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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Graham Platner faces calls to drop out of the Senate race in Maine.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
A woman he dated says the Democratic candidate raped her in 2021. Platner denies it but says he is considering his best path forward. What are his options?
INSKEEP: I’m Steve Inskeep with A Martínez, and this is UP FIRST from NPR News.
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INSKEEP: President Trump is in Turkey today meeting with NATO allies he has spent years berating. He wants them spending more on their own defense. As Russia’s attacks on Ukraine intensify, Europe wants to know if America still has their back.
MARTÍNEZ: And the U.S. is out of the World Cup after a blowout loss to Belgium in the round of 16 that capped Team USA’s tournament full of promise and political controversy. Stay with us. We’ve got news you need to start your day.
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MARTÍNEZ: Graham Platner is under pressure this morning to end his bid for the U.S. Senate.
INSKEEP: Yeah. The Democratic Party has been depending on Platner to win a race considered vital to their hopes in the midterm elections. And on Monday, Politico published allegations by a woman he dated. She also gave an interview to CNN and accused Platner of raping her. Platner denies this allegation but posted a video saying he is assessing his next steps.
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GRAHAM PLATNER: Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR political reporter Elena Moore has been tracking the latest developments. And a warning to our listeners – this story contains descriptions of sexual assault. Elena, tell us about these serious allegations.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Politico’s story details an account made by a former girlfriend of Platner, Jenny Racicot, who alleges that in 2021, Platner entered her home intoxicated and forced her to have sex with him, despite her repeatedly saying no. Here’s part of how she described it in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
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JENNY RACICOT: He violated multiple layers of consent that night by coming into my home when I asked him not to and by advancing on me when I told him not to.
MOORE: And NPR has not independently verified those claims, but Politico says it was able to corroborate the allegations by reviewing past messages sent between the accuser and her therapist and talking with individuals whom she confided in.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. What is Graham Platner’s response?
MOORE: Well, in a statement to NPR, Platner adamantly denied the allegations, calling them troubling, serious and false. But, A, as we heard, he also said he would take time to think about what’s next.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. It seems many Democrats, though, are unwilling to wait. What are people in the party saying?
MOORE: Well, almost instantly after Politico’s story published, we started to see a steady drumbeat of calls for Platner to end his bid for Senate. That included calls from high-profile Democrats, most notably Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said that the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm wouldn’t spend in the main race if Platner remains on the ballot.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, not the first time, though, that Graham Platner has dealt with a scandal.
MOORE: Right.
MARTÍNEZ: What makes this one different?
MOORE: Well, he’s faced other allegations about his behavior towards women, but this is the first time a major news outlet is reporting an allegation of assault. And obviously, that’s an extremely serious claim and one that follows several other pretty serious scandals. That includes, you know, back in May, when Platner’s campaign confirmed reporting that he had exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women towards the start of his marriage, as well as last fall, when past online comments Platner had made resurfaced, including some where he disparaged sexual assault victims. In his response to a lot of these controversies, Platner has acknowledged he’s not a perfect person. He’s talked a lot about struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the military, and he’s argued these are experiences many voters can relate to.
MARTÍNEZ: Now to the politics of this because that’s what happens. What does this mean for Democrats?
MOORE: Yeah. These allegations are a serious blow. Remember, this is a race Democrats have seen as key to taking back the Senate this fall. President Trump lost Maine in 2024, and party officials see incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins as vulnerable. Plus, despite all his controversies, Platner was neck and neck with Collins in recent polling, lifted by an economic populist message that’s been resonating with folks who want political change.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, we heard Graham Platner say that he is reassessing. What happens if he decides to drop out?
MOORE: Yeah. It’s technical. Maine election law says that a general election candidate has to drop out on or before the second Monday in July. If Platner were to do that, Maine Democrats would have until the 27th to select a replacement. If that happens, A, it’s currently unclear who that would be.
MARTÍNEZ: That is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. Elena, thanks.
MOORE: Thanks, A.
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MARTÍNEZ: NATO leaders are gathering in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, today for the start of the annual summit of the alliance’s 32 member states, with President Trump among those going to be there.
INSKEEP: Yeah. The war in Ukraine continues. The U.S.-led war with Iran is not resolved. And NATO leaders hope to project unity while confronting some of the alliance’s biggest challenges in decades.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi is in Ankara – joins us now. So what’s at stake at this summit? What are leaders going to try to accomplish?
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: Well, just like Steve mentioned, the opening day is about demonstrating unity and credibility, but it also comes at a time when the U.S. is planning to shrink its presence in Europe. It says it wants to focus its resources elsewhere. The administration just announced a six-month Pentagon review of U.S. forces in Europe. So this week, the main issues will include increasing defense spending, investing in military capabilities, and there’s going to be a focus on sustaining support for Ukraine to keep deterring Russia. Allies are also expected to discuss their commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defense and broader security needs. That’s a major increase from NATO’s previous target. NATO’s secretary-general has said there will be announcements on tens of billions in new military contracts.
Now, President Trump has argued for some time that NATO allies rely too heavily on the U.S., and he’s warned that the U.S. support can’t be taken for granted. So this summit is also an opportunity for European allies to show that they’re stepping up.
MARTÍNEZ: The wars in Ukraine and Iran – how are they shaping or influencing NATO’s priorities?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, the leaders are meeting as Russia attacked Kyiv again this week, killing at least 22 people, according to Ukrainian officials. So Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought NATO back to its original mission – collective defense against a major military threat in Europe, Allies see supporting Ukraine not just as helping Kyiv defend itself but as strengthening Europe’s own security by weakening Russia’s military capabilities.
Now, the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is also hanging over the summit. There’s a fragile ceasefire. It’s holding, with – both sides are meant to meet again soon to iron out the final terms of a deal. But the situation on the ground continues to be unstable. Just this morning, a tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz. Again, President Trump says that Europe isn’t doing enough to help him in this war. Allies have been reluctant to take part in efforts to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or provide military support to the U.S.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. You mentioned that it – all of this is in Ankara. That’s the capital of Turkey. Why Ankara as the venue at this moment?
AL-SHALCHI: So let’s remember, Turkey has the alliance’s second-largest military. It controls access to the Black Sea through the Turkish straits and has acted as a mediator in major conflicts across the Middle East. It’s also been involved in ceasefire talks in Iran, for example. Also, Turkey’s defense industry is growing. So this summit is really President Erdogan’s chance to present Turkey as an indispensable NATO ally, especially after years of being at odds with many European countries because of Turkey’s human rights record.
NATO now sees that they, too, need Turkey, not only to help with the wars in Ukraine and Iran but also to manage the relationship with President Trump. Trump has praised Erdogan – you know, he’s a strongman he’s admired many times – and even said last week he wouldn’t even have come to the NATO summit if it wasn’t for Erdogan. So NATO is muting its criticisms of Erdogan’s authoritarian rule. Deterring Russia, making NATO stronger is just more important today.
MARTÍNEZ: That’s NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Ankara. Thank you very much.
AL-SHALCHI: You’re welcome.
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MARTÍNEZ: The U.S. men’s national soccer team’s World Cup is over.
INSKEEP: Wasn’t even close. The Americans lost to Belgium 4-1 in the round of 16, ending a run that inspired a new generation of fans and filled stadiums for the rare World Cup here at home. Right before the end, they also became the center of controversy.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR sports correspondent Becky Sullivan was at the game in Seattle. Becky, a big broad question here, but what happened?
BECKY SULLIVAN, BYLINE: (Laughter) Boy, ain’t that the question to ask me, A? I mean, jeez, so much had been made of this past four-year cycle for the U.S. men. They had this promising young team back in 2022. You might remember that should’ve had these past four years to improve and mature. They had all these guys who were getting experience on top-flight clubs in Europe. They had the name-brand coach, Mauricio Pochettino. They had the home field advantages you mentioned. And yet somehow, all of that amounted to just another exit at exactly the same stage as their previous three World Cup appearances – a loss in the round of 16 – and for the third time in a row at the hands of a European opponent.
And obviously, watching this game last night, Belgium was just quite clearly the better team. They took advantage of all these countless U.S. turnovers, defensive mistakes. They just won easily. And so after the game, all of the U.S. players were just so glum. It’s hard to choose which one to play for you, but here is goalkeeper Matt Freese.
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MATT FREESE: This moment hurts. Yeah, this moment hurts more, stings more than probably any other moment in my life. But I know that this is a step along a longer journey. It’s a painful step, but it is a step regardless.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. So that’s the game, Becky. Let’s talk about the red card, the Folarin Balogun…
SULLIVAN: Jeez.
MARTÍNEZ: …Red card, and whether he should’ve been on the pitch or not. If you’re Team USA, maybe you think, oh, it was too harsh of a call. He should’ve been right where he was, playing with us. And then if you’re Belgium, you’re thinking, well, wait a second. It’s the world against us. And maybe that inspired them. I mean, what do you think factored into the way we saw that play out?
SULLIVAN: You know, all I’ll say, A, is that it’s just not every day that FIFA decides to delay, as you’re talking about, the suspension – the automatic suspension of one game for a player who gets a red card. It’s certainly not every day that the president of the United States decides to make a phone call to the head of FIFA to ask for a review of said red card, as President Trump did last week. I mean, this was just quite the hubbub around this game that had blown up over the past couple days.
The U.S. players – they said afterward that they hadn’t let this whole thing get to them, that they weren’t affected by all the noise. But the vibe shift, I thought, around the U.S. team was profound. There was so much excitement – A, you might remember – about them before all of this. But then this weekend came this FIFA decision to allow Balogun to play despite the red card – that was already so unusual, so unexpected – then, of course, the news about Trump calling Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, directly to ask for this review. And I think for many U.S. fans, at least, the whole thing suddenly carried with it a bit of a stench, even if the red card had, as you say, felt bogus to begin with.
But, you know, I think for me, it was hard to wonder if, you know, all of the above had gotten to the team. And certainly, Belgium was energized by it. It really just kind of turned the whole script on its head.
MARTÍNEZ: And now, if you’re Team USA – or you’re wondering, well, how good are we, really? – I mean, I guess we’re back at Square 1.
SULLIVAN: I think that’s exactly right. I mean, I don’t see how they escape feeling like they have ended this exact in the same place they started from. And I think, too, it’s tough to compare them with another host country in this tournament, Mexico, who had their own round-of-16 loss in these last few days, fought tooth and nail till the end in this battle with England in this game. And just by contrast, the Americans just didn’t really have any fight at all in this game.
And so, you know, what’s next for them? It’s hard to say. Their coach, Pochettino, has been tight-lipped about whether he plans to leave or stay. I think nobody would really be surprised if he left. And, boy, it’s just a really long four-year wait until the next World Cup for these guys.
MARTÍNEZ: And you’re right. Mexico fought until the very last second against England.
SULLIVAN: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: That last goal that Belgium scored against the U.S., that was the U.S. just giving up.
SULLIVAN: Yep.
MARTÍNEZ: Absolutely giving up, yeah. OK.
SULLIVAN: (Laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: World Cup not over yet. What’s still left to come?
SULLIVAN: Yeah. Well, we’re on the brink of the quarterfinals. There is still one sort of final quarterfinal that hasn’t been set yet, but the other three are in place. Those are going to be France versus Morocco, Norway versus England and Spain versus Belgium. Personally, I’m very eager to see how Norway does. I think they’re the sort of Cinderella that is left in this tournament. This is their first World Cup appearance since the 1990s. And of course, I think maybe as you know, they have this thrilling, terrifying, funny striker…
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
SULLIVAN: …All of the above – in Erling Haaland, who is incredible to watch. He has seven goals so far in this World Cup and counting. That’s must-see TV. I will certainly be tuning in.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. The Viking King – can’t wait to see more of him. NPR’s Becky Sullivan in Seattle. Becky, thanks.
SULLIVAN: You’re welcome.
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MARTÍNEZ: And that’s UP FIRST for Tuesday, July 7. I’m A Martínez.
INSKEEP: And I’m Steve Inskeep. Today’s UP FIRST was edited by Tina Kraja, Jason Breslow, Russell Lewis, Alice Woelfle and Mohamad ElBardicy. It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas, who’s putting up with us yet another day. We get engineering support from Eowyn Fain, and our technical director is Damian Herring. Our supervising senior producer is Vince Pearson. Join us again tomorrow. Damian will, I assume. Right? Yeah. OK.
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