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CNN's The Arena with Kasie Hunt
Trump's Red Card Call Stirs Political Storm Around World Cup; White Supremacist Group Marches In D.C. July Fourth; Platner: Reflecting "On The Best Path Forward" In Maine Race. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired July 06, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:00]
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: So I think they answered a few questions defensively, but there is still Argentina in it. Spain is still in it. France is still in it.
England have to face Erling Haaland's Norway next.
So yes, definitely not getting too carried away.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Credit to England for defending in those last like this with the man down. It was incredible.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Incredible match-up. Amanda Davies, thank you so much.
Jim, always a pleasure to see you.
SCIUTTO: Nice to be with you.
SANCHEZ: "THE ARENA WITH KASIE HUNT" starts right now.
(MUSIC)
KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: Hi, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. Welcome to THE ARENA. It's great to have you with us on this Monday.
Right now, the FIFA flip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Red card. I didn't know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, you got to be kidding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Donald Trump certainly now knows what a red card is, and as we come on the air, new details on how the president of the United States is helping to extend his pardon power to the pitch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: All I did I asked for a review because I didn't think it was a foul. And, you know, again, I'm good at this stuff. I didn't think it was a foul.
(END VIDOE CLIP)
HUNT: In just a few hours, one of America's biggest soccer stars will be on the field for tonight's World Cup match against Belgium. That's after the president personally intervened, calling up the head of the sport's governing body, FIFA, after a controversial red card on Folarin Balogun. After that call, in a truly stunning move, FIFA agreed to lift what normally would be a one-game suspension for the U.S. striker.
Late today, the organization denied a request from Belgium to overturn the decision of the overturning of the decision. And now, just like most everything, the World Cup has become political.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): And on behalf of all Americans, thank you for getting rid of that ridiculous red card. This is his interest. It was spectacular. There was a reason the FIFA trophy sat here for as long as it did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right, let's get off the sidelines, head into THE ARENA.
My panel is here, but we're going to get started with CNN sports anchor Coy Wire.
Coy is live in Seattle ahead of this sure to be epic USA-Belgium match.
Coy, there's about four hours until kickoff. Walk us through this decision from FIFA. Just how remarkable is it?
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yeah, all the drama, Kasie. America's hottest striker is back. Less than 48 hours before kickoff, FIFA announced the one-game red card suspension for Flo Balogun would itself be suspended. It's the first time in World Cup history for the men that a suspension has been overturned under current rules during the tournament. It happened in favor of Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo in qualifying ahead of this tournament.
Now, we know U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino, saying that FIFA had to review it. Infantino said they did speak, but that the situation had already been under review by an independent disciplinary committee. Belgium tried to appeal. FIFA said there is no path to make such an appeal.
The U.S. coach celebrating the decision. Belgium's not so much. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAURICIO POCHETTINO, USA COACH: I think we celebrate all that decision. We were punished enough against Bosnia-Herzegovina to play with 10 men, 99.9 percent that we all agree that was an unfair red card.
RUDI GARCIA, BELGIUM COACH (through translator): I didn't realize that at FIFA headquarters, July 5th was the equivalent of April 1st in Europe. That was news to me. The Belgian Football Association isn't defending itself. It's defending football in general, the integrity and ethics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right, Kasie, the U.S. and Belgium with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line just hours from now. I've played in that stadium in my NFL days. It's already one of the most loud environments you could possibly imagine. U.S. players told me they feed off of the energy they've been getting.
Now, Monday Night Football, footy style, 4th of July weekend, 250th birthday, and a decision that has some fans ecstatic, others furious. This may end up being one of the most raucous environments American sports has ever seen.
HUNT: All right. Coy Wire for us -- Coy, always love having you. Thank you so much for being here.
All right, my panelists here in THE ARENA. CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams; Capitol Hill correspondent at Puck News, Marianna Sotomayor; former DNC communications director Mo Elleithee, CNN political commentator, and Republican strategist Brad Todd.
We're also joined by CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan.
Welcome to all of you. Thank you for being here.
Christine, can you dig in a little bit for us on sort of the political nature of this? I mean, it's pretty clear FIFA is a political organization in addition to being a sports organization. and that there is something going on here with the ways in which they make these decisions that seems to have a lot more to do with things that are not just what happens on the pitch.
[16:05:00]
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Well, that's right, Kasie. FIFA is one of the most corrupt organizations in sports history. You'll recall the Department of Justice actually indicting, arresting FIFA officials to the point where those officials knew they couldn't touch U.S. soil. They couldn't come to the United States for events because they'd probably get arrested if they came. Things have changed dramatically now under President Trump, for sure.
And this is absolutely unprecedented. As you know, I've got covered Olympic sports and international sports going all the way back to the mid-1980s. I have seen some doozies. I have seen cheating and corruption and craziness and nonsense, but never before have I covered a story -- I'm not saying it hasn't happened -- but I couldn't remember, a couple colleagues I asked, where we have seen a head of state get involved with a field of play decision.
Not talking about Jimmy Carter and the boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980. That's different. Not talking about Tony Blair or Barack Obama obviously wanting their cities, Chicago and London, to win Olympic bids in 2012. That's different.
We're talking about an on the field of play decision that Donald Trump entered and the slippery slope, frankly, that comes out of that. Not only, of course, does it really hurt the goodwill the United States has had around the world. I mean, Europeans are enraged and furious about this decision. All the Scots drinking all the beer in Boston, you know, going to baseball games in Miami, the Norwegians in Houston, there's been a palpable shift now in the view of this World Cup by people from around the world.
It's a very different thing. There may well be an asterisk put up against this U.S. team, but also moving forward, the next big sports event in the United States, the Olympics in two years in Los Angeles. Will Donald Trump want to medal there? Will he want to change a gymnastics controversy decision, controversial decision? Will he want to change something in swimming or track and field there's some controversy there?
That's why this is absolutely fascinating to see something like this play out in a sports field of play decision, not the normal political realm that we're so used to with these organizations at the top of their organizations with the President of the United States.
HUNT: Yeah, it has been remarkable. In fact, I was flying out of Boston Logan Airport, and right next to the FIFA mugs was a stand of ranch dressing, which was available for sale in all sorts of different sizes and forms.
I mean, Christine, what motivation might FIFA have for giving President Trump what he wants here?
BRENNAN: Well, he's very powerful, obviously. That's not a newsflash from a sports journalist to a group of wonderful seasoned political reporters. It's also, you know, he has been so involved with sports in his entire life, more than any other president, owning all these golf courses, obviously, wanting to own an NFL team, had a USFL team. I covered something called the Tour de Trump back 30 some years ago, a bike race that ended in Atlantic City.
Donald Trump is so linked with sports more than any other president, more than Gerald Ford or people that played sports. You know, that's that it's his business. And then he has curried favor with Gianni Infantino and vice versa, the Peace Prize that FIFA made-up and then gave to him.
So this relationship has been fostered. But the difference here now is the way the world is looking at Trump and the World Cup and the United States based on Trump's inserting himself in this. That's the part that's different with the buddy-buddy part that they had before.
HUNT: Yeah. All right, so we've got some World Cup fans at this table, certainly Elliott.
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Oh, yes.
HUNT: What does this mean for the tournament?
WILLIAMS: This is bad, bad, bad for the tournament. And let's be clear, and Christine, to her great credit, and this is why she's such a pro at this, referenced field of play several times. We are all in agreement, I think, that it was an awful call that was made on the field that day. And the manner in which the refs and the virtual review handled it was just terrible. It was poorly done.
But the problem is that all of us as sports fans, and I know all of your sports loyalties have victims and, frankly, the winners of bad calls in our lives. That's part of the game. That's part of how it works.
When we go down the road of political leaders meddling in what happens on field, it's a dangerous thing for competition and for sports. And, you know, I will note that this is the first time, probably in world events, that the United States was a Cinderella. There was actually tremendous goodwill around this country as an athletic endeavor, as a country and whatever else, and that's gone. We have lost any sort of sense of underdog pluck that we had with anyone else in the rest of the world other than a subset of American fans. This is really bad for the sport.
HUNT: Mo, are you a soccer fan?
MO ELLEITHEE, FORMER DNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I'm a fan every World Cup, and I've been watching the games and the matches, not just the U.S. I'm rooting for Team USA.
I -- like Elliott, think it was a terrible call, frankly. I'm actually-- I'm excited to see him play. I just hate how we got here. And I hate -- for all the things that Elliott just said, but also the precedent that it sets for the future.
If this is a precedent that the host country gets to exert some political pressure on FIFA, which is let's be honest, known to be not the most kosher of --
HUNT: Well, Christine said, most corrupt organization --
WILLIAMS: Oh, without a doubt.
HUNT: - one of in sports history.
ELLEITHEE: So if this is the new press -- in 2034, I think it is, Saudi Arabia is hosting the World Cup, a regime that uses sport as an arm of the state. It's known to gloss over pretty terrible human rights issues. Do they get to pick up the phone?
BRAD TODD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, they will. Of course, they will, because it's FIFA.
(LAUGHTER)
TODD: I'm a sports enthusiast, but a soccer critic, and I think if you're a soccer head, you deserve this, because soccer leaves so much subjective judgment in the hands of a tyrant referee and an obtuse FIFA world body, and soccer fans always tell you, oh, that's just part of the game.
Well, guess what? Your tyrant power at the top is now showing up, and that FIFA's head gets to reverse a call, but at least it's a just reversal. At least the call actually is going the way it should go now.
HUNT: Marianna, you, of course, come from a family, long line of soccer enthusiasts. Beyond that, and Christine talked a little bit about how the Europeans are feeling about this, but this is a global game, right? You know, Argentina, one of the -- I cannot -- I've heard so much about Lionel Messi in my house because I have a six-year-old son, OK? I've been reading the whole history about it.
But what has the reaction been among those you've talked to? And among -- you know, you also obviously covered Capitol Hill, which is why you're sitting here otherwise. What has the reaction been for members of Congress to what the president did?
MARIANNA SOTOMAYOR, CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT, PUCK NEWS: I mean, look, it's interesting to see what members of Congress have said, which is not much. They don't want to criticize this. I think, as Americans, yes, we are so excited to see Balogun play tonight because it was a pretty egregious Nobody wanted to see our best striker out for this game, but I haven't seen even Democrats point to the president and say, oh, my gosh, he is so corrupt, or, you know, trying to stick him with the usual talking points and attacks, because people are excited to see what's going to happen.
I will say on a personal level, when I saw that Trump made the call for this to happen, I was like, man, it's July 4th weekend. I didn't want even politics involved in my soccer. But this is the reality, as he pointed out at FIFA.
It is a reminder that FIFA is a pretty -- not even a pretty -- it is a corrupt organization. And for reforms to come, to make it a more fair game, which everyone is hoping for around the world, oh, my gosh, there's going to be you need to basically restart the whole organization.
TODD: Put the clock on the screen in the discretionary time.
HUNT: Naturally, because this has become political with the president inserting himself. Our political media ecosphere has responded to it.
This was Dave Portnoy, okay, Barstool Sports, talking about his reaction and what he thinks -- how he thinks Americans should react. Let's watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVE PORTNOY, FOUNDER, BARSTOOL SPORTS: If you are against this and you're a United States citizen, Deported. I want you out of the country. If you have a problem with this guy playing, because you're letting politics get in the way, and you're like Trump placed a phone call, and you think this is wrong, deported. I want you on the first bus plane train. See you. Go live somewhere else. This is about winning soccer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Elliot?
WILLIAMS: The problem is it's not about Donald Trump. It's about political interference in FIFA. And I want to use the example -- well, this isn't the first time this has happened, which people will say. It happened once before with Cristiano Ronaldo, also literally one of the most famous people on the planet. Talk about how big it is.
FIFA finds ways to get the people who have the eyeballs and the money to play, and it's a dirty business, and we played it, and we played into this dirty business, and it's disgusting. It's bad for the sport, it's bad for global competition, it's bad for people who just like watching guys kick a ball around.
You can't make an argument that when political leaders start picking up the phone and saying, well, I didn't agree with that call, so, you know, look, I think we ought to switch it. It's just awful.
TODD: But Trump knows what FIFA is. If he hadn't made the phone call, he would have been not doing his job as president. He should advocate for it. I would hope any president --
WILLIAMS: Oh, come on.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: But I just think this idea that, well, it's a dirty organization, and so the way to play with dirty organizations is to be dirty, too, and put the thumb on the scale of athletic competition, that's just not a road we ought to go down.
(CROSSTALK)
ELLEITHEE: This did happen before in the 1960s when, I think it was Brazil, the head of state called FIFA to overturn a suspension, and it got lifted.
[16:15:00]
And so FIFA instituted a rule in the name of reform to prevent that from happening again, which they just overturned in this instance, right? So it just goes to show, to your point, people will do what it wants to do, when it wants to do it, if it thinks it's in the interest of fear.
WILLIAMS: And let's be clear, a lot of things the president talked about in his remarks today were about, well, the ratings are great, and we're doing so great, and we're so hot, and we got to have our stars on the field. That is just not the reason a world leader ought to be weighing in.
And I want to separate this from what anybody thinks about Donald Trump, or is it Democrats or Republicans? This is just not when it comes to bad calls and what happens on the athletic field. This is why Christine kept talking about field of play. It's just dirty.
HUNT: Christine, is the bottom line here that, I guess, I think the question I have as a political campaign reporter is, did they do this because they're trying to curry favor with Donald Trump, or did they do this because at the end of the day, FIFA wants its big names on the field, because that's what's good for FIFA, and that in this case, Donald Trump's interests just happened to line right up with FIFA's?
BRENNAN: Kasie, I think if Donald Trump had not placed the phone call, that Balogun would not be playing. I think Donald Trump's role here is so huge, as many of the panelists have been saying. that you just can't ignore that. If no call gets placed, then the ruling stands.
And, you know, there's nuance here, obviously, that some commentators don't want to pay attention to, like our friend Dave Portnoy, who literally, you can hate the decision to have Balogun be red-carded. That was wrong. I thought it was wrong. Most people thought it was wrong, certainly in the United States.
But then you can also dislike the way this has happened. You can have those two conflicting points, or not even conflicting, you can have those two point of views. And I think it's important to say that because, again, this is something that I have never covered at this level, at this magnitude.
And what does it do, Kasie? It hurts the U.S. team. The great joie de vivre, the way that they were being left around, as Elliot was saying, around the world, that has changed. There may well be an asterisk now put against any. If the U.S. wins tonight, there'll be European newspapers and others, and maybe Donald Trump and many Americans don't care what Europe thinks, or Asia, or the rest of the world, but the soccer community does.
That's an international world, and that's where this really hurts. So those are great, waving the red, white and blue, the flag, hey, I'm an American, and I'm proud of it, and you're not happy about the decision, FIFA decision, that's one thing.
But the way this happened actually hurts the U.S., those wonderful men on the U.S. team who were the ones that gave up some of their salary so that the U.S. women's national team could have equal pay. That's how great these guys are, and they deserve better than opposed to be put in this kind of incredibly bizarre and fascinating controversy.
HUNT: All right, Christine Brennan, very grateful to have your perspective today. Thank you very much for being here.
The rest of my panelists can stand by. Coming up next, Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell will join us
here live in THE ARENA to talk about the Senate primary in her home state. One fewer of these Democrats is in the race, and it's a big deal.
Plus, what the administration is now saying after white supremacists descended on D.C. for the July 4th holiday, we'll talk to someone who just happened to be riding the metro when those masked men boarded his car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG BURGUM, INTERIOR SECRETARY: There are plenty of things that I see that I might personally find offensive, irreprehensible, but in America, free speech is allowed. There are protests on the Mall that people say things that I think are irreprehensible about President Trump, and yet they're allowed to go on because of free speech in our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:23:24]
HUNT: This weekend, in the midst of the country's 250th birthday festivities, a stark and disturbing display emerged from our nation's capital on Saturday, when masked members of the white supremacist group, the Patriot Front, marched through Washington, D.C., carrying Confederate flags and shouting slogans like, quote, "Reclaim America".
One photographer captured this stunning, now viral, photo of a young Black woman sitting on a Metro car while the masked men surround her.
Joining our panel now is Roswell Encina, who was also photographed riding the Metro next to Patriot Front members over the weekend.
Roswell, thanks very much for joining us.
ROSWELL ENCINA, WITNESSED PATRIOT FRONT ON D.C. METRO: Thank you for having me, Kasie.
HUNT: Can you take us inside? I mean, I think when we see that photo, it's silent. You see these people standing in their masks. You see this woman sitting there.
What was it like to sit on a train car like that?
ENCINA: It was very unsettling, as you can imagine, very uncomfortable. I was heading towards Maryland to the new Carrollton station. If you live in Washington, that's the last stop on the line.
It was full of just normal tourists and families from Washington, all in red, white, and blue, ready to go to the Mall or get off at Capitol South by the Capitol. When they emptied out, I realized, oh, that was fine. It was nice seeing parents with their kids babies just celebrating the 4th of July. Then after they left, the car pretty much emptied up.
At the next stop, I saw this mass amount of men in masks and hats and sunglasses. And it was very unnerving. I probably kind of froze there when they were all kind of boarding, not knowing what was happening.
And I had no idea who they were. So I was naturally nervous when a big group of unidentified people walk in.
HUNT: And you ended up in some photographs taken by a Getty Images photographer. What did it say to you that there was a photographer there?
ENCINA: That's when it alarmed me. This is something, you know, but the photographer also gave me some comfort knowing that somebody was there with a camera, just in case something happens because I was realizing, if anything happens, I won't be able to identify any of them, because they're all dressed the same.
So it made me realize to start paying attention. What are they wearing? What's on their hats? What's on their shirts? Just to give me an educated idea who they were.
And I was texting some friends, this is happening. I just want you to be aware that I'm in the middle of a metro by myself. So if anything happens, you know what's happening.
WILLIAMS: Do you have any thought as you're on the train as to who they might be? I know you said you didn't know who they were, but what were you speculating when you see a bunch of white guys with masks in half?
HUNT: Clearly, they needed to cover their faces for a reason, right?
ENCINA: My mind immediately went to that they were white supremacists. And I worked for the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
So my first thing is -- I need to remember this and try to document of what's happening. I'm not comparing myself clearly to real American heroes like Rosa Parks and folks who sat in at diners in the '50s and '60s, but I knew this was a moment that I have to kind of be present, turn off whatever I was listening to on my earbuds, and make sure I was aware of what was happening.
ELLEITHEE: I'm sure their presence was unsettling, but how did they behave on the train? And what sort of sense did you get from them on the car?
ENCINA: They were surprisingly very civil and very organized. They were just chatting among themselves like any other people who were sitting or traveling using the metro. I -- just from what I could hear, many of them didn't even know each other. I could hear them introducing themselves to one another with their full names and asking where they're from and how they're doing.
WILLIAMS: Hey, one more question for you. Any insight into the woman who's photographed? Did you see her? No? ENCINA: No. That's another reason. I really was just by myself, I think, in the car, along with the Getty photographer. And because there were about 400 of them, so I'm assuming they took over several metro cars of that train. And it's one of the reasons I decided to talk about this. That image of that young woman is very compelling and very powerful.
And clearly, as my position at the Capital Historical Society, I do have a platform to talk about this and give my insights on the history and the civics that are connected to all this. But this young woman does it.
HUNT: You, of course, posted a little bit about your own personal story. And These were people -- these are people who were here to, say, reclaim America. But the story you have has been considered a quintessential American story. How does that fit with your experience with this?
ENCINA: I mentioned in my social media post that I moved to this country when I was an infant. I was a year old. My father was serving in the U.S. Navy, and my mother, so we all moved to Connecticut. It's the quintessential American story.
So my father was being stationed back and forth between the Philippines -- the US base in the Philippines and back here in the States. So I remember when I turned 18, we were living in the Philippines. And he brought me to the U.S. embassy to vote in the 1988 presidential election. I just turned 18. I was very excited to do it.
So since then, I've been very kind of not taking civic engagement and voting for granted. You know, as we've all learned, too many people have died and fought for that right, especially for women and for people of color to vote in this nation.
So as this was all happening, on the 4th of July, it really was a big moment to reflect on not only my personal life, but of the nation.
HUNT: Yeah. Brad Todd, were you surprised by how the administration responded to this. In fact, before I ask you that, let me play what Doug Burgum, the interior secretary, had to say to our colleague, Dana Bash, here on CNN on Sunday. Let's watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURGUM: One of the foundational principles of the United States which makes democracy messy is free speech. And there are plenty of things that I see that I might personally find offensive, irreprehensible. But in America, free speech is allowed, and this is by the whole spectrum of things.
DANA BASH, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Will you recommend to the president that he condemn this group?
BURGUM: Part of my response to that is that there are protests on the Mall that people say things that I think are irreprehensible about President Trump, and yet they're allowed to go on because of free speech in our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Brad?
TODD: It's easy to condemn them, and I would condemn them instantly. And I think, but the rest of his comments are right. And if you live in Washington, D.C., as we all do, you know, the Metro any given day is full of fruits and nuts who are coming here really angry about something.
[16:30:05]
I remember taking my kids to an inaugural in 2017, they were quite small. I just wanted them to experience history. And as you remember, there were more protesters probably downtown than there were supporters of the president. And they were very angry and they were very profane. And they were, frankly -- frankly, it was not appropriate, some of the things they were saying. I remember thinking this is really a bad parenting moment for me to have my kids out in this mess.
So, I don't think it's unusual for people to come to Washington to say controversial things. I condemn these guys and I condemn what they think and what they say. But that is part of a free society, is to have this open public square where you can come and say things that other people are going to find reprehensible.
HUNT: So on your point about an open public square, I want to play this moment from "The View" earlier today. Because one thing about free speech, of course, is that, yes, you put your face out there. You say what you have to say. These people did not.
Let's watch this moment that includes one of our CNN colleagues, Alyssa Farah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUNNY HOSTIN, CO-HOST, THE VIEW: That, for me, was a defining image of modern America for Black Americans. As a Black woman, I'm sitting there in my country, and that's the type of fear I have to experience. And come on.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CO-HOST, THE VIEW: And, by the way, show your face. I'm not one to call name, but these losers, need to take off their marks. They're little old man, Kathy (ph).
Show your face if you're going to be a bigot.
(ED VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Show your face if you're going to be a bigot.
WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, look, I'll agree, it's their free speech right to cover their face, and sometimes the law allows you to cover your face, but it's an act of cowardice. These people are cowards, and we ought to say that. So --
TODD: That's like using pseudonyms on social media or newspaper comments. You shouldn't do that either. You should use your own name.
WILLIAMS: No egg for a profile photo. Put your face out there and be honest. No, I just -- no, absolutely. So, it is what it is.
You know, back to the free speech point, I think the secretary, everything he said was right to a point. If he just said free speech and free speech is messy and we have the right to speak in this country, that's great. And that was perfect and accurate. Then he went into this thing almost equating criticism of Donald Trump with white supremacy. And it's just not on par.
That's what I would call acceptable political speech. Of course, one can be critical of a political leader. We're talking about vicious vile conduct here that sometimes can be criminal, and I just think the secretary tiptoed up to almost suggesting that they're one and the same, and they're just not.
ELLEITHEE: And everyone's right to say they have a right to free speech.
WILLIAMS: They do, yeah.
ELLEITHEE: So does the president. And he chose not to exercise his free speech on this issue. It's not like he's got a problem doing that in general, right? He'll jump on Truth Social to criticize anybody and everybody who disagrees with him.
As far as I can tell, Secretary Burgum has been the only voice of the administration to really speak out on this. And the fact that the president, on America's birthday, didn't stand up to lift up American ideals that these guys are antithetical to is disappointing.
HUNT: Well, and I think it's also worth noting, and we saw this in the run-up to January 6th, that there are people who hear what the president says, stand back and stand by. They hear what he doesn't say. And they certainly interpret it as a permission structure from the very highest levels of our government that in the past has been something that has not been there, or at least not in the recent past, as we have grappled with all of this.
All right. Roswell Encina, thank you so much for spending some time with us.
ENCINA: Thank you for having me.
HUNT: Really appreciate it.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:38:03]
HUNT: All right, welcome back.
We have breaking news on Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, Graham Platner. This is a critical Senate race that could decide control of the Senate. And we can now report that a new accuser has come forward against Graham Platner.
She has spoken to our Jake Tapper. And that interview is going to air next hour right here on "THE LEAD".
Now, here is what Platner is saying, knowing that these new allegations are out there. He posted this online just a few moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM PLATNER (D), MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false. Over the last 10 months, I have been deeply humbled by the faith Mainers have put in me. You have welcomed me into your homes, into your places of work, into your restaurants, into your houses of worship.
You have shown that a different kind of politics, one that puts the interests of people over corporations, is not just possible, but is inevitable. This movement we have built, the largest volunteer base in the history of Maine politics, the hundreds of thousands of grassroots donors and the supporters across the ideological spectrum, we were united in a love of Maine, a belief that our politics must change, and a focus on defeating Susan Collins.
So, 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.
[16:40:00]
On June 9th, 154,058 Mainers, the most in primary history, voted to reject a broken politics beholden to Washington and the donor class. They voted for hope, for change, to take back our economy, to take back our power, and to take back our Senate seat.
Throughout it all, you never turned your back on me. And I will not turn my back on you now. Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated. And we will use every tool at our disposal to do so. As Maine goes, so goes the nation. As always, thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right. Joining us now is Democratic congresswoman from Michigan, Debbie Dingell.
Congresswoman, thank you so much for being here. I want to talk about the race in your home state of Michigan in just a
second, which, of course, has had kind of its own revelations. But let's start with what we're just learning here in Maine.
And again, our Jake Tapper did spoke -- did speak to a woman who has new allegations that will be walked through, of course, next hour on "THE LEAD".
But it does, of course, speak to this bigger picture that's been painted of the candidate there, of Mr. Platner. And of course, Senate Democratic leaders had wanted to support Maine Governor Janet Mills instead of Platner. But it was clear that the voters in Maine in the Democratic primary were behind him. What are the ramifications of this?
REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): So like many people, including the candidate that we just heard from, I'm trying to process it because -- I mean, this ultimately isn't -- this is up to the people of Maine and they spoke loud and clear at the beginning of June that they want change. They want someone who's going to stand up to Donald Trump and is going to get change in a United States Senate that is a rubber stamp and not stepping up for the American people in votes that they're taking every single day.
I've spent my life, as you know, living in a home that had violence of fighting for women and men too, but for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. So I am never going to say that that is OK.
The candidate is denying these charges. We've got to be careful. We don't know what all the facts are, but women find themselves afraid to come forward because it just gets complicated.
What I do know, he said he's taking a step back and that was a very powerful statement. He understands the need for change and what his path forward is. We need change in the United States House and the United States Senate.
I will always be concerned about domestic violence allegations, sexual assault allegations. But I'm also we got a man in the White House that's a predator has been convicted of sexual assault and people's lives are being impacted by this every a single day. So it's a very complicated situation. And it is ultimately up to the people of Maine, who I suspect he is going to talk to and listen to.
HUNT: Did you hear the statement that he made as one that could include him dropping out of the race?
DINGELL: I'm not going to interpret what he was saying. He was very clear that he was looking at a path forward. And it sounds to me that this isn't as much about his winning as it is getting a win for the people of Maine and the people in this country that we need change in the United States Senate.
HUNT: One element of this, of course, is that there have been people in the Democratic Party during the Trump era. Or even perhaps people who historically have supported Democrats -- maybe they don't even consider themselves members of the party -- but critics who have said, Republicans are playing by a different set of rules. Trump is playing by a different set of rules. We have to stop defending rules and norms and fight as hard as they are willing to fight. And you've seen a little bit of that debate play out here in Maine.
Do you think that Democrats need to be willing to not play by the traditional rules that have said that this kind of thing should be out of bounds for a candidate? Obviously, Donald Trump, there was the "Access Hollywood" tape, and then he got elected. Then there was January 6, and he got elected again.
But at the same time -- I mean, you know, Democrats have repeatedly said, you know, those are not things that we accept.
[16:45:00]
Where are you on this?
DINGELL: I'm never going to accept sexual violence or domestic violence, so let me be very clear on that. But I also thought Bill Clinton couldn't get elected, and I do believe we have to fight fire with fire. I don't think we should see redistricting more than once a decade after census, but we can't sit on the sidelines as they are destroying this country and stealing African-American votes and gerrymandering for their own sake.
You've got to fight fire with fire. I have a different style. Representative government means that you have all kinds of people in that fight. Now, I am tough, and I will stand up to anybody, and I am the only elected official that ever wrote an op-ed saying why it's important to stand up to Donald Trump.
I may not have the same style as some of the other candidates that you've seen, but we all know what we have to do, which is have to protect the American people, stand up for our democracy, stand up for people that are being hurt every day with exorbitant costs of everything in their life, and also make sure that we are defending our democracies, our basic liberties, and not going to let billionaires be -- there's so many words that I have right now. So we do have to not be afraid to stand up to Donald Trump.
HUNT: I want to ask you about the Senate race in your home state of Michigan, because, of course, there were three candidates, strong candidates. Mallory McMorrow, being one of them, just decided to drop out of the race, leaving Haley Stevens and Mr. El-Sayed left in the race.
In your view, what impact does Mallory McMorrow's decision have on that primary? Because, of course, it's also another example of one where the establishment in Washington has been behind Stevens. The progressive energy hasn't been there.
DINGELL: So it's not clear right now. Mallory -- Mallory ran a good race and had a right to be in this race. If you talk to the Abdul team, they think this helps them. If you talk to the Stevens team, they think that it helps them. I think they have a debate --
HUNT: What do you think? You have the best political brain in Michigan.
DINGELL: I don't know. Okay, I've been -- you want to know the truth? I have been out there. I have been out and about for 24 hours, and I cannot tell.
I think the debate tomorrow night is going to be absolutely critical for both of them. There are issues that I am very worried about. Michigan is a purple state. Each of them appeals to people on different issues. Who's going to show up? Who's going to turn out the dynamics?
It's a month away. Now, absentee ballots are out, so some people are starting to vote. But you know, it's just I'm watching it and I would say that they are head to head right now and neither of them have won.
HUNT: All right, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, always grateful to have you. Thank you very much for being here. Hope you'll come back soon.
DINGELL: Thank you.
HUNT: All right. My panel is back.
Mo Elleithee, how do you interpret what is unfolding here? Because obviously, for Platner in Maine, Maine, also a purple state, Susan Collins, a longtime incumbent, very tough fighter on the campaign trail. He seemed to acknowledge in that video, you know, control of the Senate for Democrats runs through the state of Maine. And some of this. may really affect his ability to win in a general election.
ELLEITHEE: Yeah, there's three things I'm thinking about. Number one, I'm not OK with Donald Trump in large part because of the similar accusations that he's faced. I'm not OK with Graham Platner.
I'm not. I said it before the Maine primary that I wouldn't have voted for him if I was a Maine voter. And to me, the escalating cascade of stories about him is very worrisome to me. So that's number one.
Will Maine voters continue to give him a pass, or will they finally say, this is not my guy?
Number two -- look, I'm a huge Debbie Dingell fan. I think our government would be a whole lot better if there were more Debbie Dingells in the House and in the Senate. Because she's someone who clearly comes from political establishment, but she is bold. And that's what I think voters are saying this cycle.
And both the Republican and Democratic primaries, they're tired of timidity. They're tired of incrementalism. They want something bold and change in the Democratic side. They want someone who can be a bold fighter.
If the establishment doesn't get that soon, then we're going to be forced to deal with more people like Graham Platner in our party.
[16:50:00]
And I don't think we want that.
HUNT: All right, so let's dig in a little bit on what is now newly being alleged against Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine.
So CNN is now reporting, and our Jake Tapper has spoken with a woman who on Monday said that Graham Platner entered her home without permission and raped her while she was into heavily, while he was, excuse me, heavily intoxicated nearly five years ago. They had been dating casually.
Now, Platner denies this allegation. We played the video of Platner denying this earlier in the program. The woman, Jenny Racicot, who is 41 years old, said that the attack occurred in the Maine town where she was living in 2021. And this was two years after she and Platner had began casually dating.
And of course, this interview is going to air in just a few minutes on "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER", which begins at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time here.
She said that one night in November or December of 2021, Platner arrived drunk at her house after she asked him not to come and then forcibly had sex with her, despite her repeated demands that he stop. At one point, he knocked over a sewing cabinet. When she confronted him the next morning, she says, he said he did not remember what had happened.
So these are, of course, very serious allegations, Elliot Williams, that, you know, as our lawyer at the table, I mean, they actually potentially have significant ramifications of criminal behavior. And then, of course, we have been able to talk about the political ramifications here without, you know, some of these details. Really, really difficult allegations here.
WILLIAMS: Very difficult allegations. Certainly could be crimes depending on the jurisdiction, depending on how long the statute of limitations is.
But I want to be careful here. People often rush to -- well, it's just hearsay, or well, it's not a crime, well, he hasn't been charged or convicted with a crime. Who cares when we're talking about public opinion and whether someone is fit to serve as a senator of the United States? So, yeah, maybe you can't convict him based on the evidence of one person right now in an interview with Jake hereafter, but that's not the point.
And I think, frankly, the Maine -- voters in Maine really have a decision to make here. Is this what you want representing you, given the quantum of folks who seem to be coming forward with incredibly, increasingly troubling stories? No, they're not proven in a court of law, but is this what you want circling over your senator. I think the answers are pretty clear. Well, I think you know what I think.
HUNT: Yeah.
Marianna?
SOTOMAYOR: Well, I think something, if we step back and look at all of this, there is an important deadline coming up, which is next Monday at 5:00 p.m. If Platner decides to step aside, Maine Democrats can appoint a new candidate by the end of the month. But he has to do it by a week from today. And that's a little bit of what I'm hearing is, like, is this the timing of these stories coming forward because there is now just a limited amount of time for Maine Democrats if he, again, decides to step aside to try and find someone? Is that Janet Mills? Is that someone like Jared Golden, who would be, I think, maybe more of a consensus, potentially more competitive, a Democrat against Susan Collins?
But again, these are all hypotheticals. And I think Democrats, as Debbie Dingell pointed out, are in a place of just trying to process what is happening. But there is this bigger question, Mo, that you pointed out.
And I've heard it from so many Democrats, who some publicly have said what you said, condemning this kind of behavior, this equivocation. And they, by many Democrats, many liberal Democrats, get attacked. I mean, I'm just thinking of Congressman Jake Auchincloss, who on CNN I think a month ago said, I'm not going to support -- yeah, I'm not going to support Platner.
HUNT: That was over the Nazi tattoo, which was another issue --
SOTOMAYOR: Yeah, eviscerated --
(CROSSTALK)
HUNT: -- basically of Graham Platner.
SOTOMAYOR: Eviscerated. It kind of had to step back. So this is not an issue that's going to go away, even if the --
TODD: Democrat operatives have been there, like Mo said, where you've been. But Democrat senators have not had that kind of courage.
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have crammed Platner down the throat of the Senate Democratic Conference, and they took it. Kirsten Gillibrand controls the purse strings at the DSCC. She knew about this woman because this woman was in "The New York Times" before the primary, saying that Graham Platner had engaged in reckless behavior that left her unsettled, and she cut off the contact. Gillibrand still stuck with him, even though she's the one that chased Al Franken out of the Senate.
I think that the real pressure here has got to be the profiles and lack of courage by the U.S. Senate Democrats.
WILLIAMS: Yeah, and also -- HUNT: Hold on one second. I mean, Mo, how would you explain -- I mean,
Brad's point about what Kirsten Gillibrand did, as somebody who was a very strong voice about this, I mean, why did she do what she did around this? I mean, why are Democrats the Senate Democratic establishment acting the way they are regarding this race?
[16:55:00]
ELLEITHEE: I think, one, we are seeing the appetite to regain control of the Senate is so strong because the stakes are so high. Number one, flat out. Number two, I think a lot of the establishment is afraid of the insurgents in the party because they saw what happened to the Republicans.
WILLIAMS: I was just going to say, this is part of what sickens people about politics. It's, you know, the Nazi tattoo, not so bad, but nobody said anything about a Nazi tattoo with some rape allegations. That's totally -- I just -- it's mind boggling.
HUNT: Well, on that note, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNT: All right, Jake Tapper is standing by for the lead. And of course, Jake, you have a major interview coming up on your show.
