Graham Platner’s wife campaign video statement responding to infidelity allegations widely panned by critics
Graham Platner’s wife Amy Gertner came out to defend her husband’s Senate campaign Saturday, but X reactions to the five-minute video are rebuking it as damage control that did not dispute recent allegations against the Maine Democrat. “So it makes me really angry, disappointed, and I find it really shameful that there’s a group of media outlets and people who are willing to spread gossip, instead of talking about real issues that Graham is running on — like healthcare and education and childcare,” Gertner said hours after the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner exchanged sexual text messages with several women after he and Gertner were married. “Being newly married is hard. Being newly married and going through infertility is hard. Being newly married, going through infertility, and a Senate campaign is hard.” The wife speaking for her husband after the surfacing of allegations against him – and not the candidate himself – was seized on by critics and social media users replying to the video post. SPURNED SPOUSES CASH IN AS NORTH CAROLINA’S ‘HOMEWRECKER’ LAW TURNS CHEATING INTO A COURTROOM JACKPOT “Graham Platner admitted to sexually explicit text messages with over a dozen women and having an account on a ‘predator paradise’ child exploitation app, then had his wife – a victim of his deviant actions – defend it,” National Republican Senatorial Committee press secretary Samantha Cantrell told Fox News Digital on Sunday. Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s campaign for a response but they did not immediately respond. “It looks and sounds like a hostage video,” one X user responded to the video. “Blink twice if you need rescuing, Amy.” The controversy comes as Platner, a progressive oyster farmer and military veteran running to unseat moderate incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has drawn support from national Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who previously praised him by saying, “That’s my kind of man.” TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID “I don’t even know if I have the right words to describe what we’ve been going through, but our marriage counselor helps, my personal counselor helps, Graham’s personal counselor helps, and we work on our mental health every day,” Gertner added. “No marriage is perfect, and I don’t want a perfect marriage. I want my marriage, and I want to be married to Graham.” But X users rebuked the use of the wife to defend the Senate campaign. “It’s not your wife’s job to defend your infidelity, creep,” writer Emily Zanotti wrote on X. “The big problem here is that this story only covers what exists out there: potentially dozens of emails, text messages, and videos Platner sent to who-knows-how-many women, which the campaign is now praying aren’t next to be leaked,” she added in another post. TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID Another X user, who is a self-proclaimed 2028 Kamala Harris for president supporter, denounced the fact a campaign “has forced his wife to make a #hostage video,” urging “Amy, please reach out to .@MEStatePolice so they can remove his firearms from your home.” “Shame on Graham for putting her in this position,” another poster wrote on X. Despite the blowback, Gertner did stress they have “a great marriage.” But critics note the video did little to answer allegations surrounding the Democrat Senate hopeful, particularly with the admission of mental health and infidelity struggles in a still-new marriage. “I have incredible empathy for a woman who’s just had a miscarriage having to make a video defending her husband’s infidelities,” Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts wrote on X. “But a man so damaged by combat – according to him and his family – that he’s said and done destructive things for decades needs to recover, not run for Senate.” GISELE FETTERMAN LAMBASTS ‘TERRIBLE’ MEDIA, SAYS JOURNALISTS BOMBARDED HER WHEN HUSBAND WAS SICK Gertner’s video statement confirmed the mental health questions and notably did not deny the reporting. “I knew the man that I married is wonderful and dynamic and probably a genius,” Gertner said. “I knew the man that I married had been through an immense amount of violent active combat. He’s been in therapy for years. I just I admire the f— out of him. “So when there are news articles about our marriage, it’s just extra sh—-. Can I say that online? I hope I can.” Earlier Saturday, Platner’s campaign confirmed the controversial text exchanges to Politico following a report from The Wall Street Journal that noted a former campaign aide seeking to get ahead of opposition research leaked the damning allegations. DEMOCRATS ‘SELLING THEIR SOUL’ TO EMBRACE PLATNER ARE IN FOR RUDE AWAKENING WITH MAINE VOTERS: GOP LAWMAKER “They’re trying to make this woman a scapegoat when she was clearly the canary in a coal mine,” Watts added in another X post, sharing a Facebook message from alleged whistleblower Genevieve McDonald, who rebuked those defending Platner’s campaign: “We cannot be this painfully stupid.” “So I think I’m feeling angry today, and I don’t normally make public statements, but it’s really important for me to tell all of you out there — especially people who are voting in Maine — that I think it’s shameful behavior to spend time and energy and resources on negative ads and negative stories on Graham when all he’s trying to do is improve the lives of people who work for a living,” Gertner added. The irony of rebuking “attacks” was not lost on critics. “Have you read your husband’s campaign attacks, press releases and X posts?” former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell wrote on X, replying to the campaign video post. “You think you all get a free ride to brutally attack others and not get criticized yourself?” SUSAN COLLINS SHRUGS OFF ATTACKS BY DEMOCRATS AND TRUMP, SAYS MAINE VOTERS ‘DON’T VOTE PARTY LINE’ “Put on your big girl pants – he’s running for 1 of the 100 Senate seats,” he added. Among the “attack” posts noted
Platner controversies fuel speculation about little-known Maine ballot replacement provision
As controversy surrounding Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner continues to mount, attention is turning to a little-known provision of Maine law that could allow Democrats to replace him on the general election ballot after the primary. The question has taken on new significance because Maine election law provides a mechanism for replacing a nominee who withdraws after winning a primary. Under Maine law, a candidate who wins the June 9 primary and subsequently withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13 may be replaced by a nominee selected by party officials. Any replacement candidate must be chosen no later than 5 p.m. on July 27. The timeline would give Democrats just 14 days to settle on a replacement candidate and prepare for the general election campaign. GRAHAM PLATNER VOWS TO ‘COME AFTER’ BEZOS AS SENATE HOPEFUL ESCALATES BILLIONAIRE TAX FIGHT While there is no public indication that Democrats are pursuing such a strategy, the provision has fueled speculation about what options the party would have if concerns about Platner’s candidacy continue to grow. The scrutiny comes as Platner has faced a series of controversies in recent weeks, including criticism over a tattoo with links to Nazi imagery, resurfaced Reddit posts in which he made inflammatory comments about veterans, sexual assault and political opponents and reports about sexually explicit messages exchanged with other women during his marriage. Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, has defended himself against the criticism and retained the support of prominent Democrats, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Still, some party figures have questioned whether the allegations could complicate Democrats’ efforts to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races. BERNIE SANDERS DEFENDS MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE UNDER FIRE FOR REDDIT COMMENTS Among the Democrats who have publicly criticized Platner is Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., who described the candidate’s tattoo controversy as “personally disqualifying.” Former Maine state Rep. Genevieve McDonald, who previously served as Platner’s political director, resigned from the campaign and has publicly questioned his viability, reportedly describing him as unelectable. Although Maine law provides a post-primary window for Democrats to replace Platner on the general election ballot if he voluntarily withdraws, any such effort would face significant political hurdles. Platner remains the overwhelming favorite to win the June 9 primary, and there is currently no public evidence that party leaders are organizing a campaign to force him from the race. But the political reality may be more important than the procedural one. Following former Gov. Janet Mills‘ decision not to run, much of the Democratic establishment has consolidated behind Platner, and national Democratic figures have continued to support his candidacy despite the controversies. For now, the question remains largely hypothetical. While Maine law provides a mechanism for replacing a nominee under certain circumstances, Democrats have shown little public appetite for revisiting the race absent a major new development.
Arizona school board member gets backlash after mocking board president with Nazi salute
An Arizona school board member is facing calls to resign after appearing to make a Nazi salute during a contentious public meeting before later comparing the board president to a dictator and saying, “All I could think of tonight was Hitler.” Video from a May 26 Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board meeting appears to show board member Kimberly Fisher raising her right arm and saying, “Heil, heil” during a dispute with board President Paul Carver Jr. The exchange occurred near the end of the meeting during a disagreement over scheduling a community study session related to district boundary discussions. According to video of the meeting, Fisher objected to holding the session during the afternoon, arguing that community members would have difficulty attending. NJ COUNCILWOMAN CONDEMNS ‘IGNORANCE’ OF COMPARING ICE AGENTS TO NAZIS DURING HEATED MEETING “The whole point of having a study session with our community is that we can get their input and they can hear our discussions,” Fisher said during the meeting. Carver later said he moved to adjourn the meeting because the discussion involved an item that was not on the posted agenda and could have raised concerns under Arizona’s Open Meeting Law. “The reason for calling for the adjournment was simply that, as the question turned into discussion concerning an item that was not on the agenda, the board was moving into an area that could have been considered a violation of Arizona’s Open Meeting Law,” Carver said in a Facebook video posted after the meeting. BYRON DONALDS REBUKES ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER OVER ‘FASCIST’ SLUR: ‘DO I LOOK LIKE A MEMBER OF THE THIRD REICH?’ Carver said Fisher made the gesture and comment after the motion to adjourn. “The point behind this post is that there’s a lot of noise being made that she may have been justified in making that statement because she felt like I was being a dictator,” Carver said. “I was simply following the rules of the state of Arizona.” He added that “it is never okay to make those gestures and make that statement with those gestures in any environment.” MARYLAND TEACHER FACES CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OVER CONTROVERSIAL CHARLIE KIRK MEME The incident prompted condemnation from district officials, who said Fisher was acting independently and did not represent the views of the district. “The District does not condone, support, or endorse gestures or language associated with hate, discrimination, intimidation or violence in any form,” Deer Valley Unified School District said in a statement. “Such actions do not reflect the mission or vision of Deer Valley Unified School District.” The district added that Fisher’s “views and actions do not reflect and should not be attributed to other board members, staff, other members of the school community or the District.” TENNESSEE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CENSURED AFTER CALLING STUDENT ‘HOT’ AT MEETING The Deer Valley Educators Association also condemned Fisher’s conduct and called for her resignation. “DVEA was horrified and disgusted to see DVUSD Governing Board Member Kimberly Fisher deliver a Nazi salute during the Tuesday, May 26, 2026, board meeting,” association president Kelley Fisher said in a statement. “Any leader who uses a Nazi salute during a School Board meeting is unfit for public service. There is no justification for this behavior. Kimberly Fisher should resign before she does more harm to our students and the community at large.” WOMAN DISROBES AT CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN PROTEST OF LOCKER ROOM POLICIES Hours after the meeting, Fisher posted a Facebook livestream in which she doubled down on her criticism of Carver, repeatedly describing his leadership as dictatorial. “We have been living or operating under virtually a dictatorship for a long time,” Fisher said. She also accused Carver of acting like “a dictator” and urged voters not to support him in future elections. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN HURLS PROFANITY-LACED MESSAGE AT STEPHEN MILLER Near the end of the livestream, Fisher appeared to connect her thinking during the meeting to historical dictators. “What was it? Pol Pot, you know, was the most egregious dictator I’ve heard of,” Fisher said. “All I could think of tonight was Hitler.” Fisher did not directly address the gesture or comment from the meeting during the livestream. VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY EMBEZZLING $175K FOR STRIP CLUBS, VACATIONS, CAMPAIGN EXPENSES In a separate video posted to social media, Carver said community members had asked why the board was not taking action against Fisher. He argued Arizona law limits the ability of school boards to discipline elected members. “I need the community to understand that in the state of Arizona, the school district and the board do not have the ability to discipline board members,” Carver said. Carver called Fisher’s behavior “rampant and repetitive” and said her actions were “totally unacceptable and unprofessional.” Deer Valley Unified School District serves more than 33,000 students across northern Maricopa County, including communities in north Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Cave Creek and New River, according to the district. Fox News Digital reached out to Fisher for comment.
Trump calls on all future candidates to take cognitive exam, noting perfect score during latest physical
President Donald Trump fired back at critics of his health and cognitive abilities just two weeks before his 80th birthday, repeating his new favorite moniker for his Democrat critics, calling out the “Dumocrats.” “All people running for President and Vice President should be forced to take high difficulty Cognitive Tests,” Trump wrote in an overnight Truth Social post. “Congress, and the Dumocrats, should demand it!” Trump is set to become only the second president to serve at the advanced age of 80 after former President Joe Biden. TRUMP LASHES OUT AT CROCKETT, RENEWS CALL FOR COGNITIVE TEST “The results of my Physical Examination, taken at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, and just released, were extremely good,” Trump’s post began. “Unlike other U.S. Presidents, none of whom have ever taken an approved, high difficulty, Cognitive Test, I scored a perfect 30 out of 30, considered ‘extreme intelligence.’ “Are the Dumocrats really surprised?” Trump has long touted his cognitive test scores, using it as one of his campaign rally staples in contrast to his predecessor Biden, who was the oldest U.S. president in history at 82 when he left office in January 2025. TRUMP DECLARED IN ‘EXCELLENT OVERALL HEALTH’ BY DOCTOR AFTER WALTER REED VISIT The White House released a memorandum Friday night from Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the physician to the president, detailing Trump’s May 26 annual medical examination. The memo said the evaluation included diagnostic studies, laboratory testing conducted over the past year and consultations with 22 specialty providers. The physician’s summary said Trump “remains in excellent health,” with “strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function.” It also said his cognitive and physical performance were “excellent” and that he is “fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.” “His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements, and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being,” Barbabella wrote. TRUMP CLAIMS WHITE HOUSE DOCTORS REPORT HIM IN ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ SAYS HE ‘ACED’ THIRD STRAIGHT COGNITIVE EXAM The memo said Trump’s neurological exam showed normal mental status, cranial nerves, motor strength, sensation, reflexes, gait and balance. It said he completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, known as the MoCA, and scored 30 out of 30. “In fact, this is my fourth such test, all PERFECT or, 120 correct answers out of 120 questions asked!” Trump added in his post. “It is very rare that anyone gets a Perfect Score, especially when achieved four times in a row.” Screenings for depression and anxiety were also listed as normal, but the report noted slight lower leg swelling, improved from last year, and bruising on the backs of his hands, which the physician attributed to minor soft tissue irritation from “frequent handshaking” while taking aspirin for cardiovascular prevention. The bruising is “common and benign,” according to the physician. Trump’s lab results were listed largely within normal ranges. His total cholesterol was 143, LDL cholesterol was 53, HDL cholesterol was 70 and triglycerides were 104. His fasting glucose was 83.2, hemoglobin A1c was 5.3 and PSA was 1.0. The memo also listed normal kidney, liver, thyroid and cardiac-related markers. Trump’s current medications include rosuvastatin and ezetimibe for cholesterol control and aspirin for cardiac prevention.
America’s next economic powerhouse may be rising in red-state territory
DALLAS — Texas has emerged as the biggest winner in corporate America’s flight from high-tax blue states, attracting a wave of headquarters relocations as companies increasingly abandon costly coastal hubs for lower-tax Republican strongholds. The relocation wave is reshaping the balance of economic power in America, boosting red-state economies while raising fresh questions about whether high taxes and regulation are driving companies out of blue-state strongholds. Dallas-Fort Worth led the nation with 111 headquarters relocations between 2018 and 2025, according to a CBRE report, while Austin added 88 and Houston gained 31. Together, the three Texas hubs have became one of the nation’s biggest magnets for corporate relocations. THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND CBRE found 725 companies relocated headquarters during that seven-year period, with many citing growth opportunities, lower operating costs and lighter regulation as key reasons for moving. Florida, particularly Miami, also emerged as a major beneficiary. Over the past year alone, six companies moved operations to Miami from costly hubs like Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Boston, drawn by Florida’s lower taxes, growing tech sector and access to East Coast markets. Companies told CBRE that Miami’s expanding startup scene and growing pool of finance and tech talent are making the city increasingly attractive. International firms are also flocking to South Florida for its strong tourism, travel and beauty industries. Meanwhile, California suffered the nation’s steepest corporate losses. CALIFORNIA’S LOOMING CAPITAL FLIGHT PROBLEM COULD RESHAPE STATE IN 3 KEY AREAS The San Francisco Bay Area posted a net loss of 163 headquarters during the same period Texas posted gains. Companies leaving California frequently cited taxes, labor rules and soaring living costs as reasons for relocating elsewhere, CBRE found. The migration is also becoming increasingly political. Economic performance often shapes midterm messaging, and corporate relocations are poised to play a larger role in debates over taxes, regulation and the broader business climate. THIS STATE ISN’T JUST GROWING — ITS ECONOMY IS GETTING RICHER PER RESIDENT The issue is drawing even more attention as Democrats in several blue states push billionaire taxes and other progressive policies that critics warn could accelerate the exodus of companies and wealthy residents. Whether the trend endures remains unclear. But for now, the corporate migration is reinforcing a growing reality: Taxes, regulation and cost of living are increasingly determining where businesses invest, where jobs move and which states gain or lose economic power.
Karen Bass appears to liken Spencer Pratt to Trump amid tightening LA mayoral race
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her challengers spent the final weekend before Election Day crisscrossing the city as a surprisingly competitive mayoral race heads toward a likely runoff. Bass, who is seeking a second term, is up against former reality star Spencer Pratt and city council member Nithya Raman in Tuesday’s primary election. Recent polling has shown a competitive race as no candidate is expected to receive more than 50% of the vote. The top two finishers would then advance to a November runoff. On Saturday, Bass — who is backed by high-profile Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — stopped at Yosemite Recreation Center in Eagle Rock. WATCH: LEFT-WING LA MAYOR FACES REALITY TV CHALLENGER’S BLUNT TAKEDOWNS IN HEATED MAYORAL DEBATE She was seen serving tacos while wearing an apron bearing the slogan “Common Sense and Carne Asada.” During an Instagram livestream Saturday, Bass also took aim at Pratt. “You have a failed reality TV star who wants to be famous,” she said while speaking with two actresses before appearing to reference President Donald Trump. “We know what it means if you put somebody who is a reality TV star in a seat of power.” BAN ON BACKYARD BARBECUES ON CERTAIN DAYS IN CALIFORNIA FLOATED AS OTHERS PUSH BACK HARD Pratt spent part of Saturday criticizing Raman on X, including attacking her recent campaign advertisements. In a video posted to Instagram, Raman pointed to a recent poll and urged supporters to vote. “After millions of dollars of spending against us, we are still here and we are still competitive,” she said. KAREN BASS GRILLED OVER BROKEN HOMELESSNESS PROMISE, BLAMES BUREAUCRACY FOR SLOWED PROGRESS Pratt, who is best known for his role on “The Hills,” has gained attention in the race by criticizing Bass over the response to the January 2025 wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures, including his Pacific Palisades home. He has also sharply criticized Bass over homelessness, drug addiction and crime. Pratt has gained momentum in recent weeks and secured endorsements from fellow reality television personalities, actors, musicians and media figures. Still, Pratt — a registered Republican — faces significant challenges in a city where Democratic candidates have historically dominated local elections. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack, Kiera McDonald and Andrew Mark Miller, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.
Hasan Piker defends pro-communist, anti-ICE Singham network activists as ‘wonderful people’
As he navigated the crowds in an impromptu appearance at a protest outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker defended figures in the pro-China activist network funded by American Marxist tech millionaire Neville Roy Singham as “wonderful people,” while dismissing scrutiny surrounding his Cuba trip. Asked about reporting on Singham’s network and its connections to far-left activism, Piker said there is “this environment of suspicion” surrounding Singham and his activities, taking a “sinister shape,” but they are “totally above board and totally legal.” In recent months, many agitators from the Singham network have fueled, coordinated and organized fiery protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, New York City, Los Angeles, New Jersey and elsewhere. HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER The remarks by Piker are noteworthy because the online influencer isn’t just a livestreamer on the Twitch platform. With millions of mostly young followers across Twitch, YouTube and social media platforms, he has emerged as one of the most influential — and polarizing — figures on the American left, regularly mobilizing support for candidates and causes aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. Piker wore a baseball cap emblazoned with the group’s logo. Piker has used his platforms to interview, promote and campaign alongside candidates backed by Democratic Socialists of America, helping introduce them to younger voters who consume political content online. His audience reach has made him a significant force in Democratic politics, giving him the ability to shape narratives and drive grassroots enthusiasm for candidates running on socialist and anti-establishment platforms. As reported, Singham is an American Marxist tech tycoon who has pumped $285 million since 2017 into a network of nonprofits that have organized and coordinated divisive anti-American street protests, such as the one unfolding in New Jersey. “I don’t have any personal contact with Roy Singham or any of these other people,” Piker said, in response to questions from Fox News Digital. “I mean, I know some of these people. They’re wonderful people in general. They’re activists….None of it is actually hidden or illegal in any way, shape or form.” The remarks come as federal investigators have expanded scrutiny of activists involved in travel to communist Cuba, including organizations and individuals linked to the broader network of nonprofits and advocacy groups that have received funding from Singham and his wife, Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans. GOP LAWMAKERS URGE TREASURY TO PRESS AHEAD WITH PROBE OF HASAN PIKER OVER CUBA TRIP As reported exclusively by Fox News Digital last Saturday, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sent Piker and CodePink an administrative subpoena as part of an investigation into a March convoy to Cuba. Piker claimed he hadn’t personally received any legal notice. “Fox News Digital says I have a subpoena, but I have yet to be served one,” Piker said. “So I don’t even know what’s going on. It kind of feels like you guys have more insight into what the federal government’s doing than I do, and I’m supposed to be subpoenaed.” Piker’s comments follow disclosures by CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin that Evans received the query via an email that initially landed in a spam folder. “We heard this on Fox News, that there was this subpoena out,” Benjamin said in an interview shared publicly by BreakThrough News, another nonprofit that Singham has funded. “I was going outside my front door looking around for somebody to serve me. And it turns out that it was an email that was sent to Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans, and it was so unofficial that it landed in our spam box.” As reported, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sent investigative letters seeking financial, logistical and communications documents about the March convoy. The Office of Foreign Assets Control administers and enforces U.S. sanctions programs, including restrictions governing financial transactions and certain travel-related activities involving Cuba. Fox News Digital has reported that the March 2026 convoy to Cuba involved a transnational network of activists organized by another Singham-funded group, the People’s Forum, and a nonprofit, Progressive International, both with close ties to the communist regime in Cuba. DAVID MARCUS: HASAN PIKER, USEFUL IDIOT FASHIONISTAS WANT TO MAKE AMERICA INTO COMMIE CUBA The activists are protesting U.S. sanctions on the communist island. Piker participated in the trip alongside members of Code Pink and a network of 145 organizations, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. Piker framed the investigation as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to target political activists and protesters, arguing that scrutiny of Cuba travel conflicted with Trump’s campaign promises to defend free speech. “I feel like there are a lot of people who believed in that message, and now he’s betrayed that message,” Piker said. Piker told Fox News Digital that he welcomed a debate with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Piker, who was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was visiting his home state from his $2 million home in West Hollywood, California, canvassing at a Saturday rally in Trenton for a controversial candidate, Adam Hamamy, endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America in his race for the U.S. Congress. The New York Times published a profile on Saturday, noting the candidate’s “ties to a militant cleric.” Piker defended Hamamy. Last week, on a livestream on the Twitch platform where he talked for about six hours nonstop, the influencer dismissed concerns about his connections to organizations involved in the Cuba convoy, while acknowledging that Singham finances a network of left-wing nonprofits engaged in “political advocacy” and “a lot of political movements.” Critics have argued the network functions as a coordinated activist infrastructure advancing pro-communist causes, including support for Cuba, China and other authoritarian governments opposed to U.S. foreign policy. As Fox News Digital asked Piker about concerns related to malign foreign influence from China, including at far-left activist events such as the anti-ICE protest unfolding around him, an activist shouted, “Get
Trump floats replacing 250th anniversary concert with massive MAGA rally after artists pull out
President Donald Trump on Saturday floated the idea of hosting a massive MAGA rally to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary after numerous artists pulled out of a planned concert this summer. In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump suggested scrapping the Great American State Fair’s Freedom 250 concerts. He also took aim at a federal judge who on Friday ordered that his name be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” Trump wrote. “Cancel it, just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center, because a Highly Conflicted, Crooked Federal Judge, said that I should not be allowed to spend my time and money in order to MAKE THE CENTER GREAT AGAIN, actually, far greater than it ever was before!” he continued. AMERICA 250 EVENTS TAKING PLACE THIS SUMMER CALLED ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME’ TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES The comments came as several artists backed out of performing at the Great American State Fair, a large-scale national celebration planned on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. The event is scheduled to run from June 25 through July 10, 2026, as part of the nation’s America 250 celebration. Earlier this week, Freedom 250 organizers released a list of performers slated to appear at the event, but several artists later withdrew, including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, and C+C Music Factory. FIVE ARTISTS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SHOULD CALL TO PERFORM AT FREEDOM 250 CONCERT THIS SUMMER Other performers, including rapper Vanilla Ice, have said they are “honored” to participate. In a separate social media post Saturday, Trump suggested he could replace the concert with a major speech after several artists got “the yips.” “I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday, so I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!” Trump wrote. TRUMP CALLS ON AMERICANS TO PRAY FOR NATION AS 250TH BIRTHDAY APPROACHES: ‘ONE NATION UNDER GOD’ Trump said he was considering delivering the speech and holding a rally June 24 to kick off the festivities. “I don’t want so-called ‘Artists’ that get paid far too much money, who aren’t happy,” he wrote. “I only want to be surrounded by Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN.” Freedom 250 later announced that Trump would, in fact, deliver a speech ahead of the Great American State Fair. “As the visionary behind the Great American State Fair, we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 in an opening ceremony celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez wrote on X. Fox News Digital’s Lori A Bashian and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Senate candidate Graham Platner sent explicit texts to multiple women while married, wife says: report
Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate looking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, exchanged sexual texts with several women after marrying his wife two years ago, according to a report. Platner’s campaign confirmed the text exchanges to Politico following a report from the Wall Street Journal that claimed his wife, Amy Gertner, told a campaign aide about the texts after he launched his senate bid as they began looking into potential political liabilities. Gertner discovered the messages months after the couple married in 2024, the WSJ reported. She made the private revelation before Platner held a campaign rally last year supported by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., but the aide decided the texts were a private matter for the couple, the campaign said, according to the newspaper. PLATNER’S ONLINE PAST GETS RAUNCHIER WITH CRUDE TAKES ON ‘LATIN AMERICAN HOOKERS,’ CHEATING ABROAD Gertner said in a statement to the Journal: “I confided deeply personal details about my marriage to someone I considered a friend. In the months since, I have had to watch as she spread malicious gossip to anyone who would take her call. I trusted this person with the most private chapter of our lives — the early days of our marriage before any campaign was on our mind — and I am deeply hurt by her betrayal and the invasion of our privacy.” She added that she and her husband: “Did the hard work that marriage requires. We went to counseling. We were honest with each other in ways that weren’t easy. And we came through it, not in spite of how much we’ve been through, but because of how much we love each other and the life we’ve built. Our marriage today is stronger than ever before.” Gertner added, “I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and the husband he has been to me on the best and the worst days of my life. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t.” TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID Platner, an oyster farmer and veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced a number of controversies before this, including a since-removed tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, and past controversial comments on Reddit minimizing sexual assault and making crude remarks about masturbation and a deleted post where he claimed a wounded soldier “didn’t deserve to live.” Despite all this, a recent poll from the University of New Hampshire showed Platner holding a 51% to 42% lead among likely Maine voters. Platner is considered the presumptive Democratic nominee after Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race in April. Fox News Digital has reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., reiterated his support for Platner on Saturday. “I am proud of @grahamformaine for having the character to stand up against the war in Iran, against genocide, and against an unfair & lopsided economy,” he wrote on X. “I am proud of him for having a vision for a new deal for our time. Excited to campaign with him June 5!” Collins has called Platner too extreme for Maine. “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters,” she previously told Fox News Digital. “But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.” Platner, in a Fox News Digital interview a week later, argued, “What’s radical is somebody like Susan Collins, who, for decades now, has made sure that we pass policies that are going to help corporations and billionaires to the detriment of working people, supporting over and over and over again, illegal and insane foreign wars.”
Delaney Hall protests intensify as far-left activists, ICE supporters converge in New Jersey
NEWARK, N.J. — The continued unrest outside Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, took on a distinctly ideological tone during ICE demonstrations Saturday, as far-left communist-socialist activists and a far-right group clashed, transforming a protest over the center’s conditions into a broader political spectacle. The standoff began more than a week ago, when illegal immigrant detainees penned an open letter alleging physical and psychological torture, claiming they were being denied medical care and adequate food. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly denied the allegations, releasing facility menus to prove detainees are provided three daily meals with options like chicken fajitas and Salisbury steak. NEW JERSEY AGITATORS BITE, KICK AND PUNCH ICE AGENTS AS DELANEY HALL CLASHES CONTINUE; 9 MORE ARRESTED: DHS After violent skirmishes earlier in the week, where federal agents were assaulted by agitators, Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill ordered the New Jersey State Police to take over security, claiming the move was necessary to protect the demonstrators from an “ICE surge.” By Saturday morning, the immigrant detention center had been transformed into a fortified zone surrounded by large orange plastic barricades and metal fencing. State officials admitted the chaos is being driven by outside instigators rather than local residents, with state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport confirming five of the six people arrested by state police this week were not from New Jersey. A crowd of roughly 200 anti-ICE demonstrators, heavily intertwined with far-left and socialist organizations, dominated the scene Saturday, chanting, “Stop ICE Gestapo! Communist revolution!” while distributing radical literature reading “LONG LIVE COMMUNISM!” and “NO PAPERS, NO BORDERS, NO BOSSES.” ICE supporters, including members who claimed to be part of the far-right Proud Boys, also made an appearance at the protest Saturday carrying pro-ICE flags, food and cases of water for law enforcement. Their arrival sent a shockwave through the heavily outnumbering anti-ICE crowd, with far-left agitators immediately rushing toward the barriers, screaming profanities and shifting their chants to “Proud Boys go home.” During a news conference Saturday afternoon, Sherrill claimed ICE engagement “creates an incredibly dangerous situation,” adding she refuses to “back down in fighting the Trump administration and the threats they’ve made.” Sherrill acknowledged that “national extremist groups” have infiltrated the protests to create chaos, warning out-of-state actors that they are endangering the public and not helping the detainees. “You’re not helping detainee families, and you’re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe today,” the governor said. “Going forward, I urge those protesting outside of Delaney Hall to bring the temperature down so we can focus on the detainees and their families. Comply with the lawful orders from local and state law enforcement and let advocates, faith leaders and members of this community continue their work here in America.” She added state health inspectors were recently blocked from viewing anything other than the facility’s kitchen, and called on the Department of Homeland Security to stop pressuring detainees into signing deportation documents.