Pushing ahead despite setbacks.

July 7, 2026

US Senate candidate for Maine Graham Platner effectively paused his campaign on Monday to reflect on “the best path forward” after Politico published an article detailing allegations of sexual assault by Platner in 2021. See Politico, Exclusive: Woman who dated Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her. Platner responded to the article, saying, “These allegations are troubling, serious, and false. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue.”

Platner also posted a video on Twitter, saying,

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 for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins. Those were the goals when we launched this campaign, and they remain my goals today.

Prominent supporters and Democratic party organizations have called on Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee, an action that would clear the path for the Maine Democratic Party to nominate a replacement—if Platner steps aside by Monday, July 13. Among Platner’s supporters calling for Platner to step aside are Representative Ro Khanna and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego. The Maine Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have also asked Platner to step aside, with the latter saying, “The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.” See Roll Call, Democrats call on Platner to step down as he denies sexual assault allegation.

Regardless of what Platner decides and who replaces him, if he does decide to step aside, Democrats are in shock, worried that, whatever happens, a likely defeat of Republican Susan Collins may have become less likely. Those worries are understandable, and Democrats are in for a rough news cycle over the next several weeks.

But the time between July 7, 2026, and November 3, 2026, is approximately equal to infinity in political years. In other words, don’t panic. We have plenty of time to react and recover regardless of what happens. See, e.g., the comments below regarding Trump’s upcoming NATO conference and rule changes that would make it easier to mail handguns and for people with histories of mental illness to obtain guns.

Susan Collins will either defend Trump’s actions, oppose them, or express her feckless “concern” without taking a position. No matter what position Collins takes, she will alienate some portion of Trump’s base and independents who are increasingly disillusioned with Trump. And Trump will continue to create such difficulties for Collins as the campaign season progresses. Trump has nothing to lose and billions to gain, and he doesn’t care about Susan Collins in the least.

This development will stir strong passions among Platner supporters and doubters. The difficulty for Platner is that the reporting in the Politico article is detailed and corroborated by interviewees who have requested anonymity. Platner has recognized the seriousness of the allegations by effectively pausing his campaign, something he has not done in response to prior allegations. When other politicians have faced allegations of sexual assault with similar levels of corroboration, they have stepped aside to remove the controversy from the election.

Is a “double standard” being applied to Graham Platner when we have a president who was elected to a second term after a civil jury concluded he sexually abused E. Jean Carroll? There is a double standard, but it is the one being applied to Trump, not Graham Platner. With rare exceptions, candidates faced with similar allegations have stepped aside.

We can beat Susan Collins, no matter what happens. She is Trump’s enabler, surrogate, defender, and apologist. She helped demote women and Black Americans to second-class citizens by supporting Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, who lied their way onto the Court so they could end reproductive liberty and kill the Voting Rights Act. With each passing day, Collins becomes more complicit and unelectable.

Trump prepares for the NATO meeting with a 90-minute call with Putin.

On July 4, 2026, Trump held a 90-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin—a call that was disclosed by Russian officials, not by the Trump administration. See NBC, Trump holds 90-minute call with Putin, also speaks with Zelenskyy ahead of NATO summit

While it is good to hear that Trump is spending some time attempting to bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, it is unsettling that Trump failed to acknowledge either call—especially the call with Putin, who hopes for no greater victory than the dissolution of NATO. And Putin may be setting up a test case for Trump in the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

NATO has released a proposed joint declaration to be issued at the conclusion of the summit, which reads, in part,

We ... have gathered in Ankara to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our collective ​defence under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and to the transatlantic bond. An ⁠attack ⁠on one is an attack ⁠on all.

On several occasions, Trump has suggested that he would not honor Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which requires mutual assistance if one member is attacked. See e.g., CBS News (March 7, 2025), Trump questions NATO allies’ will for collective defense while casting doubt on U.S.’ own treaty commitment.

If Trump balks, temporizes, or quibbles with the Ankara statement regarding mutual defense, his delaying tactics would be an open invitation to Putin to test the US commitment to Article 5 by attacking a NATO ally. If Trump does anything other than sign the declaration without hesitation, that will be a scandalous debacle of the first order. And Susan Collins will own it.

Trump plans to loosen restrictions on gun ownership and mailing of handguns

Trump plans to loosen restrictions on the mailing of handguns and the availability of guns to persons with mental incapacity, who require a court-appointed guardian to manage their affairs. See Axios, Trump admin’s 2A “tsunami” rolls back gun regulations.

Per Axios,

The Trump administration is undertaking the broadest firearm deregulation in years, a sweeping rollback that would let Americans ship handguns in the mail, gut Biden-era background check rules and make it harder to yank a gun dealer’s license.

As explained by Axios, the change to gun ownership by people determined to be “mentally defective” poses additional risk:

In a proposed rule narrowing who is mentally unfit to have a gun, ATF notes, “This risk may be minimal, or may be considerably greater (up to and including potential mass casualty events).”

In short, Trump is loosening ATF regulations despite an ATF finding that the change may create “considerably greater” risk of a mass casualty events. Again, Susan Collins owns every bit of this madness.

The issues surrounding the NATO meeting after a 90-minute secret call with Putin and the expansion of gun rights for “mentally defective” persons emerged in the last 72 hours. Trump has 120 days to complicate Susan Collins’ life—and clarify that the choice between Collins and the Democratic nominee is clear. Again, we can beat Susan Collins, no matter what happens.

Opportunities for reader engagement

Support Field Team 6!

If you are hungry for a way to make a real difference winning the midterms in November, consider volunteering and/or donating to FieldTeam6.org. They are a volunteer army doing the most efficient and effective partisan voter registration in the country. And they target every battleground state and flippable district that can take back the House and Senate in the midterms. Register Democrats. Save the World. That’s their mission, and they are doing it every day of every year, via postcards, texts, emails, and voter drives.

A donation of $100 pays for 10,000 emails, $250 pays for 8,300 texts, $600 pays for 10 voter drive kits (with clipboards, forms, stickers and more).

RSVP to their “Expanding the Map Strategy Briefing!” Find volunteer opportunities and donate today to register more Democrats right where it counts most!

Take action to comment on the proposed OMB rule that would put politics before science

A federal proposal could affect science, public health, education, and other programs our communities rely on. These changes could make it easier for political priorities to outweigh evidence in decisions about funding for research and public programs.

The good news is that the public has a chance to speak up. Anyone can submit a comment, and those comments must be considered before the proposal is finalized.

Check out this short video for an example of what’s at stake if politics overrides expertise.

Join Jackson Heights Indivisible on Tuesday, July 7 at 7pm to hear from Dr. Rachel Ross about what’s happening, why it matters, and how to make your voice heard. You don’t need to be a scientist, policy expert, or experienced advocate to participate.

Together, we’ll:

· Break down the proposal in plain language

· Talk about what it could mean for our communities

· Walk through the comment process step by step

· Write and submit our comments together

Your comment doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is that people show up and participate! Bring your questions, invite a friend, and join us in speaking up for science, public health, and evidence-based decision-making.

Sign up here: Take Action for Science and Public Health: Learn and Write with Us · Jackson Heights Indivisible

Concluding Thoughts

The developments in the Graham Platner campaign are disturbing and unsettling. But Democrats must learn to take punches and keep pressing forward. We cannot catastrophize every setback. Sadly, attention spans and political memories are casualties of the eight-hour news cycle. Republicans exploit that fact every day of the week. Democrats must learn to do so as well. We must push forward, fortified by the knowledge that we are on the right side of history and the issues. We won’t win every battle, and we won’t be perfect, but we will be the only choice to carry America forward into the next 250 years of its independence.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Pro-democracy protest photos

Send photos to rbhubbell@gmail.com. Include city and state.

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July 4th. South Burlington Vermont

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Our weekly protest in Natick MA

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These are from my Indivisible Lake Norman Bridge brigade group in Cornelius, NC. 

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July 4th parade in Bar Harbor, ME

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Potomac River Bridge Brigade. July 4, 2026, over the Beltway near Cabin John, Maryland.

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July 4th 2026 Jackson MS Visible Bridge Brigade 🇺🇸

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Independence Day Voter Registration, Richardson, TX

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Englewood Florida

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I’m attaching a photo of Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez and her float and crew for the Fourth of July parade in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  She’s a powerhouse!  

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12 of us on a busy July 4th in Enosburg Falls, Vermont

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Bozeman MT on a July 4th protest, responding to ICE raids earlier in the week. ICE not welcome in our community.

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StandUp Loveland contingent, 4th of July, Loveland CO

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About a dozen hardy souls stretched out along a quarter mile of road (wherever there was shade) in a silent, solemn demonstration of “signs of fascism” on steamy July 4 in Belfast ME. Lots of honks and waves.

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Our nearly-100 year old family flag from Pennsylvania now flying in Dunedin FL.

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We brought a few signs to the 4th of July parade in Cable.  We got yelled at by a couple of people but several folks made a point to come over and thank us!
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4th of July in Birmingham AL

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“My car speaks for me!” Framingham, MA

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Pics from Pleasant Hill 4th July Parade

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We had a fabulous turnout and response for our July 4 Dump Trump demonstration in Oakland, CA.

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Montclair NJ

Montclair Sundays has been protesting for 72 Sundays at the intersection of Bloomfield Ave & Fullerton Ave in Montclair NJ. We marched in the 4th of July parade with our No Kings & other signs. A very joyful event.

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Every Saturday morning between 11:00 and I:00 San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible coordinates a SAVE U.S. SATURDAY protest on the corners of Colorado and Fair Oaks in Old Town Pasadena, CA.

This July 4th over 100 gathered and were supported by an overwhelming number of horns and thumbs up.

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This was last Sunday, Saugerties NY. Tons of beeps but also definitely triggered more middle finger salutes than usual!

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New Haven, CT, July 4th , 2026

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The Peace Band played patriotic tunes in the 4th of July parade in Johnson, WA.

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BEND, OR

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On Lopez Island WA our 4th of July Parade is a big event with thousands of visitors. Indivisible Lopez Island celebrated the coming of the Blue Wave in our blue truck with The Statue of Liberty and Lady Justice onboard. Marchers dressed in blue followed chanting pro-Democracy slogans. In front of our truck a member’s family created huge bubbles to the delight of children and adults. We gave out flags and copies of the Constitution instead of candy.

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I joined a small group of patriots at Window on the Bay Park in Monterey, CA., while visiting family from Boston. This group is there every Saturday, usually in greater numbers, from 1-3, in solidarity against this corrupt administration. Lots of supportive honks and thumbs up, but one older woman in a stars and stripes sweater gave us a one-finger salute!

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S. Burlington, VT, 7/4/26

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Guilford Peace Alliance. Every Saturday on the Guilford Green. Guilford, Ct

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Visibility Brigade 7/2/26. HartfordVisibilityBrigade this am!

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The sins of King George, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, have been visited upon our people in current times. 101 protesters in the tiny town of Twisp, Washington, 7/4/2026:  Protest # 73.

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Lots of positive responses on Interstate 80 in Coralville, Iowa on July 4:  not sure if people liked our First Amendment message or our “boast” about Iowa’s high cancer rate, or both!