Platner supporter Khanna calls Senate hopeful’s past relationships ‘toxic,’ but says he deserves ‘redemption’
BAR HARBOR, Maine – Graham Platner’s past relationships were “toxic and volatile,” Rep. Ro Khanna of California says of the Senate Democratic candidate aiming to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of this year’s most crucial ballot box showdowns. But Khanna, a progressive leader from California who along with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is backing Platner, argued in a Fox News Digital interview on Friday night that Platner is “taking accountability” for his past and “we need that redemption in this country.” Platner, the military combat veteran and oyster farmer who is considered the Democrats’ presumptive nominee ahead of Tuesday’s primary in Maine, has been playing defense amid multiple controversies, ranging from inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now-covered up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, to new allegations this week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. The candidate is arguably facing the roughest stretch to date of his campaign against Collins, in a race that is one of a handful across the country which will decide if the Republicans hold on to their slim Senate majority in this year’s midterm elections. THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Collins, returning to Maine on Friday after a busy week on Capitol Hill where she reached a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive vote in the Senate, was asked by reporters about the latest allegations facing Platner. “The allegations in the latest story are troubling,” Collins responded. “And I believe that Graham Platner has a lot of questions to answer.” Collins, a moderate Republican who at times votes against President Donald Trump’s agenda, is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate in left-leaning Maine. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of a rally with Platner, progressive gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson and congressional contender Matt Dunlap, which was organized by Khanna, the congressman was asked if he was concerned the latest allegations could sink Platner’s campaign and hurt Democrats’ hopes of winning back the Senate. “I’m more concerned about making it clear that we’re opposed to misogyny, those relationships were toxic and volatile, there’s no excuse for that,” Khanna said. “I talked to Graham and he says he was at a very dark period, he had come back from two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantry man seeing violence and death. That doesn’t excuse it.” But Khanna added that Platner said “he really grew as a person when he came back to Maine and he was an oyster farmer and he found peace and he is ashamed of that period. To me that suggests someone taking accountability and improving their lives and we need that redemption in this country. And I agree with a lot of his economic policies, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class.” ‘MAINE, YOU HAVE MY BACK’ – PLATNER BLASTS NEW ALLEGATIONS AS ‘FALSE ACCUSATIONS’ AS HE THANKS SUPPORTERS After Christine Blasey Ford accused then-Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault in 2018, Khanna tweeted, “I stand with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Brett Kavanaugh is not fit to sit on the Supreme Court. #BelieveSurvivors.” Back on home turf on Friday, the rally was held in this resort town next to Acadia National Park that is close to Platner’s hometown of Sullivan, Maine, the candidate thanked a large crowd of supporters for having his back and charged the incoming fire he’s facing is “politically motivated.” “When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth. Maine had my back,” Platner said at a rally. “Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false, false accusations are made against me. Maine, you have my back.” Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his multiple tours of duty in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. And Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo. ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Platner is facing plenty of incoming political fire from Republican groups. A super PAC aligned with Collins has been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), in a social media post following Friday night’s rally, took aim at Platner, charging he’s “a fraud” “He’s preaching about living a small but decent life growing up in Maine. The truth? Graham Platner is an elitist whose parents sent him to boarding school in Connecticut and bought him a house,” the NRSC wrote. And the Republican National Committee (RNC) also targeted Platner. “Graham Platner says his violent and erratic past is being “weaponized” against him. Platner said he would rape someone to show his dominance and “rape was about power,” the RNC research team wrote on X, as it pointed to new allegations against the candidate. Platner, as he runs for the Senate, is pushing an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class. “I agree with a lot of his economic policies, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class,” Khanna told Fox News Digital. Platner is considered the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was
Top House Democrat says there’s ‘no way’ Platner didn’t know tattoo’s Nazi origins
A senior House Democrat is joining the growing chorus of critics questioning Senate candidate Graham Platner’s claim that he was unaware of his tattoo’s Nazi origins. “There’s no way he didn’t know what the tattoo was,” Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., said Friday in remarks reported by Punchbowl News. “Own it and move on.” “He’s not willing to do that,” Schneider, the chairman of House Democrats’ largest caucus, lamented. Schneider’s comments make him one of the most high-profile Democrats to criticize the Maine Senate hopeful, who has also faced mounting scrutiny over sending sexually-explicit messages to other women while newly married, a decades-long history of offensive social media posts and alleged abuse in previous romantic relationships. DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMAN SLAMS GRAHAM PLATNER’S NAZI-LINKED TATTOO AS ‘DISQUALIFYING’ Platner, a far-left populist, is vying to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the most hotly contested races of November’s midterm elections. He is Maine Democrats’ presumptive nominee, though some party insiders have expressed doubts about the viability of his candidacy amid a string of scandals. Schneider’s public criticism came after The New York Times reported Thursday that several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends said the Senate hopeful knew about his tattoo’s Nazi-linked design. One of the women, Lyndsey Fifield, told The Times that Platner taught her the words behind the black skull-and-crossbones tattoo, referring to it as “my Totenkopf.” “He would joke about it being a Nazi tattoo,” Fifield said, adding that Platner said he chose the tattoo because of his belief that his unit shared similarities to the Nazi SS paramilitary forces. Platner vigorously denied Fifield’s account during an interview with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes on Thursday. But he struggled to answer when pressed about how Fifield sent a text to friends saying he had a Nazi-linked tattoo in August 2025, when he first publicly disclosed it two months later during an October podcast episode of “Pod Save America.” “How does she know it’s a Nazi tattoo in August of last year, and you don’t know it’s a Nazi tattoo in August of last year?” Hayes asked Platner. “I can’t say why,” Platner said, adding that he was not a recipient of Fifield’s message. “I certainly didn’t know, and the text messages she’s sending to friends may have recognized it. They didn’t tell me that.” Fifield also alleged that Platner assaulted her at one point during their relationship — an allegation that Platner said was false. GRAHAM PLATNER ACCUSER HITS NYT FOR ALLEGEDLY SOFTENING ALLEGATIONS, SAYS COVERAGE WAS ‘GIFT’ TO DEMOCRAT Platner has since had the tattoo covered up after it became a campaign issue in late 2025. He wore it for nearly two decades after he said he got it during a night of drinking with his fellow Marines while stationed in Croatia in 2007. Amid Democrats’ divisions over Platner’s candidacy, Schneider indicated that he would struggle to support him at the ballot box if he were a Maine voter. “I’ll leave it to the people of Maine to elect who they want,” he said, in remarks reported by Punchbowl News. “I’m grateful I don’t have to make that choice. I wouldn’t want to have to make that choice.” Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., have also sharply criticized Platner’s statements related to his since-covered-up tattoo. “All I’m saying is when I was growing up, if someone had a clear Nazi tattoo on them, you probably could conclude that they’re a Nazi sympathizer,” Fetterman told CNN earlier this week. “Are you going to continue to defend that or dismiss that?” Schneider’s New Democrat Coalition is the largest caucus among House Democrats, with more than 100 members. Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign before publication.
Former Indiana Rep Stephen Buyer receives full pardon from Trump for 2023 insider trading conviction
The White House announced President Donald Trump on Thursday exercised his authority under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution to grant a “full, complete, and unconditional pardon” to former Republican Indiana Rep. Stephen Buyer, who was convicted of profiting from insider information. The pardon absolves Buyer of a 2023 federal conviction that resulted in a 22-month prison sentence. Buyer, who chaired the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and served as a House prosecutor during former President Bill Clinton’s 1998 impeachment trial, was found guilty by a jury of operating off nonpublic, insider information after he left office. GOP LAWMAKER JOINS DEMOCRAT-LED EFFORT TO LIMIT TRUMP’S PARDON POWER The White House proclamation praised Buyer’s “distinguished and highly productive” career, citing his service as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Army and his 1993–2011 tenure as a U.S. representative from Indiana. The pardon was supported by the “complete and total endorsement” of more than 50 current and former lawmakers, the White House said. Among those who endorsed the pardon included Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker and former House Speaker John Boehner. Other supporters were former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., former Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, former Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., former Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill Jr. The proclamation directed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to “administer and effectuate the immediate issuance of a certificate of pardon” for Buyer. DEM CONGRESSMAN PARDONED BY TRUMP ACCUSES BIDEN-ERA DOJ OF WEAPONIZING INDICTMENT Buyer’s conviction stemmed from allegations that he purchased stock in a management company called Navigant just weeks before one of his own clients, Guidehouse, acquired it. He was then accused of buying shares of Sprint after secretly learning about the company’s unannounced plans to merge with T-Mobile. During the proceedings, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, a Clinton nominee, argued the former congressman obstructed justice by giving the court false explanations for why he made the trades. TRUMP PARDONS 5 FORMER NFL STARS FOR WIDE-RANGING CRIMES Buyer’s legal team pushed for a sentence of home confinement and community service rather than prison time, arguing that despite Buyer once earning up to $2.2 million in a single year, the cost of litigation had financially ruined him. According to his lawyers, Buyer and his wife were forced to sell their home, condo and two cars, and his wife had to reenter the workforce at 65 years old. Despite the defense’s efforts, Berman sentenced Buyer to 22 months in prison, ordered him to forfeit the $354,027 he made from the illegal trades and imposed an additional $10,000 fine. Federal prosecutors also pushed for Buyer to pay $1.4 million to cover the legal fees for both sides, but the judge ruled against the request. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Trump moves to slash intelligence office ahead of permanent chief’s arrival
President Donald Trump said he wants soon-to-be acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin shrinking the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) before a permanent nominee takes over — signaling a potentially aggressive effort to reduce the size of the agency responsible for coordinating the nation’s intelligence community. Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he has privately instructed Pulte to begin what he described as a broader effort to streamline ODNI, calling the office “unnecessary and/or too big” and saying he wants the acting intelligence chief to “start the process” of reducing personnel before a permanent director is confirmed. “I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump said, pointing to holdovers from the Obama and Biden administrations. Asked whether he wants Pulte to fire employees, Trump said he wants the acting intelligence chief to “start the process,” adding that his eventual nominee to permanently lead the office should continue that work. TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard abruptly announced her resignation May 22, effective June 30, citing her husband’s bone cancer diagnosis. The president named Pulte, who currently serves as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to the acting role in early June. Because the position is temporary, Pulte does not require Senate confirmation and can serve for up to 210 days. Trump suggested Pulte’s acting status could make it easier for him to carry out changes before a permanent director is confirmed. “You’re less shackled,” Trump said. “It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.” The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on whether Pulte would be put up for confirmation as permanent director of national intelligence. SENATE PUSH TO REAUTHORIZE NATION’S SPY POWERS STUMBLES OVER CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP DECISION “Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,” Trump added. “Because, if he reduced the size, in conjunction with me … and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in … he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn’t have to saddle somebody that goes in.” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton quickly endorsed the effort, arguing the office has expanded beyond its original purpose and renewing his longstanding support for dramatically downsizing — or even eliminating — the office. “President Trump is right: the ODNI has grown far beyond its original mandate,” Cotton wrote on X. “I’ve long advocated for downsizing, if not outright eliminating, this bureaucracy.” TOM COTTON SLAMS ‘PARTISANS AND OBSTRUCTIONISTS’ IN DOD REPORTEDLY PLOTTING TO BLOCK TRUMP PLANS “Time to return these officers back to their home agencies to focus on actual intelligence work. I support President Trump in this effort.” ODNI was established in 2004 following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission and was designed to improve coordination among U.S. intelligence agencies after failures to share critical information ahead of the terrorist attacks. The office oversees and coordinates the work of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and components. Cotton has long been among lawmakers who argue the agency has grown beyond its original mission. Earlier in 2026, he introduced legislation that would cap ODNI at 650 employees. The office had roughly 1,800 employees at the start of the second Trump administration, though outgoing Director of National Intelligence Gabbard has said she reduced the workforce by about 25%. Trump’s latest comments suggest the administration could pursue a more far-reaching restructuring effort than previously outlined — and that Pulte may be tasked with beginning that process before a permanent nominee is in place. The president’s selection of Pulte as acting DNI surprised many lawmakers and national security observers because the Federal Housing Finance Agency director has no intelligence or national security background. Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell raised concerns about the appointment shortly after it was announced. “Anyone performing this role of such immense public trust must have the extensive national security experience required by statute, and no nominee who falls short of this requirement will earn my vote,” McConnell said. “Trump thinks that Bill Pulte can be both director of the mortgage regulators and director of national intelligence,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a video posted to X. “You can’t do both jobs … this is outrageous.” Trump, however, has suggested that Pulte’s temporary status is precisely what makes him well-suited to carry out the administration’s plans for the office. The president said he hopes Pulte can begin reducing the size of ODNI before a permanent nominee takes over, allowing the acting chief to complete much of the “hard work” associated with the effort.
GOP victor in CA House primary cites major momentum shift in deep blue state: ‘Californians are tired’
Republican congressional candidate and CAL DOGE Director Jenny Rae Le Roux says pushback on decades of Democratic control is fueling a political shift in deep-blue California, which was on display Tuesday with strong performances by gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt. “Californians are tired of one-party rule,” Le Roux told Fox News Digital after her Tuesday night primary victory that sent her into a head-to-head match up with incumbent Democrat Dave Min in California’s 47th Congressional District. “They know that the reason we’re suffering in this state and people are leaving California is because Democrats have been in charge for 60 years, and they’re up to no good.” Le Roux argues that Min has not done enough to represent people across the district, saying her campaign has “already started doing the job that he’s not doing.” CALIFORNIANS EXPERIENCING A ‘RED SHIFT’ OF LOCAL DEMOCRATS BECOMING REPUBLICANS AMID MIGRANT CRISIS, CRIME “It’s just to do the thing that Dave Min is not doing, which is to represent the district,” she said. “We are out in every community. We have a precinct-by-precinct operation. Anyone who wants to meet with us, we will meet with them.” Le Roux said residents unable to get answers from Min’s office on fraud, veterans’ concerns or housing issues are turning to Republicans like her for help. “People are frustrated by his office,” she said. “They’re not responsive. They ask us for help with fraud issues, issues with HUD and veterans’ issues, and we’re making calls and getting things done for the people in the district.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Anna Elsasser defended Min, saying his office has helped constituents recover over $5 million from federal agencies. “Jenny Rae Le Roux’s lame attacks reflect both a lack of familiarity with Dave Min’s office, which has brought back over $5.7 million to constituents, and with the issues that Orange County families care about,” Elsasser said. The Cook Political Report ranks the race between Min and Le Roux as “Solid D” as Republicans try to hold onto their razor-thin margin in the House. Democrats’ decades-long control of California has come under scrutiny as the Trump administration investigates alleged fraud involving healthcare, homelessness spending and nonprofit groups, issues Le Roux says are driving residents out of the state and pushing voters toward Republicans. HOUSE COMMITTEE LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO ‘RAMPANT’ CALIFORNIA HOSPICE FRAUD Last month, federal officials suspended 800 California hospice and home health providers in a Medicare fraud crackdown tied to foreign-linked criminal networks accused of stealing more than $1 billion from taxpayers. Le Roux said her team at CAL DOGE, a private-sector initiative founded by Hilton, is uncovering more fraud in the state and “taking down not just the systems, but actually each one of the criminals that are going to be indicted over the course of the next six months.” SCOOP: DEMOCRATIC VIRGINIA GOV SPANBERGER’S REPUBLICAN COUSIN AIMS TO FLIP KEY CALIFORNIA HOUSE SEAT RED “We’re finding the fraud that’s happening through Sacramento,” she said. “They’ve been completely silent about it. They haven’t fought it themselves because they’re in on it.” Since launching in early 2026, CAL DOGE says it has uncovered nearly $700 million in misused taxpayer funds. Le Roux said she will continue working with Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton to root out fraud. “We’ve got some fraud-fighting on our hands, and I’ll work with Steve up and down the state to make sure our money is being spent wisely before either one of us is in office,” Le Roux said. Despite her criticism of Democrats, Le Roux said “it’s really important to keep relationships with people in other parties.” Le Roux is the cousin of Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, and she told Fox News Digital the two “faithfully messaged each other after campaigns” and despite having “completely different opinions,” we “really love each other.”
Delaney Hall snack purchases cast doubt on hunger strike reports, DHS says
EXCLUSIVE: Revenue figures from the Delaney Hall ICE detention center’s commissary may undercut Democrats’ claims that a reported “hunger strike” is rippling through the Newark facility, as commissary spending surged during the reported strike period. A slew of Democrats have toured the facility and reported allegedly dire conditions and rotten food, but a source familiar with Delaney Hall’s operations disputed their claims. The source said Delaney Hall’s commissary — where inmates can purchase snacks and sundries — saw its revenue triple during the time period characterized by a hunger strike. When asked about the claim, the Department of Homeland Security backed it up and shared revenue data with Fox News Digital that supported the argument that detainees continued purchasing substantial amounts of food from the commissary during the reported hunger strike period. DAVID MARCUS: 5 BLATANT LIES DEMOCRATS ARE SPREADING ABOUT DELANEY HALL AND ICE Regional news outlets like Gothamist reported that men housed at Delaney Hall had begun a hunger and labor strike around May 23. Soon after, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., went to the center, echoed those reports and was later caught in pepper-spray crossfire when outside agitators sparred with ICE agents guarding the entrance. Other lawmakers like Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson-Coleman, D-N.J., made similar assertions. On Thursday, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital the claims have been a “hoax” and provided data that lined up with what the source familiar had said. On May 26, Delaney Hall housed 724 individuals and its commissary took in $11,498 in revenue for the prior week. As the hunger strike period progressed, that number shot up week over week. FOX NEWS GOES INSIDE NEW JERSEY ICE FACILITY STORMED BY DEMOCRATS On June 1, the population inside had decreased to 621, but the commissary recorded weekly sales topping $30,000. Despite a 14% drop in detainee population, commissary revenue nearly tripled, and DHS officials suggested that detainees involved in the “strike” were instead eschewing their scheduled meals in exchange for snacks. “The hunger strike hoax was actually just Delaney Hall detainees trading nutritious meals for Honey Buns and Hot Cheetos,” Deputy Press Secretary Lauren Bis said. “It’s time for sanctuary politicians to drop the political theater and work with us to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities.” Bis was backed up by her boss, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who testified before Congress that much of the dispute stemmed from inmates balking at Americanized fare that did not match foods from their home countries. Mullin quipped that Delaney Hall is not intended to be a “Holiday Inn.” ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY A commissary menu provided by DHS showed scores of items inmates are able to purchase, including lotions, birthday cards, Cheetos, summer sausage and Hawaiian Punch. Characterizations of the facility’s conditions were also less pointed this week after Rep. Herb Conaway Jr., D-N.J., discussed his Wednesday tour with neighboring Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J. Conaway, who represents Kim’s former Burlington County district, said in a statement he was “horrified and outraged” by reports of inhumane conditions and alleged lack of due process. Conaway — who is a physician — said he and Norcross toured the mess hall and infirmary, and while he demanded ICE shut the facility down until Trenton officials can conduct a formal inspection and review, he did not witness “major concerns” during the visit. “I had the opportunity, along with Congressman Norcross, to meet with about 20 women. Some have been here for over a year. Others have been a certain several months. Many of them had concerns, a lot of concerns. Some regarding their health. Most had family members, children; loved ones outside of this facility and certainly they miss them very deeply and want to get back to their lives,” Conaway said in a separate recorded statement outside the gate. “It’s critical that the appropriate state authorities get into this building and get into this right away, do their job, and then let the public understand what’s going on. I think that’ll be better for everybody if that’s done.” Last week, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., joined other lawmakers on a separate tour and offered a different assessment: Nadler began speaking out against conditions at the center before he even reached the microphone, alleging the “food is very sparse” and that inmates eat only at 4 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. “And very often, they eat maggots in the food,” he said, making an allegation denied by DHS officials. He also claimed medical services were limited and that inmates were waiting a long time for treatment, an allegation protesters also shouted at ICE agents later in the day. However, ambulances from a local Newark hospital regularly arrived throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday, appearing to contradict claims that detainees were not receiving treatment. With lawmakers like Nadler alleging sparse food and unsanitary conditions, DHS officials argued that the commissary figures undercut claims that detainees were broadly refusing food during the reported hunger strike.
WATCH: Hawley fumes after 4 GOP senators help sink Trump-backed voter ID law
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., criticized four fellow Republicans who joined Democrats to block an effort to add the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to the Senate’s reconciliation package, saying “you can’t explain it to me why you wouldn’t vote for voter ID.” During Thursday’s vote-a-rama, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., voted with Democrats to defeat an amendment that would have attached the election-integrity measure to the GOP’s budget package. “I guess it’s frustration,” Hawley told Fox News Digital. “Listen, we’ve been doing this in Missouri for years. I mean voters in my state put it in our constitution.” FOUR SENATE REPUBLICANS AGAIN UNITE WITH DEMS TO BLOCK TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT “Voter ID is the most popular thing out there,” he continued. “There’s a reason for that. People want their elections to be safe, they want them to be fair. And to me, you can’t explain it to me, why you wouldn’t vote for voter ID. I just don’t understand it.” Republicans, yet again, failed to pass the legislation Thursday night through the Senate, despite months debating the importance of attaching it to the roughly $70 billion budget reconciliation package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. REPUBLICANS FAIL TO ATTACH SAVE AMERICA ACT TO PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE Many senators who voted to block the SAVE act argued that a bill dedicated to voter ID laws and protecting election integrity should be determined at state-level, and should not have federal jurisdiction. Hawley rejected arguments that election rules should be left solely to the states, arguing Congress has long played a role in regulating federal elections. “We make federal rules all the time for elections, you know,” Hawley said. “I mean all the time we do. And there’s nothing more basic than protecting the integrity of the ballot and that’s what this is about.” PENCE URGES SENATE TO ‘RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE’ WITH NATIONWIDE VOTER ID LAW Congress has enacted numerous election-related laws over the years, including the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, which revised procedures for certifying presidential election results. The SAVE Act would require applicants to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and would require voters to present photo identification when casting a ballot in federal elections. “37 states have voter ID already including several blue states,” Hawley said in response to the idea that election rules should be left to the state. “So I think this idea that this is like ‘this is weird, this is exotic, this is out there,’ no it’s not. Like most of our states do it.” “Sooner or later this is going to happen because I think the American people are going to demand it.”
WATCH: Maine voters divided on Platner as scandals shadow Democratic primary
MAINE — A new round of explosive allegations has put Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner back in the spotlight ahead of Tuesday’s primary, but voters who spoke to Fox News Digital were split on whether the scandals would affect their vote. “It’s not a good situation,” said Jeff from Waterloo, Maine, one of the residents interviewed outside a shopping plaza in Biddeford, adding that choosing the “lowest common denominator” should not be the answer. “I am a conservative, but he’s just got so much baggage that I think if the Democrats want to have a winner, they’re going to have to find somebody else because he’s not the guy, just too much,” he said. ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Sheila from Harrison, Maine, said the scandals would “absolutely” weigh on her vote. She said Platner lacks the judgment and values she expects from someone serving in Congress. “Anyone who’s representing our country or representing us in Congress needs to be held to a higher standard, and I don’t think he’s got any standards,” she said. Just days before Maine’s Democratic Senate primary, former girlfriends told The New York Times that Platner engaged in heavy drinking, experienced violent episodes and discussed rape fantasies, accusations Platner has denied. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY The Marine Corps veteran also faced criticism over a string of controversies, including reports that he sent sexually explicit messages to younger women, a Nazi-linked tattoo and online comments mocking a Purple Heart veteran. While some voters said Platner raised red flags, others remained unfazed. Asked whether Platner’s comments about women bothered her, Ellen from Acton, Maine, said, “When it comes to my vote, no.” SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT “I trust his wife,” she said. “She knows him better than anybody. He is far from perfect. Most of this, my understanding, happened during a tough time in his life. The recent accusations, yes, they’re more recent, but again, I trust her to know who he is morally. “I do think that, as a representative of Maine, aside from what he may do in his marriage, he’s going to do a good job for me,” she added. Jane from Wells, Maine, said her plans to vote for Platner haven’t changed. “I still like him,” she said. “Oh yes. I love him.” Jessica from Biddeford, Maine, said she was not following the controversy surrounding Platner because she ignores the news, arguing that the media distracts people from “the issues that are important.” “We’re better together as one instead of fighting each other over things that don’t matter,” she said. Platner will appear on the ballot alongside David Costello and Janet Mills in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on June 9, with the winner advancing to face incumbent five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.
Graham Platner blasts new allegations as ‘false accusations’: ‘Maine, you have my back’
Facing arguably the roughest stretch to date of his campaign for the U.S. Senate, Democratic candidate Graham Platner, back on home turf, thanked a large crowd of supporters for having his back and charging the incoming fire he’s facing as “politically motivated.” Platner, the military veteran and oyster farmer who is aiming to oust longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in this year’s midterm elections, has been playing defense amid multiple controversies, ranging from inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, to new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. “When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth. Maine had my back,” Platner said at a rally Friday. “Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false, false accusations are made against me. Maine, you have my back.” Collins, a moderate Republican who at times votes against President Donald Trump‘s agenda, is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate in left-leaning Maine in a race that’s one of a handful across the country that will determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority. THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Platner, who is supported by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, is pushing an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class. He is considered the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his multiple tours of duty in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. And Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo. Friday’s rally, which also included speeches by progressive gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson and congressional contender Matt Dunlap, was organized by Khanna. In an interview with Fox News Digital ahead of his appearance on stage, Khanna was asked whether he’s concerned if the current allegations, and any futures ones, could sink Platner’s campaign and sink Democrats’ hopes of winning back the Senate. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB “I’m more concerned about making it clear that we’re opposed to misogyny, those relationships were toxic and volatile, there’s no excuse for that,” Khanna said. “I talked to Graham and he says he was at a very dark period, he had come back from two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantry man seeing violence and death. That doesn’t excuse it.” But Khanna added that Platner said “he really grew as a person when he came back to Maine and he was an oyster farmer and he found peace and he is ashamed of that period. To me that suggests someone taking accountability and improving their lives and we need that redemption in this country. And I agree with a lot of his economic polices, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class.” Collins, returning to Maine on Friday after busy week on Capitol Hill where she reached a milestone by casting her 10,000 consecutive vote in the Senate, was asked by reporters about the latest allegations facing Platner. “The allegations in the latest story are troubling,” Collins responded. “And I believe that Graham Platner has a lot of questions to answer.” ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Meanwhile, an outside political group aligned with the senator has been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies. The Republican National Committee (RNC), in a social media post following Friday’s rally, took aim at Platner. “Graham Platner says his violent and erratic past is being “weaponized” against him. Platner said he would rape someone to show his dominance and “rape was about power,” the RNC research team wrote on X, as it pointed to new allegations against the candidate. Mills, in a recent interview, noted that her name remains on the ballot. And a source in her wider political orbit confirmed to Fox News that the governor is receiving calls urging her to get back in the race amid Platner’s controversies. But there’s no active campaign effort on behalf of Mills. Asked about Mills, Khanna told Fox News Digital “the great thing about democracy, you can run full steam ahead, you can kind of run ambiguously like Janet Mills, you can keep your name on that campaign. That’s why I love American democracy.” But he predicted that “Platner is going to come out victorious. And we need to unite and realize that the goal is defeating the the Susan Collins. And everyone from Schumer to Sanders is unified around that goal. Platner’s campaign said that over 600 people packed a theater in this resort town next to Acadia National Park, not far from the candidate’s hometown of Sullivan, to attend the rally. And they touted that they had raked in $200,000 in fundraising the past 24 hours, which they said was their strongest fundraising day since Mills suspended her campaign. Maine voters Fox News Digital spoke with ahead
Trump expands TrumpRx prescription drug discount program to more than 800 medications
President Donald Trump on Friday announced a major expansion of his administration’s initiative aimed at helping Americans access discounted prescription medications. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the government-backed website TrumpRx.gov has added 160 prescription drugs, bringing the total number of discounted medications available through the program to more than 800. “I am pleased to announce that TrumpRx.gov is adding another 160 Prescription Drugs, at highly discounted prices, for a new total of over 800 of the most commonly-used Prescription Drugs,” Trump wrote. “TrumpRx.gov will now provide clear, transparent, and DISCOUNTED offerings for FOUR OUT OF FIVE of every prescription filled by Americans,” he added. TRUMP ENDS BIDEN’S DRUG PRICE NIGHTMARE — AMERICANS GET REAL RELIEF WITH TRUMPRX Trump unveiled the initiative in February, arguing that Americans have long paid more for prescription drugs than consumers in many other countries. The website was launched after the administration finalized agreements with 16 major pharmaceutical companies under so-called “most-favored-nation” pricing arrangements. Under the agreements, participating drugmakers received tariff-related exemptions while agreeing to lower prices for certain medications and extend discounted pricing to eligible cash-paying consumers through TrumpRx, according to the administration. MARK CUBAN SHOOTS DOWN PRESIDENTIAL BID AS HE TEAMS UP WITH TRUMP ADMIN TO CUT HEALTHCARE COSTS Companies including Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are participating in the program and have agreed to reduce prices on popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications. Administration officials have also highlighted discounts on a range of other products, including inhalers, HIV treatments, diabetes medications and fertility drugs. TrumpRx.gov allows users to search for discounted medications, view estimated savings and generate coupons for participating prescriptions. SOARING MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES TARGETED IN TRUMP’S NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER Trump said the initiative builds on efforts from his first term to reduce prescription drug costs. “I was proud to make History during my First Term when we lowered Drug Prices, even if by a tiny percentage, because this amounted to a HUGE change compared to other presidents only raising Drug Prices, endlessly and significantly, every year,” Trump wrote. “Then, during my Second Term, I decided to go BIG with Most Favored Nations Pricing — That is to say, we pay no more or, ideally, less than any other Country for the same exact Drug,” he continued. “Now we are cutting Prices, and cutting them by a LOT, sometimes by 400 or 500 or 600 Percent!” HERE’S HOW TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON CHINA COULD IMPACT DRUG PRICING AND OTHER HEALTHCARE COSTS Trump also claimed the program has generated significant savings for consumers. “These Most Favored Nations Deals have already, in fact, saved American Patients over 400 Million Dollars since the launch of TrumpRx.gov,” he said. The president further argued that tariffs played a key role in securing the pricing agreements. “Of course, Most Favored Nations would not be possible without my use of TARIFFS, which are getting other Countries to ‘pay up’ instead of relying on American Patients getting ripped off, as they were for decades until I ordered an immediate ‘stop’ to this very unfair and, frankly, foolish situation,” Trump wrote. “This is all great news, and I have instructed my Administration to secure more Most Favored Nations Deals, more Partnerships, and Lower Prices for every American Patient,” he added. Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.