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Democrats ‘selling their soul’ to embrace Platner are in for rude awakening with Maine voters: GOP lawmaker

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Maine Republican state Sen. Trey Stewart is warning that Democrats are «selling their soul» by defending controversial Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and that the Democratic Party is moving to a «dangerous place» if he wins a Senate seat in November.
«The voters care a lot,» Stewart told Fox News Digital about the mounting criticisms of Platner, including deleted social posts where he described himself as a «communist» and «socialist,» used alleged homophobic slurs, and disparaged the military.
«I think that he’s a flash in the pan for right now amongst extreme liberal Democrats who can’t see past defeating Susan Collins at any cost, and what they’re really doing is selling their soul to somebody who has a tattoo that’s affiliated with the Nazis on his chest, has made slanderous remarks, really pretty ugly and horrifying remarks about veterans who have been injured in combat, racist and bigoted statements that were misogynist, so literally everything that you hear the left trying to villainize the right about, he’s actually guilty of and there’s a track record of this.»
Stewart said he is confident five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins will remain «victorious» in «middle-of-the-road» Maine, despite Platner leading in the polls, saying that the Platner campaign is «not going to work» because «Maine people don’t subscribe to that line of thinking that Mr. Platner does.»
SUSAN COLLINS SHRUGS OFF ATTACKS BY DEMOCRATS AND TRUMP, SAYS MAINE VOTERS ‘DON’T VOTE PARTY LINE’
Maine Republican State Sen. Trey Stewart said Democrats supporting Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner will face a rude awakening with voters. (Fox News Digital ; Sophie Park/Getty Images)
«Susan Collins, who is one of, if not the most influential votes in the United States Senate, and certainly an incredible influence financially and otherwise for the state of Maine, is going to be victorious,» he said. «That’s because Maine, at the end of the day, is a middle-of-the-road state.»
This isn’t the first time Collins has seen a progressive challenger surge in the polls. In 2020, Collins consistently trailed former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, sometimes by double digits in the polls, before ultimately winning re-election in one of the most expensive races in state history.
Stewart says that Maine voters typically reject both far-right and far-left candidates and that Platner’s «extreme position is not going to be something that voters reward here in November.»
Overall, Stewart said Democrats’ «embarrassing» decision to stand behind Platner reflects where the party stands today as a whole and exposes a «soul-searching» problem within the party.
TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, holds a blanket as she walks off the Senate floor after the chamber stayed in session throughout the night at the U.S. Capitol Building on July 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«I find it highly embarrassing that this is where the Democrat party is, not just in the state of Maine, but across the country at this point, with the most extreme sort of tail-wagging-the-dog effect,» he said. «Maybe that is the direction that the Democrat party in Maine and in our country is going,» he said. «If it is, then ultimately that’s going to be a very dangerous place for them and a very dangerous place for our country.»
Platner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has faced a wave of scrutiny over his deleted Reddit posts and has been heavily criticized by Republicans who say he has not adequately explained or apologized for them.
DEMOCRAT BLASTED BY LEFT AND RIGHT AFTER SOFTENING STANCE ON SCANDAL-HIT MAINE CANDIDATE

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner has campaigned on progressive economic policies focused on taxing billionaires and lowering costs for working-class Americans. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
In a post from June 2019, Platner mocked a video of Purple Heart veteran Teddy Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters, saying Daniels «didn’t deserve to live.»
«Platner declined to apologize or acknowledge regret over the comment in a video taken by Fox News Digital over the weekend.
«This is not the right course of action that he should be taking,» Stewart said. «If anything, he owes a number of apologies to the people who he has said highly offensive things to. But beyond that, certainly United States Senate is something that is completely out of grasp for an individual like this.»
He really just needs help,» Stewart said. «He doesn’t need a seat in the United States Senate.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.
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Following Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ announcement to end her campaign for Senate last month, Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee in the June 9 primary to decide who will face Collins in November.
democrats elections, midterm elections, republicans elections, maine, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Mexico vows US will pay after ICE fatally shoots illegal migrant who allegedly attempted to ram agent with car

Mexico questions FBI role in Sinaloa Cartel abduction
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum strongly criticizes the U.S. government for its alleged involvement in the 2024 abduction of former Sinaloa Cartel boss ‘El Mayo’ Zambada. Sheinbaum explicitly states the U.S. lied about its participation, claiming a violation of Mexican sovereignty. This incident raises serious questions about diplomatic relations between the two nations and American intervention in Mexico.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to pursue «significant legal measures» against the United States after a Mexican national was fatally shot during an ICE operation in Texas.
Mexican officials counted 17 cases of Mexican nationals who have died in U.S. immigration custody, while Sheinbaum focused on Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an illegal migrant who has lived in the United States for decades.
DHS officials claimed Araujo was the subject of an ICE arrest operation when an agent shot him in self-defense because he allegedly ignored orders and allegedly attempted to ram the agent.
ICE SAYS OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO TRIED TO RAM HIM WITH CAR IN HOUSTON
During Sheinbaum’s daily «Mañanera del Pueblo» press availability in Mexico City, she laid out her planned escalation of objections against U.S. immigration enforcement’s behavior.
«Our goal is to go beyond diplomatic notes and the representations we made to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. We cannot tolerate the mistreatment of our fellow citizens, our brothers and sisters, in the United States. So, we are proposing further measures,» Sheinbaum said in Spanish.
Sheinbaum said the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present the measures to Washington, and commented on Araujo’s death.
ICE AGENTS IN FATAL HOUSTON SHOOTING WERE NOT WEARING BODY CAMERAS, SOURCES SAY
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, left, listens to President Donald Trump, right. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)
«This occurred in the context of detention, even though their only offense was lacking documentation — and this despite having been hired by a U.S. company.»
She said the U.S. has no reason to hold people like Araujo in detention or allegedly «subject [them] to violence.»
«We are therefore preparing, obviously, more significant legal measures.»
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANS NEW ICE HOLDING FACILITY NEAR LOUISIANA DEPORTATION FLIGHT HUB
On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said he is requesting criminal charges be brought in connection with the 17 Mexican nationals who died in U.S. custody, according to the AP, which reported the requests will be sent to the Justice Department and various state attorneys general.
Multiple reports suggested Sheinbaum’s demands would have no legal effect in U.S. courts.
Mexico City has claimed 14 of the 17 died in custody while three have been killed during active DHS operations, according to the outlet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and DHS for comment. The White House directed Fox News Digital to DHS.
Araujo, 52, was reportedly transporting workers to a jobsite for a homebuilding company in the Magnolia Park section of Houston.
As critics disputed the government’s recounting of events, objections arose over the lack of bodycams on the agents on-scene.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is seen. (Daniel Cardenas/Getty Images)
A DHS spokesperson defended the agents, telling Fox News they had not been issued body-worn cameras because of the repercussions of the Democrat-backed agency shutdown earlier this year.
«The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats multiple government shutdowns. Body cameras have been deployed to more than half the field offices, with the remaining half to receive them in the next 60 days,» a spokesperson said, while noting a 1,300% increase in assaults against agents during the same period.
Meanwhile, advocacy group Voto Latino condemned the Araujo incident, saying that the Mexican national should still be alive.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, left, speaks with President Donald J. Trump, right. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)
«His story is the embodiment of what it means to seek the American Dream — the same dream that drives so many of us to call this nation home. Lorenzo called the United States home for nearly 35 years, and his family deserves immediate answers that come from a completely independent process, not from the very agency that upended their lives,» Voto Latino executive director Beatriz Lopez said in a statement, which also called for Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s resignation.
Asked about Sheinbaum’s warning, an ICE spokesperson defended the agency and the accounting of events depicting Araujo as trying to hit an agent.
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«[He] refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,» the spokesperson said.
«DHS-OIG is leading an investigation into the agent-involved shooting. FBI Houston is leading an investigation into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information is available.»
Fox News’ Brooke Taylor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
mexico, justice department, latino, deportation, homeland security, immigration, white house, donald trump, texas
INTERNACIONAL
Por qué el incendio en Almería se transformó rápidamente en una trampa mortal

INTERNACIONAL
Cuatro estudiantes costarricenses representarán al país en la Olimpiada Internacional de Química en Uzbekistán

Costa Rica volverá a tener representación en uno de los certámenes científicos más prestigiosos del mundo. Cuatro estudiantes de secundaria fueron seleccionados para participar en la 58.ª Olimpiada Internacional de Química (IChO), que se desarrollará del 10 al 19 de julio en Uzbekistán, luego de superar un proceso de clasificación que se extendió por más de un año y que puso a prueba sus conocimientos mediante evaluaciones de nivel universitario.
Los elegidos son Tamara Garrote Villalobos, Leonor Isaura Obando Umaña, Juan Pablo Valverde Cordero y José Edwin Chávez Rodríguez, quienes representarán a Costa Rica con el acompañamiento académico de la Universidad Nacional (UNA) y la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR).
La clasificación de los cuatro estudiantes es el resultado de un proceso que comenzó en febrero de 2025, cuando decidieron inscribirse en la Olimpiada Costarricense de Química, en la categoría intermedia. A partir de ese momento iniciaron una serie de competencias nacionales en las que fueron avanzando gracias a sus resultados académicos hasta alcanzar la final del certamen.
Obtener una medalla en esa etapa les permitió postularse para integrar la selección nacional que representaría al país en la Olimpiada Internacional de Química. Sin embargo, el camino aún estaba lejos de terminar.
De los 18 estudiantes que aspiraban a integrar la delegación costarricense, únicamente 12 lograron avanzar a una segunda fase de selección. Posteriormente, una superfinal definió a los cuatro representantes nacionales mediante una combinación de pruebas de alta complejidad, con una ponderación del 60 % para la evaluación teórica y del 40 % para las pruebas experimentales de laboratorio.
Durante el mes de junio, los seleccionados participaron en un programa intensivo de entrenamiento basado en los problemas preparatorios oficiales de la competencia internacional, enfrentándose a contenidos que habitualmente forman parte de carreras universitarias en Química.
Cada integrante de la delegación tiene una historia distinta, pero todos coinciden en que la curiosidad científica y el gusto por la química fueron determinantes para alcanzar este objetivo.

Tamara Garrote Villalobos, estudiante de undécimo año, explicó que su interés por las olimpiadas científicas nació desde muy pequeña y que, desde noveno año, comenzó a prepararse específicamente en química.
“Cuando me propuse llegar a una olimpiada internacional, tuve que organizar muy bien mi tiempo. Ha sido una experiencia muy bonita, pero también muy retadora”, comentó.
Para Leonor Isaura Obando Umaña, quien cursa décimo año, la motivación proviene tanto de la ciencia como del ambiente que se genera entre los participantes.
La estudiante aseguró que disfruta cada etapa de preparación porque estudiar química es una actividad que la apasiona y aprovechó para enviar un mensaje a otros jóvenes interesados en seguir un camino similar: creer en sus capacidades, esforzarse desde el inicio y mantener la disciplina.
Juan Pablo Valverde Cordero considera que representar al país es el resultado de un esfuerzo construido a lo largo de toda su formación académica. A su juicio, el aprendizaje solo puede sostenerse cuando existe un verdadero interés por la materia.
José Edwin Chávez Rodríguez, por su parte, atribuye parte de este logro al apoyo recibido por uno de sus profesores, quien despertó en él un mayor interés por la química y lo motivó a participar en las olimpiadas científicas. Su meta en Uzbekistán es aprovechar al máximo la experiencia y luchar por obtener una medalla para Costa Rica.
La delegación costarricense estará acompañada por Manuel Sandoval Barrantes, de la Universidad Nacional, quien fungirá como jefe de delegación; Cristian Campos Fernández, de la Universidad de Costa Rica, como profesor mentor; y José Pablo Sibaja Brenes, también de la UNA, en calidad de observador científico.
Los tres tendrán la responsabilidad de orientar académicamente a los estudiantes y representar oficialmente al país durante la competencia internacional.
Sandoval destacó que la clasificación de los cuatro jóvenes refleja un proceso de preparación sostenido y un elevado nivel académico.
“Cada uno de ellos representa el talento de la juventud costarricense y demuestra que la dedicación y la pasión por la ciencia pueden abrir las puertas a los escenarios académicos más prestigiosos del mundo”, señaló.

Asimismo, agradeció el respaldo brindado por la Rectoría de la Universidad Nacional, cuyo apoyo permitió hacer posible la participación de la delegación en este importante certamen.
La Olimpiada Internacional de Química reúne cada año a los mejores estudiantes de secundaria del mundo en pruebas que evalúan conocimientos avanzados de química teórica y experimental. Además de fomentar la excelencia académica, la competencia promueve el intercambio científico y cultural entre jóvenes de decenas de países.
Con su participación en Uzbekistán, los cuatro estudiantes costarricenses buscarán dejar en alto el nombre del país y demostrar que el talento, la disciplina y el respaldo de las instituciones educativas pueden abrir las puertas a los escenarios científicos más exigentes del planeta.
corresponsal:Desde San José, Costa Rica
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