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Colombia soccer fans invade Vancouver ahead of World Cup Round of 16 clash with Switzerland
I feel like, perhaps more so than any World Cup I can remember, the stars of the show haven't just been on the pitch; fans have taken a starring role in some of the best videos and images of the tournament.
Now Colombian fans are adding themselves to my personal list of tournament all-stars — along with the Tartan Army, any fan who discovered the wonders of Buc-ee's, and that one Mexican fan who dunked his head in a cotton candy machine — with a wild display in Vancouver.
Colombia will take on Switzerland in the final match of the Round of 16 on Tuesday afternoon in Vancouver, and boy, is the Colombian fanbase well-represented.
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They turned up outside the team's hotel, and frankly, I saw shades of Beatlemania.
I haven't seen the streets of Vancouver that wild since just after Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
Showing up outside a team's hotel has been a popular tactic this World Cup, but it was usually Mexico's fans showing up outside an opponent's hotel and making life miserable.
They did whatever they could to make sure Ecuador had trouble getting some shut-eye, and they clobbered England's bus with foam.
But this? This is a hotel visit to get your own team fired up, and that's a tactic I don't think we've seen so far.
I understand how harassing an opponent in their hotel works, but let's see if Colombian fans have reverse-engineered this phenomenon to get the fellas fired up before they hit the pitch.
Expect to see a lot of yellow in the stands when this one gets underway, but the Swiss have thrown neutrality to the wind, and they've got a pretty healthy representation in Vancouver as well.
The match gets underway Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET on Fox, with the winner moving on to face Argentina after their shocking, come-from-behind win over Egypt.
Argentina pull off one of greatest World Cup comebacks ever to avoid massive upset against Egypt
Miracles exist in the World Cup too.
Down 2-0 late in the second half, Argentina scored three goals in less than 15 minutes to come away with an improbable comeback victory to keep its back-to-back hopes alive.
Argentina had numerous opportunities in the early going, including a Lionel Messi penalty kick in the first half, but nothing could find the back of the net. Egypt, on the other hand, scored twice on just three shots.
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Yasser Ibrahim officially put the defending champs on upset alert by scoring in the 15th minute on a header off a beautiful cross, marking the first time Argentina had trailed in this World Cup.
Nearly six minutes later, Messi's left-footed penalty kick was stopped by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who made plenty of other great saves throughout the first half. Messi also had a free kick from just outside the box in the 31st minute, but it went off the post.
In the 58th minute, Egypt found the back of the net again, but it was called back due to a foul. However, "ball don't lie," and nine minutes later, Mostafa Ziko scored on an offensive push, putting Egypt up 2-0.
Apparently, that was exactly where Argentina wanted Egypt.
Cristian Romero scored in the 79th minute on a pass from Messi. Five minutes later, Messi found the back of the net himself after Argentina came away with a loose ball in front of Egypt's net, putting the squad in a frenzy and making him the first person to score in nine consecutive World Cup games.
In stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez found Enzo Fernández, who scored with an unsavable header, giving Argentina a 3-2 lead. Egypt's players and staff were not happy from the bench, and numerous cards were handed out.
It's the second time in as many games Argentina avoided a massive upset, as it took extra time to squeak by Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
Argentina will now face the winner of Colombia and Switzerland, which kicks off at 4 p.m. ET.
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Talarico campaigns with surgeon who operated on transgender minors: ‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing’
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing questions after fundraising with a "female-to-male" top surgeon who previously operated on minors shortly after saying that he does not support sex-change surgeries for children.
Talarico, a progressive Democrat, state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, is running a highly competitive race to flip a Texas Senate seat for the first time in decades. He is opposing Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton. The seat is critical to both parties’ hopes of holding a Senate majority this next session.
During an appearance on the "Unity Over Division" podcast on June 8, Talarico responded to criticisms that he supports gender transition for minors by stating, "I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors."
Days later, he participated in an Austin "Pride for Talarico" fundraiser that featured Dr. Dustin Reid, a female-to-male breast surgeon who confirmed with Fox News Digital that he previously operated on minors in "rare" cases prior to Texas banning the practice. He said that he no longer performs these surgeries in line with Texas law.
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Speaking with Fox News Digital over the phone, Reid confirmed his participation in the event in support of Talarico. He said that "in the past, on a case-by-case basis, I would do that [female-to-male surgeries on minors] but not since they made it illegal in Texas."
His practice’s website currently states he "does follow the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) standards for patients under the age of 18."
Reid clarified that, in line with WPATH's guidelines, he previously performed FTM surgeries on minors, saying "it was rare but not completely unheard of."
"There were occasions where someone would be under 18 and everyone involved in their care agreed that it was the best decision for this patient. But that was, like I said, rare because, for the most part, I like people to make the decision as an adult."
WPATH’s "Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People" state that the association recommends health care professionals suggest "gender-affirming medical or surgical treatments" for adolescents only when said minor meets a set of conditions. These conditions include that the minor "meets the diagnostic criteria of gender incongruence," which is "marked and sustained over time," that the child "demonstrates the emotional and cognitive maturity required to provide informed consent/assent for the treatment," and that "the adolescent’s mental health concerns (if any) that may interfere with diagnostic clarity, capacity to consent, and/or gender-affirming medical treatments have been addressed."
WPATH requires minors receiving sex-change surgeries to be "informed of the reproductive effects, including the potential loss of fertility."
The guidelines also state that while "in most settings, for minors, the legal guardian is integral to the informed consent process … for unique situations in which an adolescent minor is consenting for their own treatment without parental permission … extra care must be taken to support the adolescent’s informed decision-making."
As Texas attorney general, Paxton notably recently joined the state in the Federal Trade Commission’s suit, which alleges that WPATH "falsely asserts that its recommendations are the result of rigorous scientific procedures and expert consensus, even though WPATH disregarded established guideline- development standards, ignored the results of its own evidence reviews, and removed age limits in response to external pressure rather than scientific evidence."
TALARICO SAYS HE 'HATES CHRISTIANITY' IN UNEARTHED INTERVIEW WITH TRANSGENDER 'LATINX' THEOLOGIAN
Meanwhile, the website for Reid, who practices out of the Restora Austin Plastic Surgery Centre, says he has "extensive experience in FTM [female-to-male] top surgery."
The center’s website features a large picture on the top of its page on FTM surgeries showing a young individual ripping a piece of paper with the word "female."
Reid’s personal website features several before and after pictures of surgically removed breasts. The site states that "with over a decade of experience, he is known for delivering masculine, natural-looking results while providing a patient-first experience." The website claims that "patients travel from across Texas and the United States because they trust his exceptional skill—and his empathy."
"Our clinic provides an affirming, inclusive environment where your identity and goals are honored," says the website.
When asked by Fox News Digital, Reid said he could not recall how many such surgeries he performed. While saying he does not oppose the ban outright, he told Fox News Digital that "a total ban on anything in medicine can be problematic."
"For the most part, I think the bar should be higher for gender-affirming care or surgery in minority patients, but it shouldn't be banned because, like I said, there were times where on a case-by-case basis it was the right thing for the patient," he said.
While Talarico has recently come out against sex-change surgeries for children, he voted against a bill banning the practice in Texas in 2023. Around the same time, he said the ban on transgender surgeries for minors "infuriates me" and listed it as one of "the most dangerous" bills passed in Texas.
In a podcast appearance that same year, Talarico said the ban stemmed from the "Christofascism" movement. In another speech that year, he said that if Jesus visited the Texas legislature, he would say, "Blessed are the trans children who are bullied."
SHOCK POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD
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Talarico’s pride fundraiser this June also saw the participation of the Human Rights Campaign’s political action committee, which has endorsed his Senate run. The Human Rights Campaign previously opposed the Texas ban on what it called "evidence-based, life-saving health care for transgender adolescents." Today, the group holds that "medically-necessary health care for Transgender people (called gender-affirming care) is under threat nationwide."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Human Rights Campaign for comment.
Following his participation in the Austin event, Lone Star Liberty PAC spokesman Gregg Keller criticized Talarico, telling Fox News Digital he "is lying to Texans" by "claiming he doesn't support child genital mutilation surgeries after fighting for them his entire political career."
"Talarico is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and his fundraisers last month with radical transvestite surgery activists proves it," said Keller. "They are bankrolling his campaign because they know he still secretly supports their evil agenda of castrating young boys and amputating the healthy body parts of girls."
In response, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico's campaign, reaffirmed that "James opposes gender reassignment surgery for minors."
"While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and bring down costs for Texas families," Ennis told Fox News Digital.
Meanwhile, Madison Cercy, a spokesperson for Paxton's campaign, asserted that Talarico "is willing to sacrifice common sense at the altar of his extreme ideology, only to turn around and lie to Texans about the positions he has supported his entire career."
Referring to Talarico as "Talacreepo," Cercy told Fox News Digital that the Democrat "has a long history of denying biological reality, opposing protections for kids, and standing with the most radical activists in the country who have no regard for child safety."
She said that "as Attorney General, Ken Paxton has fought to protect Texas children by defending girls’ sports, taking legal action against those who perform 'transition' procedures for kids, defending parents’ rights, and holding institutions accountable when they put ideology ahead of children’s safety."
"The contrast couldn’t be clearer: Sanity vs. Extremism," she added.
Fox News Digital also reached out to WPATH for comment.
Dr Oz warns Medicare scammers are stealing billions — and your personal information could be next
Medicare fraud is a multibillion-dollar problem that government officials say threatens both taxpayer dollars and Americans’ personal identities.
In a July 6 interview with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., Dr. Mehmet Oz warned that every dollar stolen through Medicare fraud is a dollar taxpayers lose – a problem that has worsened since the COVID pandemic.
"If I had to just pick one thing to focus on to make healthcare more affordable in America, I'd go to health fraud and all the waste and abuse that accompanies it," said Oz, who is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "And just to put this in perspective, we think it's about $100 billion a year."
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Medicare fraud can include billing for services that were never provided, overcharging for medical equipment, using stolen patient or doctor information, or performing unnecessary procedures, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
As the Trump administration ramped up efforts to combat fraud, CMS reported $41.9 billion in Medicare program integrity savings in 2025, up 59% from $26.3 billion in 2024.
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Medicare fraud not only harms the federal budget and steals from taxpayers, but exposes seniors to identity theft, unnecessary care, higher premiums and reduced access, Oz cautioned.
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Removing corruption from the healthcare system will have the greatest impact among seniors, since "so much of the fraud is perpetrated against them," the administrator said.
"I'm talking about people tricking seniors to give up their Medicare beneficiary numbers, which is like a credit card basically," he said. "These scammers can take those numbers and use them for all kinds of illegitimate purposes."
"People are stealing from you by pretending to send you drugs you don't want, wheelchairs you don't need, [and] services you never asked for or don't benefit from," Oz added.
To prevent this, he shared his top advice for seniors: Do not give your Medicare beneficiary number to anybody, do not answer questions on a phone call from an unknown person and do not give away personal information.
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"These scammers are calling seniors, tricking them, and once they have key information, they can steal it," he said. "And I won't know it and you won't know it."
"We want to protect people who need these programs the most," Oz went on. "You do that by making sure scoundrels don't corrupt the systems and steal money out of the till that is designed to help folks in dire straits when they're vulnerable and in need of services."
Removing fraud could "double the life expectancy of the trust fund that makes all this possible," Oz predicted.
"If you're worried about Medicare being there when you're ready to retire in a couple decades, depending on how old you are, and you're concerned that it might not last because of all the fraud that's hitting it ... you've got a good [reason to] worry," he said.
"If we take the fraud out, we could double the life expectancy, which means you, your kids, your kids' kids ... they could all benefit from this beautiful safety net program."
Furious anti-Trump voices cheer US team's crushing World Cup defeat after red card intervention
Anti-Trump voices online are celebrating the U.S. soccer team's Monday night World Cup loss to Belgium after President Donald Trump said he intervened with FIFA to help get an American star cleared to play.
Folarin Balogun, a player who was integral to the U.S. team's success in the earlier rounds of the tournament, received a red card in a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last week after stepping on the ankle of a defender while vying for the ball.
Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked the soccer organization to review the red card, which came along with a one-game suspension that would have barred Balogun from playing Monday night. FIFA announced Sunday that Balogun's punishment would be suspended but said that Trump's call had nothing to do with the decision.
After a lackluster performance, the U.S. lost Monday night's match 4-1, leading to celebration among Trump opponents online.
"I don't follow soccer, but I hear the men's US team lost to Belgium, and that you know who tried to strong arm the officials to manipulate the outcome by voiding the suspension of that one star player," one person in a Tuesday post said of the notorious left-wing online echo chamber Bluesky.
"I'm glad we lost. [F---] our demented moronic 'leader' and [f---] his FIFA goons and [f---] the US [right now], truly."
Another user wrote on the same site: "Sad I am to admit it, but I’m glad the [U.S. Men's National Team] lost to Belgium. I could never have supported a US Team that gained victory after Trump played the Refs and attempted to Rig the outcome."
"I am glad for [Belgium]," a third user wrote. "Trump put his thumb on the scale and still lost us the game. Karma is truly a b----."
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Yet another wrote on the left-wing platform: "So glad the US lost to Belgium after the Orange Baboon tried to cheat."
One user claimed that Trump would have taken credit had the team won, which would have been "unbearable," adding, "glad the US lost."
Others took to social media before the game to proudly declare they were rooting against the American team.
Known Trump hater and film director Morgan J. Freeman was chief among them, saying in part on Bluesky, "I’m not rooting for the USA if they are cheating."
"I'm an American world cup [sic] fan, but I am now rooting against team USA," another person said.
After the U.S. team's crushing defeat this week, it will have to wait four years for a chance at World Cup redemption.
'Party Rock Anthem' singer dead at 36
"Party Rock Anthem" singer Lauren Bennett, who was also a member of the group G.R.L., died in England, the BBC reported. She was 36.
Bennett reportedly died on May 29 in Meopham, Kent, roughly one hour outside of London. Coroners scheduled an inquest for October.
Circumstances surrounding the British singer's death were not immediately available.
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Bennett's father, Richard, wrote of "deep disappointment" with the U.K.'s national health system, which "failed to treat her appropriately" after Bennett allegedly experienced a "severe reaction" to prescription medication.
"It is with a broken heart that I share the loss of my beautiful and talented daughter, @laurenbennett, the love of my life and my pride and joy," Richard shared online. "Lauren was an incredible person and artist: creative, talented, funny, and as humble as she was beautiful.
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"She was deeply loved by all who knew her and made a lasting impact on countless lives through her music, her kindness, and the way she made people feel."
Richard said that his daughter had "a very special gift" from a young age and that her achievements in the music industry went "beyond our wildest dreams and continue to make me so proud."
"Months before her death, Lauren experienced a severe reaction to a prescribed medication," he continued. "As a family, we all rallied around her and did everything we could to support her.
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"We have no suspicions regarding the circumstances of her death, only deep disappointment that, for five months, medical professionals and NHS services failed to treat her appropriately during her time of greatest need.
"Her legacy lives on through her daughter, her family, and through the music she leaves behind."
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G.R.L. first confirmed her death in a post shared Monday on Instagram, writing, "Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us.
"We will forever cherish the love, laughter, and countless memories she gave us. Her beautiful spirit touched so many lives, and she will be deeply missed and forever loved.
"Rest peacefully, sweet Lauren. You will always be in our hearts. Your GRLs, Em, Tash, and P."
Bennett first found fame singing on LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," a massive dance hit that Billboard once named its fifth most successful song of all time. The music video has more than 2 billion clicks on YouTube.
She joined G.R.L. in 2014 with Paula Van Oppen, Natasha Slayton, Simone Battle and Emmalyn Estrada, and the group released its most popular song, "Ugly Heart," in 2014.
NHL team's rough offseason gets worse as franchise legend leaves to coach for arch-rival
More than one NHL team has had a rough offseason so far, and the Ottawa Senators are among them.
The team was forced to deal captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers (keeping him in the Atlantic Division, worse yet) when it became crystal clear that he had no intention of re-signing long-term.
Sure, that stings for the fans — but at least they got 40% off of team merch if they traded in a recently-purchased Tkachuk sweater — but now a bona fide franchise legend seems to be heading to a bitter rival.
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Daniel Alfredsson is almost inarguably the greatest Ottawa Senator of all-time, with the Hall of Famer playing all but one of his 18 NHL seasons in Ottawa.
For the last three seasons, he has been an assistant on the Senators coaching staff, but now he's leaving to join — of all teams — the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed that Alfredsson is going to become an associate head coach for the Sens' cross-province rival, and team owner Michael Andlauer formally acknowledged this with a classy statement.
The Leafs made an official announcement of their own.
In the early 2000s, the Senators and Leafs played four playoff series in five seasons against each other, with Alfredsson leading the Senators against Toronto teams led by fellow Swede Mats Sundin.
Sundin is now an executive advisor to Leafs GM John Chayka, which puts the former rivals on the same side.
And for Senators fans? Pain.
There are 31 other teams in the league where I think Senators fans would say, "I hate to see Alfie leave, but I wish him the best." The Maple Leafs are not one of them.
Still, the NHL schedule is going to be released in about a week, and you can bet that a lot of people will have Toronto's first visit to Ottawa circled on their calendars.
Dems uphill climb for Senate majority just got a lot steeper with latest Platner allegation
Democrats have a narrow path to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans in this year's midterm elections.
And part of their playbook is flipping Maine — a historically moderate state that votes blue in presidential elections but whose two senators are a Republican and an Independent who caucuses with Democrats.
Graham Platner's candidacy is cratering as he faces calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to quit his Senate bid a day after Monday's explosive rape allegation emerged against him. And the latest controversy decreases the party's odds of recapturing the Senate in November.
"The forced implosion of Graham Platner does not make life any easier" for Democrats, a Republican strategist who works on Senate races told Fox News Digital.
DEMOCRATS ABANDON PLATNER AFTER BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS
Platner, a military combat veteran turned oyster farmer who was, until Monday, backed by top progressives, is the party's nominee in the race against longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in blue-leaning Maine.
The showdown is a high-profile, combustible and expensive ballot box battle, and one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in the midterms.
If Platner suspends his campaign before 5 p.m. next Monday, July 13, the Maine Democratic Party will be able to replace him on the general election ballot with another candidate from the party, whom they would need to select by July 27.
Beating Collins, who is seeking a sixth six-year term in the Senate, won't be easy.
Six years ago, public opinion polls indicated the senator was headed to defeat, but Collins defied expectations and won re-election by defeating then-Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon by nine points.
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Fast-forward to present day and the 73-year-old Collins should be vulnerable, with her party facing a rough political climate fueled in part by persistent inflation and President Donald Trump's approval ratings hovering well into negative territory.
But the Platner implosion is a gift to Collins and her party. Republicans quickly took aim at other Democrats on the 2026 ballot and attacked them for previously backing Platner.
A veteran Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital the path to take back the majority isn't any easier due to the drama in Maine, but added, "it depends on who replaces Platner."
The bombshell in Maine came a day after a political grenade exploded in the Democratic Senate primary in battleground Michigan, when state Sen. Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign.
McMorrow, who has seen her national profile expand in recent years and was running as a progressive in an ideological space between left-wing candidate Abdul El-Sayed and establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens, suspended her campaign amid faltering poll numbers and fundraising that weren't keeping pace with her two main rivals.
The Aug. 4 primary showdown between El-Sayed, endorsed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Stevens, who is backed by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is seen as the biggest battle yet between the far-left and establishment for the future of the Democratic Party.
The winner will face off in the midterm elections in November against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination. The winner will succeed retiring Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat.
The seat is a top Republican target and is a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP.
Schumer and the party establishment, which are spending big bucks to back Stevens, view her as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party's nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point.
With the race in Maine, the only state that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election that Senate Republicans are aiming to hold, looking more problematic for the Democrats, the stakes in Michigan also just got a lot higher.
Republicans currently control the Senate 53-47, which means the Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the midterms.
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The Democrats' playbook relies on flipping Maine and battleground North Carolina, plus flipping two more seats in red-leaning states like Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, or Texas.
At the same time, Democrats need to hold their open seats in Michigan and New Hampshire, and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff needs to win re-election in the critical red-leaning swing state of Georgia.
Besides providing the GOP more political ammunition, the mess in Maine is further inflaming tensions between the far-left and the Democratic establishment.
Moderate Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on Monday night took aim at Sanders, whose early endorsement of Platner last September helped boost the populist Senate candidate.
FETTERMAN DEMANDS SANDERS APOLOGIZE FOR BACKING 'PREDATOR' PLATNER
"I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator more than anyone," Fetterman said Monday on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle."
The Republican strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said the Democrats' intra-party sniping "is just further complicating their path to the majority."
McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, saw no need for 'immediate return' from China as former GOP leader hospitalized
Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao went to China and stayed there, while her husband, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was hospitalized.
Though his condition remains a mystery as rumors swirl, a spokesperson for Chao told Fox News Digital that it was not grave enough for her to cancel the trip.
"The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family's philanthropic endeavors," the spokesperson said. "During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador. The Senator's health did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S."
MCCONNELL WAS FOUND 'UNCONSCIOUS' IN HOME LAST MONTH AS CONDITION REMAINS UNKNOWN
Chao has since returned to the U.S. while McConnell has entered his third week of hospitalization. But his current condition and a timetable for his return to the Senate have not been made clear.
His office is keeping mum on what exactly is going on with the 84-year-old, the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in history, who is expected to retire at the end of his term this year. Instead, the void has been filled by an online rumor pumping speculation into what exactly is going on with the lawmaker.
Laura Loomer, a conservative commentator, claimed that a "high level source close to the White House" said McConnell was "brain dead" and that the lawmaker "isn’t ever coming back."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Loomer’s claims.
Her claim followed leaked audio from an emergency dispatch from a call on June 14, the day McConnell was sent to the hospital, that revealed that the longtime Senate Republican was "unconscious" and may have suffered a heart attack.
When asked about the veracity of Loomer’s claims, McConnell’s office shared with Fox News Digital the same statement it released a week prior.
"Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital," a McConnell spokesperson said. "The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session."
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Meanwhile, Senate Republican leaders are working to quash the rumor cycle. Both Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said they were on the phone with McConnell in the last 48 hours — the last time that both top Republicans publicly said they had spoken with McConnell was a handful of days after his hospitalization.
A spokesperson for Thune said the pair spoke by phone on Monday, and they had "a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security."
And Barrasso spokeswoman Kate Noyes said the No. 2 Senate Republican and McConnell spoke at length early Tuesday afternoon.
"Their phone call lasted roughly 20 minutes. They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits," Noyes said.
"They also discussed the Senate’s July work period, including the need to pass the NDAA and confirm President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence," she continued. "Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate."
How Graham Platner's campaign unraveled: From Reddit posts to rape allegation
U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner’s campaign is hanging by a thread following a rape allegation from a woman he previously dated, leading his political allies to call for his exit from the race.
Jenny Racicot’s rape allegations against Platner are just the latest scandal to rock his campaign, which has been riddled with controversy since October. From sporting a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest to being accused by ex-girlfriends of being physically abusive, Platner’s campaign has survived, with many of his supporters doubling down in support.
But Racicot recounted to both Politico and CNN how, in 2021, Platner, with whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship, barged into her home uninvited and intoxicated. Racicot alleged that, despite her protests, Platner had raped her.
The allegations surfaced less than a week before the deadline for Platner to withdraw from the race, after which the Democratic Party would be able to replace him with another nominee.
TOP DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFULS TURN ON PLATNER AFTER BOMBSHELL RAPE ALLEGATION
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have all pulled their support for Platner. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who endorsed Platner just 11 days after he launched his campaign and has stood by him through every major controversy, also called on Platner to end his candidacy Tuesday.
But Republicans have questioned why Democratic leadership took so long to revoke that support despite all the controversies surrounding him.
Here's a timeline of the allegations and controversies surrounding Graham Platner's Senate campaign.
Platner's first major controversy erupted on Oct. 16, 2025, after CNN uncovered years of deleted Reddit posts he made between 2009 and 2021.
The posts revealed the Democratic Senate candidate once described himself as a "communist," wrote that "all" police were bastards and argued that many rural White Americans "actually are" racist and unintelligent. Other posts reflected how his combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan had reshaped his politics, with Platner writing that America's wars had left him disillusioned and "significantly more left" than when he enlisted.
Days later, additional reporting drew scrutiny to other deleted posts, including one in which Platner appeared to downplay concerns about sexual assault. In one post, Platner wrote that people should "take some responsibility for themselves" and avoid becoming so intoxicated that they end up in compromising situations.
PLATNER IN THE HOT SEAT AS MAINE VOTERS RIP HIS 'HORRIBLE' COMMENTS AMID REDDIT SCANDAL
There are more than 2,000 posts by Platner on Reddit, which The Maine Monitor later compiled into a database.
Platner distanced himself from those posts, telling CNN at the time that he was "f------ around the internet" and that he was struggling in his return to civilian life after serving overseas in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"I don't want people to see me for who I was in my worst Internet comment — or even, frankly, who I was in my best Internet comment," Platner told CNN. "I don't think any of that is indicative of who I am today, really."
At the time the Reddit posts resurfaced, Sanders and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., stood by Platner. Gallego said Platner had "the right to grow out of his stupidity."
"There's a young man who served his country in Afghanistan and Iraq, and he went through some really difficult experiences seeing friends of his killed or whatever, and in spite of all of that he had the courage to run," Sanders said of Platner, who Sanders endorsed just eleven days after launching his campaign.
Platner faced another controversy after his campaign, seeking to get ahead of opposition research, and he released a video on Oct. 21 during an appearance on Pod Save America showing him dancing shirtless at his brother's wedding. The footage revealed a chest tattoo that critics said resembled the Nazi SS Totenkopf, or "Death's Head," symbol, prompting widespread condemnation and renewed questions about his judgment.
Platner said he got the tattoo while drinking with fellow Marines in Croatia in 2007 and believed it was simply a skull-and-crossbones design commemorating surviving combat. He said he was unaware of its association with Nazi Germany until the issue surfaced during his Senate campaign, apologized and initially pledged to have it removed before instead covering it with a Celtic knot tattoo.
The controversy intensified after subsequent reporting questioned Platner's claim that he had been unaware of the symbol's meaning, citing former acquaintances and past online activity suggesting he may have known its meaning years earlier, a claim Platner rejected.
In the aftermath, Sanders brushed off concerns over Platner’s tattoo, arguing there were more important issues.
"I'm not overly impressed by a squad of media running around saying, 'What do you think about the tattoo on Graham Platner's chest?'" Sanders told Axios.
The New York Times reported on May 30 that Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, had privately informed senior campaign officials that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with other women during the early years of their marriage, raising concerns about the political fallout.
Platner was using the app Kik to send messages and photos to women.
Former campaign political director Genevieve McDonald said Gertner told her that her husband had been exchanging sexual messages with as many as a dozen women, while another campaign official said the number was lower and that the conduct had ended before the campaign launched.
The issue surfaced during an internal vetting process ahead of a high-profile Labor Day rally with Sanders.
The discovery prompted outcry from Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who called Platner a "creeper."
However, Sanders and Schumer doubled down on their support for Platner, saying they believed he could defeat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Days after reports about sexually explicit messages surfaced, The New York Times published interviews on June 4, 2026, with six of Platner's former romantic partners, offering sharply different accounts of their relationships with the Democratic Senate candidate.
Three women described him as kind, supportive and someone who never made them feel unsafe, but three others painted a far more troubling picture, alleging volatile relationships marked by heavy drinking, infidelity and behavior they found emotionally damaging.
Former girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield said Platner sometimes grabbed her hard enough to leave marks and, during one argument, twisted her arm behind her back, pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut until she "calmed down." Platner denied allegations of physical intimidation, and the Times wrote that it could not corroborate her allegations.
In a lengthy X post, Fifield took fire at The New York Times for not adequately verifying her story. She claimed that she gave the reporters five phone numbers, but the Times reported it only reached out to two people.
"I actually understand why Democrat leaders didn't take our stories seriously when the Times reported them in June but are taking them seriously now," Fifield wrote on X. "It was by design.
"They called the two who I clarified would not know about the abuse but would be able to affirm our relationship timeline, events, etc.," Fifield continued. "They simply did not call the other three."
Fifield, a longtime GOP operative who dated Platner on and off from 2013 to 2015, faced scrutiny after coming forward with allegations that Platner was abusive. Platner's campaign and Platner himself argued her claims were politically motivated, pointing to her long history of working for Republican causes.
Racicot was also interviewed by the Times, and she alluded to the alleged sexual assault that she said occurred in 2021.
Racicot said it was the attacks on Fifield that compelled her to step forward and tell Politico the full story of her sexual assault by Graham.
When asked about the allegations against Platner, Sanders said at the National Press Club on June 8 that it's a "political smokescreen."
"Republican super PACS want to defeat him," Sanders said of Platner. "He is going to be a strong voice against oligarchy."
Platner has now lost the support of Democratic Party leaders, who continued to back him despite controversies over his Reddit posts, a sexting scandal and allegations from former partners. But the latest allegation of rape proved to be a breaking point.
Platner said on Monday that his campaign is "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward."
Fox News Digital reached out to Platner's campaign for further comment.