Making faith a center point of his Senate campaign, James Talarico says he doesn’t want to “claim” Jesus for the Democratic Party. Yet the woke church that molded him uses Christ to justify support for abortion, transgender procedures on kids, and protesting immigration enforcement.
A review of Talarico’s Texas church and its activist pastor — who Talarico calls a “mentor” — shows how closely his political views have been shaped by a leftist conception of Christianity. These positions, such as the promotion of abortion and acceptance of transgenderism, put Talarico at odds with many of the Texas voters the media have suggested could be amenable to the Democrat’s religious pitch against Republican Ken Paxton. 
Talarico’s church, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in Austin, has pushed leftist activism for years while undermining traditional Christian beliefs such as the historical resurrection of Jesus. The church’s theological and political positions face scrutiny as Talarico looks to become the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas for decades on a platform of defeating Christian nationalism and removing faith from “partisan politics.” 
“I&#8217;ve been the chief opponent of Christian nationalism in the Texas legislature. I believe the separation of church and state is a sacred boundary that doesn&#8217;t just protect the state, but also protects the church,” Talarico told religious leaders during a podcast earlier this year. “I&#8217;m trying not to claim Jesus for the Democratic Party. I&#8217;m trying to wrestle away Jesus from partisan politics.”
From a review of the church&#8217;s website, one would hardly guess that Talarico is interested in a non-partisan Jesus. St. Andrew’s, whose webpage features a cross draped in an LGBTQ flag, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids">maintains</a> a “banned books” library filled with sexually explicit material aimed at young people and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-talaricos-church-funds-abortions-trans-summer-camps">donates</a> part of its annual budget to abortion giant Planned Parenthood. 
<div id="attachment_1108063" style="width: 1076px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1108063" class="wp-image-1108063 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM.png" alt="" width="1066" height="810" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM.png 1066w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM-300x228.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM-758x576.png 758w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM-768x584.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1066px) 100vw, 1066px" />St. Andrew&#8217;s Presbyterian</div>
In the name of <a href="https://www.staopen.org/inclusive-language">inclusivity</a>, Talarico’s church avoids referring to God as “Father” as Christians have done for thousands of years. Instead, the church recommends using “non-gendered” language for God. 
“Inclusive language, when used to refer to God, is non-gendered. Therefore, God is not referred to as ‘He’ or ‘Father’, nor as ‘She’ or ‘Mother,’” the church’s website says. 
This contradicts the Bible’s description of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples to refer to God as “our Father” when praying. In the biblical Gospels, Jesus refers to God as “Father” well over 100 times. 
The “Inclusive Bible” used by St. Andrew’s makes awkward gender revisions. The version changes the Lord’s Prayer, one of the most beloved and ancient Christian prayers, from “our Father who art in heaven” to “our Father-Mother in heaven.” 
Talarico appears to have adopted this belief during his time in the legislature, saying that “God is non-binary” while arguing against a Texas law keeping males out of female sports. 
In addition to not calling God &#8220;Father,&#8221; St. Andrew&#8217;s avoids referring to Jesus as “king,” as Christians have done for thousands of years. 
“When referring to God, we do not use the words ‘King’ and ‘Lord,’ because that would make God male,” the church says on its website. “When referring to Jesus, we do not use ‘king’ and ‘lord,’ because it hints at a hierarchy that we believe Jesus repudiated.”
&#8220;To say that our divine source is male is perhaps the most sexist comment a person can make,” the inclusive language guide says. “To equate the Almighty with masculinity might or might not hurt a particular victim of abuse, but it will definitely teach a view of life where our little girls will be more likely to be abused in the future.&#8221;
Many of the heterodox positions taken at St. Andrew&#8217;s come from Jim Rigby, Talarico’s “mentor” and a pastor at the church. In addition to his leftist political positions, he diverts from historic Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead in a historic event called the resurrection. 
In a Christmas Day Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jim.rigby.12/posts/957972940944180">post</a> from 2015, Rigby suggested that resurrection could actually be understood as “a poem about the whole life process.”
“Apparently, because I don&#8217;t believe in a literal resurrection, I&#8217;m not really Christian. This unfortunately also means I won&#8217;t be going to heaven with many of you,” he said, adding that he was told by a Christian that “we have to LITERALLY believe Jesus&#8217; corpse got up. If you believe all the above you will get to be with God in heaven. Let&#8217;s just hope God has a handle on that anger problem by now.”
Talarico, who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/us/politics/james-talarico-christian.html">told the</a> New York Times that he believes in a historical resurrection unlike his mentor, said his faith is a “biblical Christianity.” 
Despite this difference of opinion, Talarico greatly credits Rigby for his worldview and closely mirrors his political positions. 
“Our pastor, Dr. Jim Rigby, who I&#8217;ve known since I was 2 years old, he married my parents. He baptized me,” Talarico said during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4832vfsmf4">podcast</a>. “He is still my pastor today. And he showed me what it means to act with courage from the pulpit.”
In 2023, Rigby and St. Andrew’s <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2023/01/17/social-justice-sermons">worked</a> to oppose legislation supported by Texas Republicans to shield kids from transgender procedures. 
“Anyone who preaches hate in Jesus’ name and we remain silent, then we are complicit,” Rigby said during the time of his involvement in the campaign against a bill to protect kids from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender surgeries. 
Talarico has taken a similar approach as a state lawmaker. He <a href="https://journals.house.texas.gov/HJRNL/88R/PDF/88RDAY63FINAL.PDF">voted against</a> the 2023 law that protected kids from transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormone procedures.
Talarico also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVD-Gi-FbWh/?hl=en&amp;img_index=3">attacked</a> Republicans for passing a bill in October 2021 keeping males out of female sports.
“Texas Republicans have passed their anti-trans bill. Over and over, Christians used scripture to justify bullying trans kids,” he said at the time. “I told them in my faith, God is non-binary.”
Abortion is another issue where Talarico closely follows Rigby. In 2016, Rigby cited the so-called &#8220;constitutional right to an abortion” in an <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Rigby-New-fetal-remains-rule-is-a-Trojan-Horse-10689637.php">op-ed</a> lamenting proposals requiring the dignified burial of fetal remains and ultrasounds before ending the life of their unborn child. 
“It is chilling to witness politicians overriding science and medicine to impose their own beliefs on women,” he wrote. “The real reason politicians are pushing this seems to be the belief that a soul enters the body at conception, therefore making the fertilized human egg the moral equivalent to a fully gestated human being.”
Unlike many Christians, Rigby said he disagreed with that position. 
“Where is the religious freedom for the millions of us who believe that women&#8217;s bodies are not community property simply because they get pregnant? Where is the religious freedom for those of us who respect the moral agency of women?” he wrote. 
St. Andrew’s is a “reproductive freedom congregation,” meaning that it <a href="https://justtx.org/rfc/">affirms</a> that abortion is a “blessing” and a “moral and social good.” 
Talarico, running on a platform of enshrining Roe v. Wade into federal law, argues that Christianity is silent on abortion and actually supports the life-ending procedure. He grounds his support for abortion in the biblical account of an angel visiting the Virgin Mary and telling her that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to Jesus Christ. 
“I say all this in the context of abortion, because before God comes over Mary, and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent,” he said during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast. “You cannot force someone to create … so that’s how I come down on that side of the issue.”
In 2016, St. Andrew’s became part of a <a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/faith-leaders-pledge-offer-sanctuary-immigrants-facing-deportation/">movement</a> of woke churches offering to shelter illegal immigrants, and Rigby was <a href="https://www.fox7austin.com/news/pulpit-to-soapbox-austin-preacher-wants-immigration-reform">arrested</a> for trespassing inside the state capitol in 2017 while protesting a proposed law targeting sanctuary city policies. 
If elected, Talarico says he will go after ICE and ban them from shielding their identity while conducting operations. 
“We have to ban ICE agents from wearing masks, from kidnapping people off our streets without a warrant,” he said on a podcast. “We have to require them to identify themselves like any law enforcement official. And we have to end this policy of mass deportations that again is terrorizing our communities across Texas and across this country.”
Another issue that has plagued the Talarico campaign is the question of veganism. While he once boasted about having a meat-free campaign, he now says he proudly consumes Texas barbecue. His church <a href="https://www.staopen.org/earth-care">encourages</a> people to “eat a plant based diet for the planet’s health and yours.”

Screenshot 2026-06-03 at 11.14.56 AM

At James Talarico’s Church, Its Offensive To Respect God’s Pronouns — But Abortion’s OK.

Abortion

Bible

Christianity

James Talarico

Senate

Texas

U.S. Politics

Facing increasing questions about his personal character, embattled Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner is ramping up the leftist rhetoric. 
Platner posted a video on Thursday showing clips from a recent speech where he called for the abolition of ICE, claiming that the agency has been used to “terrorize&#8221; and &#8220;murder&#8221; Americans. The video comes after reports revealed that Platner sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women while married. He also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-graham-platner-has-active-profile-on-predators-paradise-messaging-app">maintained</a> an account on a platform frequently criticized by child-safety advocates, as first reported by The Daily Wire. 
“We do not need ICE. It is an agency that has been turned into a political weapon by the Trump administration to terrorize communities, and, quite frankly, murder American citizens in the streets,” Platner said. 
&nbsp;
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=l00RrAlrS5zLpYV3thF2Xgq72esbDqL2d&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
“It has been turned into a tool, not to enforce immigration law, but merely as a tool of political coercion. And an agency that&#8217;s been doing that, in my opinion, does not deserve to exist in the future,” Platner added. 
While some Democrats have attempted to distance themselves from complete opposition to ICE, the agency in charge of arresting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes against Americans, Platner has doubled down on his calls to get rid of the agency. 
Platner is looking to be the Democrat nominee for Maine to take on Republican Senator Susan Collins. If elected, Platner said he would never vote to fund the agency and work to “get rid of it entirely.” 
“If an agency has a culture in which it has no accountability, and people are essentially incentivized to go out of their way and break the rules, you can&#8217;t reform that,” he said. “There&#8217;s no amount of body cams or extra training that&#8217;s going to fix that. You need to get rid of it all and you just start over entirely.”
In recent days, Platner’s campaign has been rocked by reports of his previous sexual escapades. On Tuesday, Platner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/platner-promises-dem-senators-there-will-be-no-new-accusations">met</a> with top Senate Democrats who asked him if there would be any more serious allegations against him they needed to know about. He insisted that no credible allegations of sexual assault were forthcoming.
“It’s not a secret I’ve had a messy, complicated life,” he told senators. “The worst of the rumors we’ve all heard are not true.”

Maine Democratic Candidate For Senate Graham Platner Campaigns Across The State

The Federal Agency Nazi-Tattooed Graham Platner Wants Erased

graham platner

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Maine

President Donald Trump’s successful endorsement streak came to an end in Iowa on Tuesday after Iowa farmer and businessman Zach Lahn narrowly defeated Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra to win the Republican nomination for governor.
Lahn defeated Feenstra by less than 2,000 votes, winning 37.79% of the vote to the Republican congressman’s 37.01%. Feenstra, who entered Congress in 2021 after ousting former Rep. Steve King in the Republican primary, received Trump’s endorsement late last week. Conservative businessman Adam Steen won 15% of the vote. 
“We were outspent, opposed by the establishment, told to wait our turn. Well, tonight, the people of Iowa had something to say about that, that we&#8217;re not gonna wait anymore,” Lahn said during his victory speech. “They said Iowa doesn&#8217;t belong to the political class. They said our state does not belong to the lobbyists, special interests, and corporate giants for far too long have had way too much power in our state.”
WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:
  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=28KB9NSv9T9NC2RNItZyaMAizXANuiVB&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
Lahn had the backing of the MAHA Action political action committee and the endorsement of Charlie Kirk&#8217;s Turning Point Action, while Trump endorsed Feenstra last Friday. 
“A Fourth Generation Iowan, successful Businessman, former Treasurer of Sioux County, State Senator, and now, as a distinguished U.S. Congressman, Randy has delivered strong results for the Hawkeye State,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. 
Trump’s endorsement record has proved strong in recent weeks, helping to take down numerous GOP incumbents, including Rep. Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Senators John Cornyn (Texas) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana). 
That streak ended with Feenstra — the first candidate Trump backed for governor, the House, or the Senate to lose a 2026 primary — who said Tuesday that he would support Lahn&#8217;s campaign against Democrat candidate Rob Sand.
&#8220;I just called Zach Lahn, and said, ‘Hey, you got to carry this torch. We got to keep this state red. We&#8217;ve got to make sure we beat Rob Sand. And I’m all in to help him out,'&#8221; he said. 
Lahn campaigned heavily on MAHA issues, <a href="https://www.zachlahn.com/policy">promising</a> on his campaign website to “confront the cancer crisis” by conducting “independent state safety tests on products used in Iowa,” pursuing “antitrust suits against monopolistic agricultural input companies to help our farmers,” and giving “incentives” to farmers to “address agricultural runoff and water contamination.”
Fast food chain Steak ‘n Shake entered the race last week as well, endorsing Lahn. 
“Congratulations to Zach Lahn! Voters took a stand and supported a MAHA candidate in a tight primary race,” the restaurant <a href="https://x.com/SteaknShake/status/2062137748366954677">said</a> Tuesday. “Steak n Shake remains undefeated in political endorsements.”
Lahn will face Sand, Iowa’s current state auditor and the most recent Democrat elected to statewide office.

MixCollage-03-Jun-2026-08-42-AM-2153

Razor-Thin Governor Primary Snaps Trump Endorsement Streak

Trump Endorsement Streak Ends After Razor Thin Governor Primary

Donald Trump

Iowa

MAHA

A coalition of free market advocates urged lawmakers to reject a pro-union bill they warn would create a “dangerous” new power for federal bureaucrats that has the backing of some Republicans. 
The <a href="https://norcross.house.gov/_cache/files/f/9/f9d6776b-2d3a-472c-bcbe-c4040a8fd4b8/77C8E6BDE7FD695BC9C678680EB984933BBA6A66466177E02C69BA329B6A0C42.norcro-010-xml.pdf">bill</a>, known as the Faster Labor Contracts Act, would allow either side in a labor dispute to call in federal mediators if a contract agreement is not reached within 90 days. A House vote on the proposal is expected in the coming days, setting up a fight between some Republicans and free market advocates that oppose government intervention in the economy. 
More than two dozen organizations led by Advancing American Freedom demanded that GOP members of Congress vote against the proposal, saying that it would create a “dangerous new power” for the federal government to intervene in labor disputes, according to a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1045628652/AAF-FLCA-Coalition-Letter?_gl=1*1d3o3wo*_up*MQ..*_ga*OTI5NTkwMDEuMTc4MDMyOTk0NQ..*_ga_Z4ZC50DED6*czE3ODAzMjk5NDQkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODAzMjk5NDQkajYwJGwwJGgw*_ga_8KZ8BV0P5W*czE3ODAzMjk5NDQkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODAzMjk5NDQkajYwJGwwJGgw">letter</a> obtained by The Daily Wire.
“Even with the best of intentions, government arbitrators could never wield this abuse-prone power effectively,” the coalition wrote in the letter. “At a time when Congress and the White House are working to rein in the federal bureaucracy and reduce government overreach, this legislation would move in the opposite direction by inserting Washington directly into private workplace negotiations.”
The proposal moved to the floor after a majority of Democrats and several Republicans signed onto a discharge petition last month. 
Republicans in the House who signed on to a discharge petition included Mike Lawler (NY), Nick LaLota (NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA),  Don Bacon (NE), Max Miller (OH), Riley Moore (WV), and Rob Bresnahan (PA). Republican supporters of the proposal argue it is pro-worker and will help blue-collar workers get back to work quicker. 
The Daily Wire reached out to their offices for comment on their support for the proposal. 
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=NJImACtyd8qr901jiXzUj00P9jus01iozN02&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The bill has been pushed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who argue that it would prevent management from prolonging contract negotiations in an effort to wait out workers. 
“Delays in the processing of collective bargaining contracts primarily benefit employers opposed to representation by the labor organization,” the text of the proposal says. “The employers can use those delays to sap labor organization resolve and secure more favorable terms for the employer.”
In previous interviews, Fitzpatrick <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_21eb5e24-3adf-4465-9d4f-c7871e550d2b.html">told</a> union members that it would be the “most imminent piece of legislation that’s going to have the biggest impact on you all.” He said last month that he believed it would pass in the House. 
“And then our job is to find a way to navigate the Senate on that,” he said. “But if that emerges out of the House, there&#8217;s going to be a lot of pressure for them to put that up for a vote, and it&#8217;s a two party bill, so I actually feel quite good. And in a town where it&#8217;s hard to get things done, I actually feel quite good about the prospects, and that&#8217;s going to be a huge win for the Teamsters.”
Advancing American Freedom President Tim Chapman said that the proposal would undermine the negotiation process by involving government bureaucrats. 
“The Faster Labor Contracts Act should be dead on arrival under a Republican trifecta, but labor union leadership and populist pundits are telling members that this legislation is ‘pro-worker&#8217;,” Chapman told The Daily Wire. “Conservatives shouldn’t be fooled. Putting workers’ jobs in jeopardy by subjecting their workplaces to terms written by uninformed federal ‘arbitrators’ is anti-worker.”
The letter was also signed by representatives from organizations like the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, Americans for Prosperity, the Eagle Forum, the Institute for the American Worker, the Goldwater Institute, and others. 
Akash Chougule, the President of The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, told The Daily Wire that Republicans supporting the legislation are “making a catastrophic policy and political mistake.”
He said that the bill would cut workers out of the process and primarily benefit union leaders, not workers. 
Vinnie Vernuccio, the president of the Institute for the American Worker, also said that it would give “unprecedented power” to federal bureaucrats. He said that his organization was “proud to stand for union democracy by joining the larger coalition and sounding the alarm on this harmful legislation.”
The Senate version of the proposal was introduced by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and also supported by Republican Senators Roger Marshall (Kansas) and Bernie Moreno (Ohio) and 12 other Democrats. 
After the discharge petition advanced in the House, Hawley told The Daily Wire that the proposal would give workers more power against “woke corporations.” 
“We need real labor reform that puts workers first. For too long woke corporations have blocked workers’ rights while sending jobs to China,” he said. “I’m glad to see the House doing the right thing by American workers. Congress needs to pass my bill and get this done.”

NYU faculty on strike

Republicans’ Latest Pro-Union Move Has Some Conservatives Sounding The Alarm

Congress

Department of Labor

House of Representatives

Labor Unions

After being caught up in multiple sex scandals, Maine Democrat Graham Platner lashed out at the &#8220;establishment media&#8221; for reporting on his sexual escapades. 
Platner attacked the media on Sunday after reports surfaced over the weekend that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/popular-dem-senate-candidate-caught-by-wife-exchanging-raunchy-texts-with-women?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Caught+By+Wife+Exchanging+Raunchy+Texts+With+Women">sent</a> sexually explicit messages to other women while married and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-graham-platner-has-active-profile-on-predators-paradise-messaging-app?author=Tim+Rice&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=SEE+IT%3A+Graham+Platner+Has+Active+Profile+On+%E2%80%98Predator%E2%80%99s+Paradise%E2%80%99+Messaging+App">maintains</a> an active account on Kik, a platform plagued by accusations that it enables sexual predators. The Senate hopeful’s account on Kik was uncovered by The Daily Wire and features a profile picture of a shirtless man with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“It’s no surprise to me that the establishment media outlets are just gonna run gossip instead of wanting to talk about the things that actually matter in this race, which are the material realities that the Mainers are working with,” Platner <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLsdtYe5jFs">told</a> ABC&#8217;s Portland, Maine, affiliate WMTW on Sunday. 
Platner’s Kik profile was created on June 26, 2016. The Democrat, looking to unseat Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), was almost 32 years old when he joined the app, on which an estimated 70% of users are between the ages of <a href="https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/kik-user-statistics/">13 and 24</a>. Though the app recently required users to be 18 or older to join, for most of its history it welcomed users <a href="https://gethuman.com/customer-service/Kik/faq/What-age-group-is-Kik-intended-for/pEkg4L">13 and older.</a> Despite those guidelines, the app still does not require <a href="https://www.wave3.com/2025/10/23/messaging-app-allegedly-used-louisville-sex-crimes-case-described-predators-paradise/">official age verification.</a>
“These people are gonna try to make this race about anything but what it’s supposed to be about, which is policy. They never want to talk about policy,” Platner said Sunday. “Amy and I have a very loving and very happy marriage. They would very much like to try to rip that apart.”
Platner also accused The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times of “journalistic malpractice” for publishing stories on the sexually explicit messages he sent to multiple women while married. He claimed the outlets “ran stories without any evidence besides the gossip from a former staffer. I’m sorry that’s, frankly, journalistic malpractice. We pushed back on it, they won it, they did it anyways.”
A Platner campaign official <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/31/us/politics/booker-platner-democrats-senate-midterms.html">told</a> The New York Times that Platner was pushing back on the number of women he explicitly messaged, not that the messages existed. 
Many Democrats are still rallying behind Platner despite the latest revelations. 
When asked if Platner passed the character test after the latest reports on his sexual escapades, Democrat Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2061102582781600081">said</a> he had “not followed this story as closely as others have.”
“Graham Platner is somebody that served our country. He served his community. He&#8217;s also made mistakes, and he has admitted that,” he said. “Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.”
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=NJImACtyd8qr901jiXzUj00P9jus01iozN02&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Senator Bernie Sanders Holds Fighting Oligarchy Event With Senate Candidate Graham Platner

Graham Platner Finds A Scapegoat After Reports On Sexual Escapades

Susan Collins

Former first lady Jill Biden was accused of lying after changing her tune on her husband&#8217;s disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump. 
Biden told CBS News in an interview clip released Wednesday that she was “frightened” by President Joe Biden’s performance and thought he was having a stroke. After a video of her remarks went viral, commenters quickly pointed out that she claimed her husband did a &#8220;great job&#8221; and had answered all the questions immediately after the debate on June 27, 2024.
“I was frightened,” she told CBS News. “I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since. When I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke.’ And it scared me to death.”
This contrasted with her reaction immediately after the debate when she said, “Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question. You knew all the facts!&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jill Biden’s latest ‘stroke’ claim runs into one big problem " width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n8qem-Pju58?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Responding to the former first lady’s claims, New York Post columnist Miranda Devine noted that she would have made him go to a hospital immediately after the debate. 
“Sorry but this is such BS. If she genuinely was ‘frightened’ that he was having a stroke then any rational wife would have insisted he go straight to the hospital,” Devine <a href="https://x.com/mirandadevine/status/2059840300445536520">said</a>. “Instead she dragged him off to a Waffle House and patronized him on stage like a baby: ‘Joe – you did such a great job.’ We saw his incapacity for years. Don&#8217;t try to rewrite history.”
Axios reporter Alex Thompson <a href="https://x.com/AlexThomp/status/2059758616131891234">quoted</a> a former Biden official who responded to the clip, telling him that &#8220;she’s lying.&#8221;
Pressure mounted on Biden to end his re-election bid after he muddled his way through a debate performance filled with verbal miscues and nonsensical answers. After the performance a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if Biden had undergone a neurological scan. 
Jean-Pierre downplayed concerns, saying that Biden had a “bad night.” 
“We understand that it was a bad night and the president has spoken to this. And he understands that,” she said at the time. “And so, I cannot speak to anything beyond what I just shared. The president has regular annual physicals that we release in a thorough report. We&#8217;re going to continue to do that. I don&#8217;t have anything else beyond that.”

Donald Trump And Joe Biden Participate In First Presidential Debate

Jill Biden’s Latest ‘Stroke’ Claim Runs Into One Big Problem

2024 Election

Jill Biden

Joe Biden

A Democrat known for his State of the Union stunts will be exiting Congress after more than two decades following a crushing primary defeat on Tuesday. 
Longtime Democratic Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was crushed by Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) in a runoff election for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, which represents parts of Houston. Menefee earned nearly 70% of the vote to Green’s 30%. Both ended up in the same district after Texas redrew its election maps last year. 
In his concession speech, Green, 78, rambled on about how he would continue to support abortion. 
“I’d like to indicate to you that this effort has been one that was sincere. It&#8217;s something that I have done as a labor of love. I have enjoyed all of my time as a member of the Congress of the United States of America,” he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHBKgIEsYbo">said</a>. “And I want to assure you that when I go back to Congress next week, I still plan to take up the cause of women in this country. I still will fight to make sure a woman has a right to choose. This is something that we cannot allow men to deprive women of.”
Green, who was first elected to Congress in 2004, has become <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-democrat-moves-to-impeach-trump-over-dastardly-deeds">known</a> for his opposition to President Donald Trump, introducing articles of impeachment just two weeks after Inauguration Day in 2025. 
During Trump’s State of the Union in March 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deported-dem-rep-al-green-booted-from-trump-address-to-congress">removed</a> Green from the House chamber after he started yelling during the speech and refused to remain quiet. Green was later <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/189/text">censured</a> by the House for his protests. 
Green was again kicked out of the State of the Union in February 2026 after he disrupted Trump’s speech while holding up a sign reading “Black People Aren’t Apes.” 
Menefee, 38, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/tx-18-house-runoff-primary-election-winner-menefee-beats-green-rcna346549?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&amp;taid=6a163d9f42698e0001d2c0f1&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">received</a> about $5 million from Protect Progress, a pro-cryptocurrency political action committee that supports Democratic candidates. The PAC ran one pro-Menefee ad featuring failed Texas Democrat Senate candidate and outgoing Rep. Jasmine Crockett. 
“We need a new generation of fighters who are ready to throw down for what&#8217;s right,” Crockett <a href="https://host2.adimpact.com/admo/viewer/1a24214d-3fcc-4d4f-84e6-b8c617a83393/">said</a> in the ad. “My friend Christian Menefee is that fighter. Christian Menefee took on MAGA in Texas and won.”
Green has been a skeptic of crypto during his time in Congress. 
Menefee, facing off against Republican Ronald Whitfield in November, is expected to win in the heavily Democratic district.

President Trump Delivers The State Of The Union Address

Chronic SOTU Disrupter Crushed In Primary

2026 Midterms

Elections

A Democrat lawmaker who narrowly won a congressional seat in an Upstate New York swing district last election has ties to a far-Left distillery that supports radical transgender groups. 
Financial records show that Rep. Josh Riley (D-NY) has invested in a Washington, D.C., distillery called <a href="https://www.republicrestoratives.com/">Republic Restoratives</a> that donates a portion of its profits to Advocates for Trans Equality, an activist group dedicated to fighting the Trump administration’s crackdown on transgender ideology. This group <a href="https://transequality.org/news/get-facts-truth-about-transition-related-care-transgender-youth">supports</a> puberty blockers for kids and argues that “young people deserve privacy” when considering gender surgeries. 
Riley has invested between $1,001 to $15,000 in Republic Restoratives, a woman-owned and crowdfunded distillery, <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2024/10068019.pdf">according</a> to his latest available financial disclosure. His new financial disclosure won’t be made available until August 13, 2026, after he filed for an <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2025/30026706.pdf">extension</a> in April 2026. 
Republic Restoratives <a href="https://shop.republicrestoratives.com/products/civic-pride">offers</a> a “Civic Pride” Vodka that it describes as “our rainbow-washing clap back.&#8221; Some of the proceeds from sales of the activist beverage go toward Advocates for Trans Equality. 
“We were tired of seeing giant corporations with spotty records on LGBTQ rights wrap their products in rainbows every June,” the distillery says. “This gold-medal-winning spirit helps fund the fight for dignity, safety, and justice for our trans siblings.”
Advocates for Trans Equality recently <a href="https://action.transequality.org/a/voteno2616protectstudents">campaigned</a> against a House <a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20260427/RCP_H2616_H2617_xml.pdf">proposal</a> that would ban schools from hiding a student&#8217;s so-called gender identity from parents and keep gender ideology out of the classroom. 
The distillery also raises money for other transgender groups. In June 2025, Republic Restoratives <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RepublicRestoratives/posts/pfbid0ksD31JPWES1zbwNUTm33u7Kc1Rjf6q3Ci6LWQPumqZXhZgGngfGJPiBvMiazrUDrl?rdid=SwLwsNPvJ0LTRwk6">said</a> that it had raised over $5,000 for “trans lives.” 
“Pride’s not a month — it’s a mission. When major brands bailed, when SCOTUS doubled down on hate, when trans kids were told they don’t belong, you didn’t flinch. You funded resistance,” the distillery posted on Facebook a few days after the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-upholds-tennessees-ban-on-transgender-drugs-for-children">upheld</a> a Tennessee law protecting kids from transgender procedures. 
“Together, we’ve already raised over $5K for trans advocacy. Now, every Trevor Project Pack sends support where it’s needed most- queer youth in crisis,” the distillery added. 
Funds from sales of the Trevor Project Pack <a href="https://shop.republicrestoratives.com/pages/trevor-project-packs">went toward</a> the Trevor Project’s 24/7 LGBTQ crisis phone line. The organization “supports gender-affirming care as an evidence-based practice to support” <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/gender-affirming-care-for-youth/">gender</a>-confused young people. 
<div id="attachment_1100263" style="width: 2483px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1100263" class="size-full wp-image-1100263" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-2.08.10-PM.png" alt="" width="2473" height="977" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-2.08.10-PM.png 2473w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-2.08.10-PM-300x119.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-2.08.10-PM-1024x405.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-2.08.10-PM-768x303.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-2.08.10-PM-1536x607.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-2.08.10-PM-2048x809.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2473px) 100vw, 2473px" />Republic Restoratives.</div>
Riley’s record in Congress backs up his association with pro-transgender groups. He <a href="https://www.congress.gov/votes/house/119-1/12">voted</a> against a proposal to block school athletic programs from allowing males onto female teams. He also <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025249">voted against</a> an amendment that would keep bathrooms on military bases separate on the basis of sex. 
Riley defeated Republican incumbent Rep. Marcus Molinaro for the seat in 2024 by about 8,000 votes, less than two percentage points. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting the seat in 2026. 
“Creepy Democrat Josh Riley is more interested in forcing taxpayer-funded sex changes on kids than delivering on what Upstate New Yorkers need: lower costs and safer streets,” spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told The Daily Wire. “Riley’s priorities are backwards, and voters will kick him to the curb in November as a result.” 
Running for the Republican nomination are New York state Senator Peter Oberacker, endorsed by the NRCC, and long-shot candidate Alexander Portelli.

Rep. Josh Riley

Democrat’s Financial Ties To Gender Mutilation Of Kids

New York

Transgender

An 83-year-old Democrat lawmaker from Florida has missed over 40 straight House votes and was caught recycling old photos on social media this week as she faces questions about her recent voting record. 
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) has missed 43 straight House roll call votes and has not voted since April 17, according to official voting tallies. Wilson’s recent voting history was <a href="https://x.com/jamiedupree/status/2054710645514232177">first flagged</a> on Wednesday by veteran Capitol Hill reporter Jaime Dupree. The Daily Wire reached out to Wilson’s office and asked why she has not voted in nearly a month. 
Dupree also noted that Wilson, who represents portions of Miami, posted a picture on her congressional X account on May 12 that featured a photo first posted to her account on October 4, 2025. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Frederica Wilson D-FL missed all 10 votes on Wednesday in the House. Wilson has now missed 43 straight votes &#8211; she last voted on April 17.
Wilson&#8217;s X account this week sent out photos of a Service Academy day &#8211; but pictures from the same event were posted last October <a href="https://t.co/ncemZstJGP">pic.twitter.com/ncemZstJGP</a>
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) <a href="https://twitter.com/jamiedupree/status/2054710645514232177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The post from May 12 <a href="https://x.com/RepWilson/status/2054291109807878358">said</a>, “As students plan their futures, service through a U.S. Service Academy remains a powerful path to leadership, discipline, and opportunity. I was proud to host a Service Academy Day at FIU, bringing together representatives to share guidance with the next generation. For nomination information, visit my website or call my office.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1095145" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.02.57-AM.png" alt="" width="1036" height="1105" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.02.57-AM.png 1036w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.02.57-AM-281x300.png 281w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.02.57-AM-540x576.png 540w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.02.57-AM-768x819.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1036px) 100vw, 1036px" />
A second post featuring one of the exact same photos and nearly the same text from October 4 said, “As high school students plan their future, service through a U.S. service academy is an excellent path. I was proud to host a Service Day Academy at [FIU] and I thank all the academy representatives who presented. For nomination information, visit my website or call my office.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1095147" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.03.18-AM.png" alt="" width="1074" height="1112" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.03.18-AM.png 1074w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.03.18-AM-290x300.png 290w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.03.18-AM-556x576.png 556w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-8.03.18-AM-768x795.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1074px) 100vw, 1074px" /></div>
The Daily Wire also asked Wilson’s office why she was recycling social media posts. 
Wilson’s office has published just one press release since she last voted. That release condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to end requirements for black-majority congressional districts. 
“This decision is a setback for voting rights and fair representation. Full stop,” she said. “Let me be clear. For generations, people fought, marched, and even died for the right to vote in this country. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was supposed to protect that right and make sure communities that were shut out of power finally had a fair chance to be heard.”

House Committee On Transportation Holds Hearing On Rail Safety In The Aftermath Of The East Palestine Ohio Derailment

Questions Raised After Dem Racks Up Skipped Votes

Democrat

Florida

The leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives punished Democrat lawmakers for protesting during debate over an electoral map that would eliminate the state&#8217;s lone Democrat congressional seat. 
House Speaker Cameron Sexton sent letters to Democrats on Tuesday, kicking them out of their committees for their behavior during debates on redrawing congressional maps to split Memphis into three Republican-favorable electoral districts. During debate on the House floor, Democrat lawmakers broke decorum and rules of order as leftist activists flooded the state Capitol building in Nashville to protest.
“Due to actions taken by members of the Democratic Caucus during the Second Extraordinary Session of the 114th General Assembly aimed at disrupting the democratic and legislative process and creating disorder on the House floor &#8230;,” Sexton <a href="https://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/2054313399278793023/photo/1">wrote</a> in a letter to Democrat House Leader Karen Camper. “Members of the Democratic House Committee will receive individual letters removing them from all standing committees and subcommittees of the House.”
Sexton said that Democrat lawmakers interlocked arms together “in the well of the House Floor,” blocked aisles, used “prohibited props and noisemakers,” and instigated and encouraged “disruptions of the legislative process in coordination with paid protesters and attendees in the gallery, including the distribution of earplugs to a member of your caucus.”
Protesters flooded the state Capitol building with noise makers, and the House gallery had to be cleared as activists disrupted floor proceedings. In one confrontation, Rep. Justin Pearson had a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democrat-shoves-state-trooper-screams-in-his-face-as-redistricting-protest-turns-ugly?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WATCH%3A+Democrat+Shoves+State+Trooper%2C+Screams+In+His+Face+As+Redistricting+Protest+Turns+Ugly">meltdown</a> in front of a state trooper.
“Move the f*ck back!” Pearson shouted as he stared down the law enforcement officer.
The state trooper backed away and held his arms in the air as Pearson continued to berate him and call him “boy.”
“What the f*ck is wrong with you?” Pearson screamed. “What the f*ck is wrong with you? You stupid motherf*cker!”
Democrat Rep. Justin Jones, a lawmaker with a history of leftist activism, claimed the removal was based on racism. He said the action was based on his protests against a “white supremacist agenda.” 
“Just as my white Republican colleagues chose racial retaliation against Tennessee’s black voters, the Speaker of the House is now choosing retaliation against a black lawmaker for standing up against their Jim Crow racial gerrymander,” he <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYQRDh_Eo83/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=86c0c7ca-de44-407e-b131-40f8a969925e">posted</a> on Instagram. 
Jones was previously kicked out of the legislature for participating in a protest from the House floor in favor of gun control. 
Ultimately, Governor Bill Lee signed a new election map into law that is expected to eliminate Tennessee’s lone Democrat held congressional seat. The move came after Lee called a special session to reevaluate the maps after the Supreme Court ruled that states did not have to maintain majority-black districts.

Tennessee Governor Signs Trump-Backed Redistricting Plan

Democrats Punished For Desperate Tantrums During Failed Redistricting Fight

Democrats Punished For Antics During Failed Fight To Stop Redistricting

2026 election

Redistricting

Tennessee

President Donald Trump polled a crowd at the White House on Monday, asking if they would like to see Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio run for president in 2028. 
“I don&#8217;t know. Who&#8217;s it going to be? Is it going to be JD? Is there going to be somebody else? I don&#8217;t know,” Trump told a group of law enforcement officials at the White House on Monday. 
He then asked the crowd who they thought should succeed him. 
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket,&#8221; Trump asked. <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/W01007vdoCbyUEav00Xgdz3QVhf8P344jIT?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=f0e04c22-eb9c-41dd-9a3f-664834cdeea3&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Trump%20holds%20a%20mini%202028%20election%20for%20his%20%E2%80%98dream%20team%E2%80%99%3A%20JD%20Vance%20or%20Marco%20Rubio%3F&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2F94231d65-0a8f-4bbc-8daa-caa6bb8bf764.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Applause from those in attendance appeared to be louder for Vance, but Trump said he wasn’t making any endorsements yet. 
“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate,” Trump said. 
Rubio said last year that he would support Vance if the vice president decided to run for president. 
“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” he <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2?_sp=66ff928d-0547-4be8-9f21-3d5c5d7322ce.1773164665694">told</a> Vanity Fair in an interview. 
That comment has not held off speculation that he may still make a presidential run, especially with his long list of responsibilities within the administration. 
Last year, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reveals-who-will-most-likely-be-the-2028-republican-nominee">said</a> he believed that Vance would be the “most likely” 2028 GOP nominee. 
“Well, I think most likely, in all fairness,” Trump said when asked last August if MAGA would line up behind Vance in 2028. “He’s the vice president. I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.”
Trump, however, did not fully endorse Vance at the time. 
“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here, so it’s too early obviously to talk about it,” he said. “But certainly, [Vance] is doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point.”

Trump Says Israel And Lebanon To Extend Ceasefire By Three Weeks

Trump Takes A Spontaneous 2028 Presidential Straw Poll: Vance Or Rubio?

2028 presidential election

JD Vance

Marco Rubio

Democrats are considering a radical plan to forcibly replace the entire Virginia Supreme Court after Democrat-favorable congressional maps were struck down last week. 
A proposal to force out the current court by lowering the mandatory retirement age for justices was considered Friday during a call with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and top Virginia Democrats, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/10/us/politics/democrats-virginia-plans-gerrymandering.html">reported</a>. The plan would force out all current justices and give the legislature, narrowly controlled by Democrats, the opportunity to pack it with more partisan justices. 
A case would then be brought to challenge the creation of Virginia&#8217;s so-called independent redistricting commission. If that commission was struck down, Democrats could then draw new election maps to their favor.
The proposal would involve lowering the retirement age from 75 to at least 54, the age of the youngest justice currently on the bench. That plan was openly supported by Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a participant in the call. 
“Everyone has got to have a strong stomach right now; this is a complete disaster waiting to happen if people are timid,” he told the Times. “We have Republican states ignoring their constitutions and interrupting early voting and ignoring their Supreme Courts all together. We know based on that, Republicans would explore every single option possible to move this forward.”
The map struck down as unconstitutional on Friday was expected to give Democrats a 10-1 advantage in Virginia’s House delegation come November, up from their current 6-5 edge. In a 4-3 decision, Virginia&#8217;s Supreme Court ruled that the state&#8217;s &#8220;violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void.&#8221; 
Jeffries has suggested appealing to the Supreme Court, though it is unclear what grounds the nation’s high court would weigh in on. 
Voters in Virginia narrowly approved the new gerrymandered maps in April after Democrat-aligned groups spent over $64 million supporting redistricting. 
Campaign filings show that <a href="https://www.virginiansforfairelections.com/">Virginians for Fair Elections</a>, the leading Democrat-aligned group backing the gerrymandered map, <a href="https://cfreports.elections.virginia.gov/Committee/Index/a5d5d000-0875-419d-b056-4245a6cca40f">raised</a> more than $64 million between January and April 2026. That total was more than double the amount raised by Republican-aligned groups opposing redistricting.
Much of the money raised came from House Majority Forward, which contributed nearly $39 million, according to campaign filings. The group describes itself as a “progressive, non-profit organization committed to promoting economic growth and opportunity, social justice, environmental stewardship, and democracy in the United States of America.”
The ruling by the court meant that Republicans appeared to have come out ahead in the nationwide redistricting battle, with states like Tennessee and Florida adopting new maps expected to make their congressional delegations redder.

CBC VRA Presser

Democrats Float Dramatic Shakeup That Could Force Out Virginia’s Entire Supreme Court

Democrats

Virginia

Menu