. “It’s very hard for them to do.”
Platner suspended his campaign on Wednesday after a former girlfriend named Jenny Racicot accused Platner of entering her home without permission while heavily intoxicated in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. Platner has denied the allegations. 
“It’s really a question of whether or not you believe the woman. A lot of people say big falsehoods,” Trump said. “He’s in a bind, he’s in a bind. But should they be able to do it? Well, I guess he’s going to lose. I’d imagine he’s going to lose.”
Trump also questioned why Platner did not face more pressure last month after another one of his former girlfriends came forward to the New York Times and alleged that Platner treated her abusively, both physically and emotionally. That accuser, Lyndsey Fifield, was active in conservative politics. 
“It’s very interesting when the Republican woman came out with the same charge, nobody believed her, when this woman came out, everybody believed her,” Trump said. 
Fifield alleged that Platner once twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom, and held the door shut, telling her to stay there until she was “calm.” Fifield said she eventually fell asleep and left the next morning. She later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-abuse-accuser-says-new-york-times-twisted-her-story-in-gift-to-dems">accused</a> the Times of watering down its story highlighting her experience dating Platner. 
Platner continued to deny all accusations of physical abuse in his <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2075009677495058687?s=46">announcement</a> suspending his campaign. 
“I have faced some very serious allegations, and I just want to make it clear, this is all false,” he added. “The things that have been claimed did not happen. It’s not real.”
Maine Democrats have already set in motion the process to replace Platner on the ballot before the July 13 deadline. They are expected to hold a nominating convention in the coming days. In recent days, Platner and the Democratic Party have traded shots about how the replacement process would work. 
“We will announce the full timeline, details for how the nomination process will move forward, information about how to participate, and requirements for candidates soon,” the party said. “We will keep the public informed throughout the process — transparency is of the utmost importance.”

Trump_Platner

Trump Sounds Off On The Democratic Platner Problem

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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Ben Chin, campaign manager for Graham Platner in <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/MESEN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#MESEN</a>, blasted out a mass text
Chin slams the Maine Dem Party for allowing the DSCC to send staffers to plan &#8220;a nominating process behind closed doors&#8221;
It also includes a Survey Monkey link for feedback? <a href="https://t.co/uFY0MgtSQ4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/uFY0MgtSQ4</a>
— Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick) <a href="https://x.com/allymutnick/status/2074916012487565408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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.&#8221;
&#8220;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,&#8221; Maine Democrats <a href="https://x.com/mainedems/status/2074922078319288751?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
The blowup follows an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/platner-feuds-with-dem-political-establishment-over-potential-replacement?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Platner%E2%80%99s+Civil+War+With+Democrats+Just+Got+Messier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extraordinary Tuesday night statemen</a>t 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.
<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/06/graham-platner-sexual-assault-allegation-00987737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> 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, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/06/us/graham-platner-racicot-allegation-maine-invs?cid=ios_app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> 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 <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/07/ex-girlfriend-graham-platner-says-he-removed-condoms-without-consent/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>, 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&#8217;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.

Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner Holds His Primary Election Night Event

Platner Team Accuses Democrat Establishment Of Backroom Power Play

News

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell&#8217;s (R-KY) wife Elaine Chao released a statement acknowledging her decision to remain in China despite her husband&#8217;s lengthy hospitalization.
After weeks of public speculation about McConnell&#8217;s condition — and even some rumors that he was not expected to recover — a spokesperson for Chao said she did not believe the senator&#8217;s health was considered serious enough to require cutting her planned trip short.
&#8220;The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family&#8217;s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador. The senator&#8217;s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.wlky.com/article/elaine-chao-mitch-mcconnell-health-statement/71858467?fbclid=IwY2xjawS6XxxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFiR09rYlJIRlozV1lEWG10c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmqXHN1RvqPWm5GcAUKVkyU7NtTKYD_m1LlbAUC6G9RaZBwk-viy1fLmpXws_aem_TVpgFeulR4GNuDSq2V1PfQ">spokesperson</a> told CBS News affiliate WLKY.
The former Commerce Secretary left the country on June 12, just two days before the news broke that the Kentucky senator had been hospitalized. In the weeks since, Chao completed her travels and returned to the United States — and very little has been heard from Sen. McConnell or his office.
The silence surrounding McConnell led to speculation — both in traditional media and across social media platforms — that the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader could even be on life support.
On July 2, nearly three weeks after McConnell was first hospitalized, his office released a statement to WLKY: &#8220;Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital. The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.&#8221;
In the days that followed, several Republican allies said that they had spoken to the aging senator. CNN commentator and radio host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-republicans-speak-with-hospitalized-mcconnell-to-shut-down-rumors">Scott Jennings</a>, who previously worked as an advisor to McConnell, was among them.
&#8220;I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible,&#8221; he said.

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Mitch McConnell’s Wife Breaks Silence Amid Mysterious Health Saga

Mitch McConnell's Wife Breaks Silence Amid Mysterious Health Saga

Communist China

Leftist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are concentrating their efforts on getting another radical leftist elected — this time in Michigan for the U.S. Senate. 
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are scheduled to host rallies across Michigan for leftist Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed on July 18 and 19. El-Sayed is in the middle of what&#8217;s expected to be a close race for the party&#8217;s nomination against Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens.
El-Sayed is running his campaign much like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with a heavy social media presence and large appeal among Muslims and young leftists. 
For the Fourth of July, he made a music video in which he danced to a Taylor Swift song on the pop star&#8217;s wedding weekend. &#8220;Happy Taylor wedding…err, July 4th weekend!&#8221; El-Sayed wrote in the caption above the video.
In another video, he took the song &#8220;I want to dance with somebody” and changed the lyrics to “I want to vote for somebody” while listing out his attributes. Stevens called out El-Sayed for his posts, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/us/politics/abdul-el-sayed-haley-stevens-michigan-senate-debate.html">arguing</a> that he’s more focused on his own publicity than the people of Michigan. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Happy Taylor wedding…err, July 4th weekend! <a href="https://t.co/1s1blnoY4P">pic.twitter.com/1s1blnoY4P</a>
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) <a href="https://x.com/AbdulElSayed/status/2073429685870968917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
El-Sayed portrays himself as a physician despite <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/12/abdul-el-sayed-doctor-physician-00916389">not</a> being granted a medical license. Like democratic socialist candidates who have recently won Democratic primaries, El-Sayed is defending past radical statements he has made. 
In a 2020 radio interview, El-Sayed <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/abdul-el-sayed-repeatedly-called-210836248.html">said</a>, “We are in a moment where a lot of our public conversation gets chewed down into 280 characters or less … I believe that we do need to defund the police in so far as defunding the police is disinvesting in the means of incarcerating someone or killing them on the streets.&#8221;
El-Sayed is currently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/07/politics/kfile-abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-defund-police-fact-check">defending</a> his remarks by saying he never called to defund the police. One year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, El-Sayed supported another lockdown in April 2021. He suggested businesses should be fined for trying to open their doors in the midst of the public health crisis.
His anti-Israel stance also sparked controversy last October when El-Sayed’s campaign sent a fundraising email on the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel that made no mention of Hamas’ atrocities and blamed Israel for launching “a ground invasion of Gaza.” El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign later said the email was sent by mistake, but the leftist stood by the message in the email.
During his Senate campaign, he has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label">called</a> for ICE to be abolished, while doubling down on his push for Medicare for all and tuition-free access to higher education. The Michigan primary is on August 4. 
Democratic-socialists have been on a recent tear, ousting decade-long Democratic incumbents in the primaries. In June, Democratic socialist Melat Kiros upset incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) in the primary for Colorado’s 1st congressional district. DeGette has served in Congress for longer than Kiros has been alive. 
In New York, three Mamdani-backed candidates swept their races. One of the candidates, Darializa Avila Chevalier, defeated incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat despite past anti-American social media posts such as “I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”
A Fourth of July poll from the Cato Institute revealed that socialism is on the rise, as 53% of Gen Z and 40% of Millennials have a favorable view of socialism and are taking their new ideals to the voting booth.

AOC and Bernie Sanders

Bernie And AOC Focus On Pushing Radical Leftist In Vital Swing State

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Bernie Sanders

Democrats

Socialism

Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner denied accusations his team was trying to interfere with the process to potentially choose his replacement as he faces continued calls to drop out of the critical race over a rape allegation. 
Platner’s campaign disputed claims made by Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson that the campaign was trying to “put their thumb on the scale” of what the process would look like to replace Platner. The calls for Platner to withdraw came after Jenny Racicot, his former girlfriend, came forward on Monday to accuse him of forcing himself on her after breaking into her home back in 2021 while deeply intoxicated. 
“The Platner campaign has reached out to the party to try and understand what this process would look like. At no point has the campaign tried to ‘put its finger on the scale.’ Over 150,000 Mainers voted for this movement, and over 15,000 Mainers volunteered their time and energy to it,” Platner’s campaign <a href="https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/2074678417006420067">told</a> NBC News. “While Graham wouldn&#8217;t want to be a part of the process, he would want to make sure the voters and volunteers make this decision — not the political establishment.”
That statement came after Murphy-Anderson released a <a href="https://x.com/MaineDems/status/2074653501771194683">video</a> attacking the Platner campaign. 
“The Maine Democratic Party has been working around the clock to develop a process to replace our U.S. Senate nominee that is open, inclusive, transparent and fair,” she said. “The integrity of this process is just as important as the outcome. And we are committed to ensuring that Democrats across our state can have confidence in both.”
“Unfortunately, Graham Platner&#8217;s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like,” she added. “ We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner&#8217;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.”
After Racicot came forward, Platner has rapidly lost support from prominent backers including leftist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also claimed it would not spend money on the race if Platner remained on the ballot. 
The deadline for Maine Democrats to replace Platner is July 13.

Platner’s Civil War With Democrats Just Got Messier

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