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Sen Susan Collins addresses controversies surrounding scandal-plagued Democratic challenger Platner
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, addressed her closely-watched race against scandal-plagued Democratic candidate Graham Platner, calling him the "antithesis" of the steady leadership she has provided Maine.
"I never expected to have an opponent like Graham Platner," Collins said in her first national interview since Platner’s nomination. "He is very different from me. He's the antithesis of the steady leadership that I provide and Washington that has delivered real results for the state of Maine and for our nation."
Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer, has spent much of his campaign on the defensive as multiple scandals have rocked his candidacy, including a chest tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol and abuse allegations from former girlfriends.
THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER'S MAINE SENATE BID
Collins’ race against Platner has become one of the most watched in the midterm cycle as top Democrats, including progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have thrown their support behind the controversial candidate.
Platner is pushing an economically populist agenda, taking aim at corporate interests and advocating for the working class during his campaign.
Collins, who is running for a sixth six-year term in the U.S. Senate, remains in a tight race with Platner in left-leaning Maine, despite his resurfaced controversies.
"There have been numerous controversies. He often denies them only to be contradicted by others who say what he told them," Collins told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum on "The Story."
"To me, one of the most appalling is his making fun of a Purple Heart recipient who had been wounded by the Taliban, lying on the war field, and he ridicules this individual. And another example, it's his treatment of women in general, and also his opposition to law enforcement. On all those issues, we could not be more different."
In response to the scandals, Platner has opened up about his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his four tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He said he's "been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend."
PENNSYLVANIA DEM REP CLAIMS GRAHAM PLATNER 'HAS DISQUALIFIED HIMSELF' FROM MAINE SENATE RACE
Collins, the Republican incumbent, revealed whether she believes Platner’s controversies disqualify him from running.
"I would have said in a different time that any one of these would have been disqualifying for someone to be a candidate to serve our country and the state of Maine in the United States Senate, whether they were Democrat or Republican," the senator said.
During Platner’s nomination acceptance speech during the primary, he accused Collins of being "just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves."
Collins argued that constituents do not want someone who engages in "angry rhetoric" representing them in Washington and said their senator should have proper "character."
"In the end, this comes down to whether you want a candidate who will go to Washington, engage in angry rhetoric every day, but not get anything done, versus my service to the people of Maine, where I have delivered real results to the people of Maine," Collins said.
"I believe that the people of Maine want steady leadership," she continued. "They want independence, and they want someone who cares deeply about the state and our country and has the character to serve."
Nancy Guthrie ransom: Harvey Levin pushes back on reports that note contained apology over her death
The recipient of a batch of suspected ransom demands in the Nancy Guthrie case is pushing back against recent reports claiming the potential abductors were apologetic over the 84-year-old's purported death.
"I wanna talk about Nancy Guthrie and some communications I had with the FBI that I haven't talked about until now," Harvey Levin said in a video posted to TMZ's YouTube Monday afternoon. "But I want to start with these reports that this ransom letter that we received kind of apologizes to Savannah Guthrie and her family for the kidnapping and that Nancy was no longer alive. That was not in the ransom note that we received."
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, whose department is the lead agency on the case, told Fox News Digital Monday that the FBI has been handling the investigation into numerous ransom demands, some bogus and some with potential to be real, since the beginning.
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He deferred comment to the bureau on the new reports, and the FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
WATCH: What The FBI Told Harvey Levin | TMZ
"It is not in that ransom note at all," Levin said of the notes sent to TMZ. "It does say that she's scared but OK. But the ransom note makes no reference to Nancy Guthrie either dying or the kidnappers apologizing."
EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT NANCY GUTHRIE'S POSSIBLE RANSOM NOTE
TMZ wasn't the only outlet to receive potential ransom demands, however. Local media also received similar messages through their online tip boxes, at least at first.
ABC News reported Monday that local media received a follow-up demand claiming that Guthrie had died and been buried.
A federal law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News Digital Monday that the FBI deposited small sums of crypto into a Bitcoin wallet to test the purported ransom demand's validity. It was not immediately clear whether the second note sender was credible — or whether any of the ransom demands were real.
They would, however, fit the "wrench attack" pattern that some investigators have floated in connection with the case, in which a "mastermind" computer hacker, probably overseas, could have hired local thugs to kidnap Guthrie in an effort to extort her daughter, "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie.
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Sunday marked 20 weeks since Guthrie's suspected abduction from her home in the Catalina Foothills north of Tucson. Her whereabouts remain unknown as of Monday.
A series of later emails, however, sent by someone claiming to have knowledge of the case, referenced Guthrie's death, Levin added.
"That is from the person who sent us multiple emails saying that he knows or knew where Nancy Guthrie was and where the kidnappers were, and he wanted money in return for information," Levin said. "We passed that along to the FBI as we did the ransom note, but this person kept sending us email. And early on, he said, time is of the essence. And then a few days after the kidnapping, he said, time is no longer of the essence, meaning she wasn't alive."
That person had asked for $100,000 for the information — far less than the $4 million ransom demand, he added.
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"This person also said that he was afraid that he might be implicated," Levin explained. "He had a burglary on his record from I think he said 11 years before, and apparently he knew these kidnappers well enough that he was afraid he might implicated."
He purportedly said he wanted the money so he could go "underground" and avoid retribution.
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That person never got any money, he said. And when he offered to have TMZ put up the money just to see if it led to any kind of resolution, he said his sources at the FBI stopped responding.
Anyone with information on Guthrie's case is asked to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. There is a combined reward of more than $1.2 million for information that cracks the case.
Tips can be provided anonymously to Tucson's Crime Stoppers affiliate, 88-Crime, at 1-520-882-7463.
Popular mommy blogger dies at 48 two years after devastating cancer diagnosis
Jill Smokler, founder of Scary Mommy, has died at age 48 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The popular "mommy blogger" had been fighting the disease for the past two years, according to an announcement posted on ScaryMommy.com on Monday.
The stay-at-home mother of three launched the blog in 2008 as a place to share the "joys and pitfalls" of parenting, according to the article.
As Scary Mommy expanded from a personal blog into a major parenting brand, Smokler built a following with her honest, often self-deprecating take on motherhood. She went on to speak at blogging conferences, author bestselling books, appear on national television programs and earn three Webby Awards, her biography states.
AGGRESSIVE BRAIN CANCER MAY RESPOND TO HIGH-DOSE VITAMIN THERAPY, STUDY SUGGESTS
"Jill spent her life telling the truth about motherhood — that it could be wonderful and impossible in the very same breath — and in doing so, she gave millions of women permission to stop pretending and feel a little less alone," her family shared in a statement following her passing.
"She was funny, fearless, generous and entirely herself. More than anything she built, Jill was proudest of her three children, Lily, Ben and Evan. We are heartbroken to lose her, and endlessly proud of the mark she left on the world."
Smokler's first sign of the disease was in April 2024, when she experienced a sudden seizure. She then underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, after which she didn't recognize her own children, she previously shared with Today.
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"I am definitely grateful that I don’t remember the looks on their faces when I didn’t recognize them," she said. "That must have been gutting."
Smokler was diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults and one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. There is currently no cure.
Following surgery, the blogger underwent radiation and chemotherapy, during which she was open about her treatment side effects, including fatigue and hair loss. Additional surgeries and clinical trials followed, according to previous interviews.
"Thank you, Jill, for everything. May you rest in peace," the Scary Mommy post concluded.
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About 13.9% of all brain tumors are glioblastomas, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. More than 12,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.
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Median survival is approximately 12 to 18 months after diagnosis, even with treatment. Only about 5% to 7% of patients survive five years after diagnosis, data shows.
The Street Profits win World Tag Team Championship with help from Seth Rollins on 'Monday Night Raw'
Street Profits are up and they have gold.
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins defeated Austin Theory and Bron Breakker on "Monday Night Raw" in London to become the new world tag team champions. It’s the fourth time they will hold tag team gold in their careers as a duo.
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The rivalry between Ford and Dawkins and The Vision had heated up ever since The Street Profits returned to WWE TV after WrestleMania 42. Their loose alliance with Seth Rollins appeared to be the biggest boon for them – whether they hated or liked each other.
Logan Paul tried to be the catalyst that helped The Vision keep the tag titles. He put Theory’s foot on the ropes to break the count. But the referee caught him and tossed him from the match. Paul’s antics weren’t finished. He tried to slide brass knuckles over to Theory before Joe Hendry got into the mix to break up the monotony.
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As the chaos ensued, Rollins’ music hit and Breakker was expecting him to come down the entrance ramp. Rollins sneaked into the ring area and took the brass knuckles out of Theory’s reach. He hit Theory with the weapon and was chased out of the ring area by Breakker. It left Theory defenseless against a two-on-one assault from the Street Profits.
Ford pinned Theory for the win, stripping away gold from The Vision. Breakker was enraged as Rollins celebrated The Street Profits’ win.
Now, one has to wonder whether The Street Profits will be by Rollins’ side as "The Visionary" walks into a steel cage match against Breakker at Night of Champions.
Russia preparing hybrid attacks on NATO's eastern flank, intelligence warns
Latvian intelligence is warning that Russia is preparing possible military provocations against the Baltic states or Poland, including drones, missiles or other hybrid attacks, in an effort to pressure NATO countries to stop supporting Ukraine.
"We see indications that Russia is preparing military provocations against the Baltic countries or Poland — not a conventional war, because Russia is not capable of that right now, but hybrid attacks, such as missiles, drones or other actions designed to send a signal: stop supporting Ukraine, or you will have your own problems," Latvian intelligence told Fox News Digital.
The most immediate concern, according to Latvian intelligence, is not that Moscow is ready for a full-scale war with NATO, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin could miscalculate because the surrounding institutions are feeding him the version of reality he wants to hear.
The Baltic states and Poland are NATO allies, meaning a Russian provocation there could quickly test America’s treaty commitments and risk a broader confrontation. It also comes as Washington and its allies weigh how far to go in supporting Ukraine and tightening sanctions on Moscow.
RUSSIAN DRONES TEST NATO'S ARTICLE 5 DEFENSE GUARANTEE AHEAD OF FRIDAY SANCTIONS DEADLINE
Latvian intelligence argues that Putin is not only looking for ways to pressure NATO countries to back off Ukraine, but may also be receiving distorted assessments from inside his own system — raising the risk that Russia could misjudge Western resolve.
"The biggest concern is miscalculation. Russian institutions are telling Putin what he wants to hear, and that creates a dangerous cycle that can lead to foolish and senseless decisions," Latvian intelligence said.
"We see more and more signs that Putin wants to receive only positive news. He is isolated, and that makes decision-making even more problematic as decisions are not based on the real situation," Latvian intelligence added.
The Latvian warning tracks with concerns raised by Polish officials during Fox News Digital reporting in June in Poland, where officials described Russia’s hybrid war against NATO’s eastern flank as already underway. Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki pointed to assassinations, drone activity, cyberattacks and attacks on critical infrastructure on NATO territory, including what he described as a Russian-instigated cyberattack on Polish energy infrastructure intended "to black out part of Poland."
Amb. Krzysztof Olendzki also described the Belarus border as part of a Russian and Belarusian campaign to weaponize illegal migration against NATO countries.
Latvian intelligence also assessed that Western sanctions are having a real impact inside Russia, despite Moscow’s public claims that it has absorbed the pressure.
"Russia says publicly that sanctions do not matter, but its own internal assessments show that sanctions are biting," Latvian intelligence told Fox News Digital. "They may not change Putin’s mindset, but they limit Russia’s financial resources and thus opportunities and force to make difficult choices regarding recruitment, military spending, and pressure on businesses. Its war economy is a crumbling ‘house of cards.’"
NATO'S EASTERN FLANK RACES TO REARM AS TRUMP PRESSURE EXPOSES WESTERN EUROPE'S DEFENSE GAP
The assessment comes as Latvia’s Constitution Protection Bureau, known as SAB, released a public report detailing how Russia is intensifying "lawfare" against the West — using courts, legal claims and international institutions to pressure Western governments, weaken support for Ukraine and create possible justification for more aggressive actions.
The report outlines Russian efforts to study Iran’s experience challenging Western sanctions through international legal mechanisms.
Russian experts have analyzed Iran’s 2016 case against the United States at the International Court of Justice and are looking for ways to adapt similar tactics against Western countries, according to the Constitution Protection Bureau.
"If you want to push Russia toward a peace deal that is acceptable to Ukraine and the West, sanctions are the right mechanism," Latvian intelligence said. "We need more international pressure on Russia through sanctions."
The Constitution Protection Bureau also warns that Russia has prepared a complaint against the Baltic States at the U.N.’s International Court of Justice, formally accusing them of discrimination against Russians and Russian speakers. Latvian intelligence believes the legal campaign is not only about the courtroom, but about building a narrative Moscow could later use as a pretext for action.
"Russia believes the Baltic States are governed by pro-American elites who are disconnected from their own people. They made a similar mistake about Ukraine before the invasion, which is why this perception worries us," Latvian intelligence said.
The Constitution Protection Bureau report argues that Russia is trying to turn propaganda into legal and political action. It describes Moscow’s planned complaint as relying on a "highly manipulative approach" to international law, including selective interpretations of international norms and what the report calls "imagined evidence" of alleged discrimination.
The concern is that Russia could use those claims to justify pressure, intimidation or hybrid operations — the same broad logic Moscow used when it claimed it was acting to protect Donbas residents before invading Ukraine.
"Currently, there are no military threats to Latvia," its intelligence said. "We are not concerned about a full-scale invasion right now. Russia would need three to five years, even if the war in Ukraine ended today, to rebuild sufficient capabilities. What worries us now are provocations — drones, missiles and other hybrid attacks."
The Russian government did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
South Carolina fitness trainer’s autopsy raises more questions about mysterious death
More questions were raised about the death of South Carolina fitness trainer Elena Katherine Moore after an autopsy failed to determine how she died and found no signs of physical trauma.
Moore, 39, was found dead last week after disappearing June 11 following a visit to a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington. Her disappearance drew widespread attention after a close friend told Fox News Digital that Moore had confided weeks earlier that she was "scared for her life."
Now, investigators say a forensic autopsy found no bruising, lacerations, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, blunt force trauma, strangulation or other external injuries.
"The autopsy did not identify an immediate cause of death," the Lexington County Coroner's Office said Monday.
The cause of death remains pending while investigators await toxicology results, microscopic tissue testing and a review of Moore's medical records.
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The findings come days after authorities identified Moore as the woman whose body was discovered near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive in Lexington County on June 17.
Investigators located the body after receiving a tip that led them to a new search area. At the time, Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green said the woman found was wearing clothing consistent with what Moore had been wearing before she vanished.
Moore was last seen June 11 after signing into a Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way around 6:40 p.m. Surveillance footage later showed her walking away from the gym toward a wooded area behind a nearby Lowe's Home Improvement store, according to police.
Friends have said several aspects of Moore's behavior before her disappearance were unusual.
"She was scared for her life. She actually said those words to me," close friend Sondra Campbell previously told Fox News Digital.
SOUTH CAROLINA DEATHS OF FORMER BLOOMBERG EXECUTIVE, WIFE AND DAUGHTER LEAVE NEIGHBORS PERPLEXED
Campbell said Moore wanted to discuss what was troubling her privately but never got the chance.
Another friend told Fox News Digital that Moore, who was typically active online, had gone unusually quiet on social media in the weeks before she disappeared.
Authorities have not said whether foul play is suspected, and no manner of death has been determined.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is continuing to investigate the case.
Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Chaos erupts on American Airlines flight as unruly passenger allegedly bites fellow traveler midair
An American Airlines flight descended into chaos Sunday morning after a passenger was accused of biting another traveler and attempting to fight others onboard.
The frantic incident erupted as Flight 3046 approached Philadelphia International Airport after departing from Charlotte, North Carolina.
An audio recording reviewed by Fox News Digital captured the pilot alerting air traffic control about the escalating situation involving the unruly passenger.
"He just bit a passenger, and he's trying to fight everybody," the pilot said in the recording posted on LiveATC.
AMERICAN AIRLINES PASSENGER WHO HELPED RESTRAIN UNRULY TRAVELER SAYS SITUATION WAS 'FIGHT OR FLIGHT'
The crew requested police and emergency medical teams (EMTs) to meet the aircraft upon landing.
The pilot said he was unsure what triggered the incident but suggested the passenger may have been experiencing a mental health crisis, telling controllers that law enforcement may be needed "just as a precaution" to assist EMTs.
"Can you pass along, we need EMTs as well as law enforcement," the pilot said.
"I don’t know… if he’s hallucinating," he added.
American Airlines confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday that the passenger experienced a medical emergency and was assisted by a medical professional onboard before the flight landed.
Additional medical personnel also met the passenger after the aircraft arrived.
"Medical personnel met American Airlines flight 3046 at the gate for a customer experiencing a medical emergency," the airline said. "We appreciate the actions of our team members and the medical professional on board who assisted the customer as the flight arrived safely at Philadelphia (PHL)."
The brief exchange between the pilot and air traffic controller ended on a lighter note, with the controller wishing the pilot a happy Father’s Day.
"What a day, huh?" the pilot said in the audio recording.
"I'll be sure to tell my daughters about this one."
Hailey Bieber strips down for Kim Kardashian's SKIMS in red-hot new campaign
Hailey Bieber left little to the imagination as she stripped down for SKIMS' latest campaign, serving up a series of sizzling looks for Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand.
Bieber starred in the campaign for Everyday Cotton line, photographed by Mert Alas.
"Hailey has a unique ability to make even the simplest pieces feel elevated," Kim Kardashian, SKIMS Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, said in a statement. "Her approach to style is effortless, which made her the perfect person to bring Everyday Cotton to life."
Hailey embraced a pared-back, minimalist aesthetic in the striking campaign-style images, showcasing effortless model-off-duty glamour with a refined edge.
HAILEY BIEBER LEAVES LITTLE TO IMAGINATION IN SHEER SAINT LAURENT GOWN
In one photo, Hailey modeled a pale blush-pink lingerie set consisting of a triangle bra and matching low-rise briefs.
For another shot, Hailey wore a black triangle bra featuring ultra-thin straps and a streamlined silhouette, paired with coordinating high-cut bottoms accented by delicate string sides. The monochromatic ensemble created a bold yet understated look, allowing the sharp tailoring and minimalist design to take center stage.
Hailey's husband, Justin Bieber, shared the campaign on his own Instagram.
The "Never Say Never" singer did not write a caption but added Foreigner's song "Cold As Ice" to the post.
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Hailey is the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin and graphic designer Kennya Baldwin.
She signed with IMG Models in 2016 and quickly became a familiar face in campaigns for major fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Guess and Ralph Lauren.
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Hailey became a household name after marrying pop superstar Bieber in 2018. The two welcomed their son, Jack, in 2024. While her relationship with Bieber brought intense public attention, Hailey has developed her own identity as a businesswoman after launching her skincare company, Rhode, in 2022.
The brand became a beauty-industry phenomenon and was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty in a deal valued at up to $1 billion, with Hailey remaining deeply involved as founder and chief creative officer.
Sports media gatekeepers try to dictate which American fans are allowed to cheer for Team USA at World Cup
The World Cup is here, the United States men's national team has already won its group, and American fans finally have a chance to rally around a team wearing red, white and blue on home soil.
So, of course, the liberal media had to make it weird.
Could this just be a cool moment for American soccer? Apparently not.
Instead, some of the usual suspects in sports media have decided the World Cup is another opportunity to push every preferred narrative: race, identity politics, Trump, MAGA, immigration, American shame, and the idea that there is a right kind of American fan and a wrong kind of American fan.
The Guardian gave probably the best example in a Sunday piece about Fox's World Cup coverage and Alexi Lalas, framing Thierry Henry vs. Lalas as "the World Cup's most compelling battle."
The headline called Henry a "French aristocrat" and Lalas an "all-American idiot."
Subtle, huh?
The piece referred to Lalas as a "MAGA hack" and positioned him as the embarrassing, loud, patriotic American ruining the world's game for everyone else. It also claimed soccer in America belongs to "migrants, urban liberals" and people "too scrawny" for other American sports. Additionally, the column compared Lalas to serial killer John Wayne Gacy. There's truly no line these people won't cross when attempting to tear down their "enemies.
But buried in all the ad hominem attacks lobbed at Lalas was the broader point the author wanted to make: Soccer belongs to them.
Not to you.
Not to the guy in a red hat. Not to the Fox viewer. Not to the American fan who calls it soccer, waves the flag and doesn't apologize for loving his country.
The Guardian doesn't just dislike Lalas' style. It goes to extreme lengths to show that Lalas represents a kind of American soccer fan the left can't stand: unapologetically American.
That can't be allowed.
For years, soccer in America has had a strange gatekeeping problem. A certain class of fans and media members wanted the sport to become more popular, but only if the right people liked it in the right way. They wanted growth, but not too much normal American enthusiasm. They wanted packed stadiums, but not too many "USA!" chants. They wanted mainstream relevance, but not Fox, Lalas, Trump voters or anyone who might prefer tailgating to a 4,000-word essay on global football culture.
Now the World Cup is here, and the USMNT is giving the entire country a reason to care with its performance on the field. Sorry, gatekeepers, I mean "pitch."
THIS IS THE USA'S ROADMAP TO WINNING THE WORLD CUP NOW THAT THEY'VE MADE THE KNOCKOUT ROUND
That should be the entire story.
But the liberal media can't help itself.
The Athletic elected to push the racial narrative in a social media post.
"Half of the U.S. men's national team is Black," the outlet wrote on X. "After decades of overwhelmingly White teams, the makeup of this team is powerful."
The media's immediate instinct was to turn the United States men's national team into a racial talking point. The team isn't just made up of Americans. Each player has to be further divided into categories based on immutable characteristics like race.
Translation: this is the acceptable America. This is the America the liberal media wants to celebrate. The U.S. men's hockey team that won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics wasn't a liberal media darling like this USMNT group. They dared to party with FBI Director Kash Patel after winning gold and took a call from President Donald Trump. The audacity!
The Athletic, which is owned by the New York Times, also published a Jerry Brewer column before the tournament even started. "Welcome to America, the problematic host of the World Cup" was the headline. Subtle, huh?
Brewer argued that the tournament had arrived in a country fighting over "who belongs here." Brewer and his colleagues at The Athletic believe "good America" is the one that agrees with their worldview. The "bad America" is the one that voted for Donald Trump, supports law enforcement and doesn't feel the need to apologize for chanting "USA!"
The Athletic wasn't alone. USA Today ran a pre-tournament column with the headline, "United States has already lost World Cup with its greed and hostility."
I'll give the liberals credit, they're finally saying the quiet part out loud. They simply hate the United States. Or, at least, most everything it stands for.
When the liberal media likes the American story, it's diverse, organic, immigrant-driven and culturally sophisticated.
When the media doesn't like the American story, it's jingoistic, MAGA, and embarrassing.
Need more examples? Glad you asked, because there is no shortage of them.
The Atlantic ran a piece headlined, "The Feel-Good Story of the World Cup Is Too Good to Be True," about foreign fans going viral for loving American things like Taco Bell, Waffle House, Buc-ee's, ranch dressing and Texas Roadhouse.
Americans saw the videos and posts and most had the appropriate reaction: this is awesome.
Foreigners are visiting the United States, having fun, finding joy in the ridiculousness of American abundance and telling the internet about it. It's funny, harmless and, yes, a little patriotic.
Naturally, The Atlantic had to step in and explain that the whole thing might be less authentic than people think.
Because God forbid the world see all the greatness that the United States has to offer or Americans get a reminder of how lucky they are to live in the greatest nation in the world.
This is where the modern media brain breaks. They can't simply process American joy as American joy. There has to be a reason to make sure nobody starts feeling too good about the country.
Conservatives are often accused of being divisive, hateful and exclusionary. But when the United States is playing, conservatives generally do something very simple: they root for the United States.
They don't need every athlete to agree with them politically. They don't need every player to vote Republican. They don't need Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Folarin Balogun, Tim Weah, Chris Richards or anyone else to pass an ideological purity test.
They're Americans. They're wearing the colors and the crest. They're standing for the anthem. That's more than enough.
The same was true at the Olympics.
There were plenty of American athletes in Milano Cortina who made political comments that conservatives didn't like. Some criticized the country. Some criticized the Trump administration. Some seemed to suggest they represented only the version of America that aligned with their moral values.
And yet, most conservatives still rooted for Team USA.
Why?
Because they were Team USA.
Then the U.S. men's hockey team beat Canada for Olympic gold, accepted a locker-room call from President Donald Trump and celebrated with FBI Director Kash Patel, and the left-wing media had a meltdown.
Megan Rapinoe complained that the team had allowed itself to be "co-opted." Tage Thompson caught heat for wearing a MAGA hat at the White House, then responded about as reasonably as possible, saying he's proud to be an American and that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.
That should have ended the "controversy."
It didn't, because the "controversy" was never really about hockey.
It was about who is allowed to represent America.
When an American athlete criticizes the country from the left, the media calls it brave, nuanced and thoughtful. When an American athlete celebrates with a Republican president after winning a gold medal, suddenly the media says politics don't belong in sports.
Convenient, right?
The same thing is happening with the World Cup.
The USMNT is not just a team to these people. It's another battlefield in the culture war. The liberal sports media wants the team to represent a very specific America: diverse, urban, progressive, anti-MAGA, globally approved and properly embarrassed by certain forms of patriotism.
But that's not how national teams work.
The USMNT represents the United States.
All of it.
It represents Black Americans, White Americans, Latino Americans, immigrant families, rural fans, urban fans, liberals, conservatives, independents, soccer obsessives, casual World Cup fans, people who call it football, people who call it soccer and people who still don't fully understand all the rules but know they want the U.S. to win.
That's the beauty of international competition.
It strips away the nonsense, or at least it's supposed to. For 90 minutes, the entire country should come together to root for the team that represents us all.
But the liberal media keeps trying to turn something simple into something complicated.
They want to root for America, but only their America. They want to celebrate the USMNT, but only through the approved identity-politics lens. They want to enjoy the World Cup, but only after reminding everyone that Trump exists, MAGA voters exist, ICE exists, Fox News exists and some Americans have the nerve to chant for their own country without shame.
What a miserable way to watch sports. And, honestly, what a miserable way to go through life.
The World Cup should be a celebration. It should be loud, emotional, patriotic and fun. It should include flags, face paint, chants, irrational hope and millions of Americans pretending for a month that they understand the importance of a 4-2-3-1 formation.
That's sports.
That's America.
But the media can't just let it breathe. It has to sort people into groups. It has to decide which fans are authentic and which fans are embarrassing. It has to declare which version of America is worth cheering for and which version should be hidden.
Here's the problem: the country doesn't belong to them.
Neither does soccer or the USMNT.
The team wearing red, white and blue belongs to every American who wants to cheer for it. Even the ones they don't like.
If that bothers The Guardian, The Athletic, The Atlantic, USA Today, the New York Times or any other outlet trying to turn the World Cup into another identity-politics lecture, maybe they're the ones with the problem.
The rest of us just want to root for our national team and be proud of our country.
Olympian charged in Reflecting Pool vandalism tied to Dem fundraising giant
Records show former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was charged in the weekend vandalism of the Reflecting Pool, has ties to a major left-wing fundraising network as protesters descended on the National Mall and racked up multiple criminal charges.
Hearn, 67, donated to Democratic fundraising apparatus ActBlue 10 times while also contributing to Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns five times, an administration official told Fox News Digital.
Hearn was charged with a misdemeanor for destruction of government property Saturday after he reached into the water and allegedly grabbed a hose being used by a National Park Service worker, Fox News previously reported. The Reflecting Pool was drained and painted under President Donald Trump’s direction, sparking scrutiny over peeling paint and algae growth.
ActBlue has funneled billions of dollars to Democratic candidates such as New York democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The group has also drawn scrutiny for its overseas donations that prompted federal probes into donor fraud.
DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT ACTBLUE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS IT MISLED CONGRESS ABOUT FOREIGN DONATIONS
The three-time summer Olympian and registered Democrat told The Associated Press he is a "curious citizen" and "reached down to see what it felt like." He said it felt "very rubbery."
Hearn was previously arrested by U.S. Park Police in 1996 after he ignored an emergency closure of the Potomac River during a severe rainstorm and launched a canoe onto the river despite the restrictions. He was charged with failing to obey a lawful order, but the judge later cleared him of the charges.
The $14.8 million restoration project has sparked outrage from Democratic lawmakers and Washington residents who have descended on the National Mall to inspect the pool. Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said her constituents are "outraged" by the algae during an appearance on CNN.
An administration official told Fox News Digital that five people have been arrested on vandalism charges, while federal citations were issued to five additional individuals.
There have been 14 police reports filed for vandalism, the official added.
Among the reports was one involving a suspect accused of using a blade to slash nearly 300 feet of the pool’s liner, an incident President Donald Trump highlighted in a Truth Social post on Saturday.
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"They took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250-foot-long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete. They also poured corrosive and destructive chemicals into the Pool," wrote Trump. "The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago, even going back to 1922 when it opened."
Trump said Friday that he believes vandals are damaging the grounds surrounding the Reflecting Pool and that chemicals were used to damage the pool's newly installed surface, he wrote on Truth Social.
Fox News Digital reached out to NPS for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.