Meet the Press NOW — July 9

Summary

Meet the Press NOW — July 9, 2026

Host: Kristen Welker
Main Theme:
This episode centers on the political upheaval in Maine following Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner’s decision to withdraw amid serious allegations and growing pressure from the Democratic establishment. The episode covers the downstream effects for the Democratic party, reactions from political analysts and possible replacements, as well as wider national news including escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and surging health insurance costs for Americans.

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Maine Senate Race Crisis: Fallout from Platner’s Withdrawal

Background and Main Developments

• Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, announced intentions to withdraw after an ex-girlfriend accused him of rape—an allegation he denies. In a lengthy video post, Platner blamed the Democratic establishment for using the allegation to force him out (00:27–03:14).
• The Maine Democratic Party is preparing to select a new nominee before the July 27th deadline, with a convention process set up for new candidates to come forward (03:14–04:30).
• Several candidates, including prominent state politicians and previous primary contenders, have already expressed interest in replacing Platner (04:30–05:09).

Notable Platner Quote

“It’s not the false allegations, though, that have brought us to where we are. It's the fact that they are being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us. ... We did it the way that we were told we are supposed to make change and we won. And now they are not going to let us have it. Not if it’s me.”
— Graham Platner (01:45)

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Democratic Party Response and Division

• Candidates distancing themselves from Platner: Many express strong support for Platner’s policies but refuse to accept his endorsement due to the gravity of the allegations.

  • Example:

    “When it came down to a credible allegation ... that was the end. That was the bright red line. ... I would not accept an endorsement from Graham, nor have I sought one.” — Charlie Dent (05:09, 05:45)

  • “I would not accept Graham Platner's endorsement, but I would reiterate that I do agree with a lot of his policy positions.” — Berkeley Lovelace (06:08)

• Uncertainty until Platner officially withdraws:

  • Party officials confirm Platner intends to delay official paperwork until the last moment (up to Monday's deadline), leaving Democrats on edge (06:23–07:37).

Expert Analysis

Ryan Nobles:

“Platner has made it clear ... he is not going to submit his paperwork until the Monday deadline. ... Until he puts his name on a piece of paper ... he is the state’s nominee.” (06:45)

Sahil Kapoor:

“They’re making it up as they go along ... There’s nothing in the bylaws for a contingency like this.” (08:01)

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Challenges Ahead for Maine Democrats

• Associative Risk:
  Candidates must “thread the needle” of attracting Platner’s supporters while avoiding association with his scandals. Susan Collins and Republicans are expected to use this to their advantage (09:26–10:27).

• Quickly Assembled Campaigns:
  Several potential nominees are recycling paraphernalia (e.g., repurposing old “Governor” signs to “Senator”) — evidence of the chaotic transition (10:42–12:25).

• Party Unity Concern:
  Platner was a populist outsider, and the party faces an insider-vs-outsider battleground.

  “They want the appearance that this person was picked by Maine voters and main voters alone. ... Doing it under these circumstances is a monumental task.” — Ryan Nobles (13:24)

• Voter Reaction:
  Voters express confusion and concern about the late date and parallels to the messy presidential succession after Joe Biden (12:44–13:24).

Analyst Take

“Relief because this allegation didn’t come out two weeks after it did ... But I would not count Susan Collins as a lock to win this seat, regardless of everything.” — Sahil Kapoor (13:56)

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Interview: Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau

On Whether He Will Run:

“My focus right now is on making sure ... that the grassroots, the heart and soul of our party are making this decision, not party leaders.” (15:13)

On Process:

• Describes the delegate selection through county committees—mirroring past state conventions, emphasizing transparent and representative process (17:47–19:49).

On Vetting Failures:

“I think it speaks to the frustration people have ... They’re looking for someone who’s going to be a change maker and they’re willing to forgive some past misdoings.” (22:06)

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National Security: U.S.-Iran Escalation

Developments

• Round of Strikes:
  U.S. and Iran have traded heavy strikes, with President Trump emphasizing a policy of overwhelming retaliation (26:16–26:40).

• Administration Messaging:
  No clear sign of de-escalation; concerns grow about sliding into a broader war.

  “He said the cease fire is over ... threatened additional strikes.” — Shannon Pettypiece (27:19, 28:18)

Military Context

• U.S. has reinforced its regional presence (carrier strike groups, aircraft).
• Iran keeps repositioning assets, prompting repeated U.S. strikes (30:12–32:40).

Security Logistics

• Air Force One Swap:
  In response to possible threats, President Trump switched planes after the NATO summit, opting for the older, more secure Air Force One rather than the newer, Qatari-donated model (34:48–36:04).

  “My guess is ... there was intelligence, some chatter that was heard while the president was over in Turkey ... to move the new Air Force One to England.” — Bobby McDonald, former Secret Service (36:16)

• Presidential Threat Level:

  “I’m number one on the kill list for Iran. They’re lovely people. I’m number one.” — President Trump (38:20)

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Health Insurance Premium Spike for Americans

Facts

• ACA premiums are set to rise by 14% on average next year, on top of a 20% increase the previous year. This will seriously impact families and individuals purchasing coverage, especially after Congress did not renew critical subsidies (39:29–41:16).

Details

“A family of four earning $100,000 a year could see their premiums go up by more than $100 a month. ... An individual making $55,000 a year could see their premiums go up by $60 a month.” — Berkeley Lovelace (40:34)

• Drivers of price hike:
  • Subsidies lapse,
  • Shrinking risk pool,
  • Rising hospital and drug costs,
  • GLP1 drugs’ usage (weight-loss and diabetes meds) (41:28).

Uninsured Problem

• 3 million Americans dropped ACA plans this year; many more shifted to poorer coverage, raising concerns about worsening care and higher out-of-pocket costs (42:04–43:10).

“People are going to wait longer before they go to the hospital ... they’ll get sicker, they could die as well.” — Berkeley Lovelace (42:18)

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Roundtable: Broader Political Implications

Democratic Infighting and Reflection

• Discussants highlight the ongoing power struggle between the party's progressive outsider wing and the establishment, with Platner's saga as a focal point.

“There is a war in the Democratic Party between the establishment and this rising tide of very liberal, very progressive ... candidates that have won these amazing races.” — Susan Page (47:11)

• Vetting and Polls:
  Charlie Dent: “Tattooing a Nazi symbol in the middle of your chest is disqualifying...They didn’t pull the plug until they saw his poll numbers started collapsing.” (45:33–46:18)

• Comparisons to GOP Tea Party:
  Dent and others draw parallels to previous Tea Party challenges to GOP establishment (47:56).

Implications for Susan Collins

• Collins remains a formidable incumbent (“She is the anti-Graham Platner. She’s a good character. She’s hardworking.” — Charlie Dent, 51:14), but Democrats' hopes hinge on quickly uniting behind a credible new challenger.

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Key Quotes and Memorable Moments

| Speaker | Notable Quote | Timestamp | |---------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Graham Platner | “It is a system that is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours cannot flourish ... Now the ball is in the court of the Democratic establishment.” | 01:45 | | Charlie Dent | “Look, when it came down to a credible allegation of somebody that was sexually assaulted, that was the end.” | 05:09 | | Sahil Kapoor | “They’re making it up as they go along ... Nothing in the bylaws for a contingency like this.” | 08:01 | | Ryan Nobles | “Every one of these Democrats was running arm in arm with Graham Platner ... Finding a way to corral that energy ... without bringing the baggage along with it.” | 09:26 | | President Trump | “We just hit them very hard and I say we hit them 20 to 1. Every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them 20.” | 26:16 | | Berkeley Lovelace | “A family of four earning $100,000 could see their premiums go up by over $100 a month.” | 40:34 | | Susan Page | “There is a war in the Democratic Party between the establishment and this rising tide of very liberal, very progressive ... candidates.” | 47:11 | | Charlie Dent | “She is the anti-Graham Platner. She’s a good character. She’s hardworking. The far left dislikes her. I think she’s in a good spot.” | 51:14 |

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Segment Timestamps for Reference

• Graham Platner’s Video & Reaction: 00:27–05:09
• Potential Nominees and Party Strategy: 05:09–10:27
• On-the-Ground Voter Reaction & Analysis: 12:44–13:56
• Interview with Speaker Ryan Fecteau: 15:02–22:58
• U.S.-Iran Escalations & Security Analysis: 24:58–38:43
• Health Insurance Costs: 39:29–43:10
• Panel Roundtable: 43:25–54:04

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Episode Tone and Style

Kristen Welker guides a news-focused, fact-driven discussion with urgency and gravity, especially during panel segments on the Maine political crisis. The language takes on a candid, analytical tone in the roundtable, occasionally colored by exasperation or wry humor when discussing political strategy, party infighting, and public frustration.

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TL;DR

This episode of Meet the Press NOW deep dives into the turmoil in the Maine Senate race after Democratic nominee Graham Platner announced his withdrawal following sexual assault allegations. Party insiders and candidates grapple with the fallout, the challenge of uniting the party, and the process to replace him. The episode also covers escalating U.S.-Iran military tensions, the security implications of President Trump's travel, and alarming spikes in health insurance premiums for Americans as Congress fails to act on subsidies. The roundtable exposes rifts and challenges facing both major parties in a tumultuous election year.

Transcript

[Kristen Welker]

A morning walk, some bird watching.

[Berkeley Lovelace]

It's another easy Sunday.

[Kristen Welker]

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[Berkeley Lovelace]

It's the healthcare system working better for everyone.

[Kristen Welker]

Learn [e-mail] commitment want to make your home everyone's favorite summer destination? Shop Etsy for hosting essentials like handmade outdoor furniture for your backyard guests, custom drinkware for your signature cocktails, and, of course, some festive seasonal decor. No matter how big the invite list is, you'll be all set for the moments that make summer special. Celebrate summer parties with original items from small shops on Etsy. Celebrate being human. Welcome to Meet the Press. Now. I'm Kristen Welker. After days of uncertainty, Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner announced he intends to withdraw from the race as support from Democrats in Maine and beyond evaporated after a former girlfriend went public with allegations he raped her in 2020, which Platner denies. In an 11 minute video posted on X last night, Platner sounded both aggrieved and defiant, saying his decision to suspend his campaign was not an admission of guilt while repeatedly blaming the Democratic establishment for pushing him out of the race.

[Graham Platner]

It's not the false allegations, though, that have brought us to where we are. It's the fact that they are being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us. We live in a political system that is not built for normal people. It is a system that is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours cannot flourish, that if they begin to succeed, they can be crushed. People in DC need to stay in DC Decisions should not be made in back rooms by people in places of political power. We did it the right way. We built a campaign. We engaged in electoral politics. We motivated people, we banded together. We did it the way that we were told. We are supposed to make change and we won. And now they are not going to let us haven't. Not if it's me. And so we're suspending campaign operations. We were asking for real democracy and we did it the right way and we won. But now the ball is in the court of the Democratic establishment.

[Kristen Welker]

Now we should note as of this hour, Platner has not formally filed paperwork to withdraw from the race. He has until 5pm Monday to do so, or his name will remain on the ballot Sources tell NBC News Platner plans to wait until that Monday deadline before officially filing to withdraw. Meanwhile, the Maine Democratic Party is charting a post Platner path forward, with the executive director of the state party laying out their next steps. What I care about is that Mainers feel represented in this process, that they feel included in this process, that we have the full transparency. Every single step of the way for folks to understand where we are at and where we are at right now is that we do have a vote to move forward with a nominating convention that will happen at some point prior to July 27th. If you are a candidate that is interested in participating in that, it is critical that you start talking to Maine voters about the values that we saw drive such historic turnout in the primary we just had on June 9th. Now, so far, at least six candidates have put their name forward to replace Platner and take on Senator Susan Collins in November, including multiple candidates who fell short in this year's governor's race. Former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah, former State Senator Troy Jackson, and Maine Secretary of State Shanna Bellows, as well as candidates who ran unsuccessfully in the Senate primary. Environmental consultant David Costello and businessman Dan Cleban. Also jumping in, Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer who fell short in the primary for Maine's second District. Now, one of the biggest tests for these candidates will be how much they stick to Platner's progressive platform while distancing themselves from Platner. One of those candidates telling me on this show yesterday he would not accept platform Platner's endorsement.

[Charlie Dent]

Look, look, when it came down to a credible allegation of somebody that was sexually assaulted, that was the end. That was the bright red line. I don't feel bad, you know, for supporting those causes, because that's who I am. I do feel bad that there was a woman that was sexually assaulted. And that's why I've quit supporting Graham. But I'm not going to quit fighting for everyday working class people.

[Kristen Welker]

Would you want and would you welcome Graham Platner's support and endorsement, or do you worry that that could drag your candidacy down?

[Charlie Dent]

Yeah, I mean, I don't. I don't want it. And it's, you know, it's, it's unfortunate, but I just don't want it. I would not accept an endorsement from Graham, nor have I sought one. This race is now about the people who supported Graham and our efforts to defeat Susan Collins. It is not about Graham.

[Ryan Fecteau]

And so what I am focused on

[Charlie Dent]

is speaking with and getting endorsements of his supporters.

[Berkeley Lovelace]

I would not accept Graham Platner's endorsement,

[Kristen Welker]

but I would reiterate that I do

[Ryan Fecteau]

agree with a lot of his policy

[Berkeley Lovelace]

positions and I intend to be to continue to amplify a lot of the things that he was saying on the trail.

[Kristen Welker]

Joining me now is chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles and senior national political reporter Sahil Kapoor. Thanks to both of you for being here. Ryan, I want to start off with you and this new reporting that you have. Sources are telling you that Graham Platner does not, in fact, plan to withdraw his name until Monday officially. That's the deadline. What are the implications of that? Why is he waiting?

[Ryan Nobles]

I think he's going to make a lot of Democrats in Maine white knuckle this right up until the very end. I'm told that Platner has made it very clear to his campaign staff that he is not going to submit his paperwork until the Monday deadline. And you saw him wave at this a little bit in his his video last night where he said that he's still very concerned about the process that it's going to take to replace him and he wants to make sure that process is open and transparent, not run by what he called insiders from Washington, but instead run by grassroots Democrats in Maine. Now, there's no reason to think that he's going to change his mind and decide not to, I should say, to continue on in this race. But until he puts his name on a piece of paper that says he's no longer the nominee, he is the state's nominee. And if for some reason he changes his mind, they could be in real trouble come Monday.

[Kristen Welker]

Well, the image of them white knuckling it, I think is apt. In this instance, Sahil, because you can feel the frustration amongst Democrats as they wait for him to officially withdraw his name. Can Maine Democrats start to move forward, start to look for alternatives in earnest until he's officially withdrawn his name? What does it mean for this process overall?

[Sahil Kapoor]

Yeah, they absolutely can plan for the process because all that needs to happen is he needs to withdraw. And then they have two weeks between July 13 and July 27 to pick a nominee. Now the state party is insisting this is going to be a fair, transparent, inclusive process. They need to have the buy in of voters that they have any shot at unifying this fractious party. I spoke to a main Democrat who helped write the bylaws. They said they're making it up as they go along. There's nothing in the bylaws for a contingency like this for a situation like this. They didn't put anything in there. What they are planning now is a convention that could be, I'm told, as late as one or two days before that July 27 deadline. They want to create a maximum amount of time for the candidates, many of whom aren't well known, to get their names out there. Going to be hundreds of delegates chosen by voters. That's the input that voters will have, even if it's indirect. And there's going to be a requirement of a minimum number of signatures to qualify so that literally anybody can't get in there.

[Kristen Welker]

You know, Ryan, one of the big themes that is emerging from that extraordinary video, 11 minute video that Graham Platner put out, his defiance, his anger, he never once apologizes to anyone for anything. And this sense that he puts the blame squarely on the establishment, does that run the risk of complicating whoever the nominee becomes, their efforts to try to unify Maine Democrats and quite frankly win over some independents in a general election?

[Ryan Nobles]

Listen, whoever becomes Graham Platner's replacement is going to spend all of their time distancing, distancing themselves from Graham Platner. Because I can guarantee you that the Susan Collins campaign and national Republicans are still already cooking up ads that are going to tie whoever that nominee is right next to Graham Plattner. Because up until like three days ago, every one of these Democrats was running arm in arm with Graham Platner cuz he was still very popular with the Democratic base. And you've seen it already play out today in some of the public pronouncements that we've seen from some of these candidates where they go to great pains to say I've got no interest in Graham. Graham is in the past. I want to talk about Graham, but I'm very passionately courting his supporters. I believe in the things that Graham stood for. I don't believe in Graham's personal conduct. I don't associate with that. But this is going to be the very delicate line and the very difficult needle that they're going to be forced to thread. Finding a way to corral that energy that he had without bringing the baggage along with it. And that will not be any easy task.

[Kristen Welker]

So I'll pick up on that point. Just how challenging is that going to be? Especially going up against a Susan Collins, someone who is not just a veteran of the Senate, but someone who knows how to and who has proven she can win tough races.

[Sahil Kapoor]

Yeah, absolutely. Susan Collins has won every election since 1996. Even though Maine has not elected or voted for a Democratic president since the 1980s. So she knows how to navigate that state and she's an institution in that state. The first thing these Democrats have to do is figure out a way to win the nomination. And the campaigning situation is a little bit chaotic, to say the least. Take a look at some footage we have. Our colleague Brennan Leach is on the ground in Freeport, Maine. Niraj Shah had a campaign event, a launch event today where they're repurposing signs that he used from his governor campaign, Failed governor campaign. They're crossing out the word governor with paint or with white tape and they're putting senator on it. We also caught some people, their stickers, Shaw for governor stickers. They're cutting off the governor part of those stickers and handing out just where it says Shah. So this is how you try to do a campaign with no lead time to prepare. There are also candidates who. Let's put that row of candidates back up. They are trying to carve out their own lanes here. Shah is making an electability pitch. You've got Troy Jackson, the former Senate president, as well as Jordan Wood, to some extent, trying to run in the progressive lane. Shanna Bellows, the Secretary of state who ran against Susan Collins, she was the nominee in 2014, got absolutely walloped by 37 points by Collins. Democrats hope that she's better known now. She's gotten elected statewide. And then there are a couple of outsiders, Dan Cleban, founder of Maine Beer Company, and David Costello running as well.

[Ryan Nobles]

And there's two important themes I think that Sahil touched on that I want to amplify the fact that so many of these candidates have failed in contest in Maine. And that's emphasized by the fact that they're repurposing this campaign paraphernalia. This is campaign paraphernalia from a losing campaign. And now they're trying to convince voters they have what it takes to beat an institution like Susan.

[Kristen Welker]

The video is just so powerful because it speaks to this moment, as you say, the fact that this is someone who had a failed bid for governor and who's kind of making it up on the fly. Brennan's doing incredible work in Maine and was actually able to talk to some voters. Let's play some of that sound.

[Brennan Leach]

I don't think it's going to be very fun.

[Kristen Welker]

It could be a mess, right? Yes, it could be a mess.

[Brennan Leach]

It just thrown confusion into everything.

[Kristen Welker]

Somebody, somebody. Late date.

[Susan Page]

The late date, somebody said to me,

[Brennan Leach]

or maybe it was on the news

[Kristen Welker]

last night saying, you know, it's like

[Susan Page]

a Kamala Harris situation.

[Kristen Welker]

Whoever walks in here is kind of behind the eight ball right away.

[Ryan Fecteau]

Yeah, it's.

[Kristen Welker]

I don't know who they can get that this late in the game.

[Ryan Nobles]

Just like Harris running against Trump, you

[Kristen Welker]

know, I mean, you know, it was too late in the game for her to get in, you know. Ryan, how much is what happened with former Vice President Kamala Harris weighing over this moment in Maine? The parallels are extraordinary.

[Ryan Nobles]

Every Democrat I talk to talks about what went wrong with Harris succeeding Joe Biden and not wanting to make that same mistake. They do not want any sort of an appearance that this candidate is going to be anointed in a back room, especially because Graham Platner was the exact opposite of that. He was not the establishment pick. They did everything they could to prevent him from getting the nomination. They want the appearance that this person was picked by Maine voters and main voters alone. And doing it under these circumstances is a monumental task.

[Sahil Kapoor]

There's a mix of shock and relief among Democrats. Relief because this allegation didn't come out two weeks after it did, in which case they'd be stuck with Graham Platner. Let's also not lose sight of the fact that this is a very difficult environment for Republicans. Susan Collins is the last of these unicorns. There were several of them as recently as until last cycle. But who managed to survive all this time? Eventually, gravity hits and you lose. Is it going to be this cycle? Unclear. But I would not count Susan Collins as a lock to win this seat, regardless of everything.

[Ryan Nobles]

Because the other thing, the last point I'll make is this could be exciting. It could be two weeks of energy and enthusiasm behind picking a new nominee. All the eyes of the world, the political world, are on Maine. If they do it right, they could capitalize in it. But it's going to be very difficult.

[Kristen Welker]

It sure is. Well, such fantastic reporting by both of you. Ryan, Sahil, thank you very much for capturing this moment. So many developments. We really appreciate it. And joining me now, the main speaker of the House, State Representative Ryan Fecteau, whose name has been raised as a possible replacement for Platner on November's ballot. State Speaker Fecteau, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.

[Ryan Fecteau]

Great to be with you, Kristen.

[Kristen Welker]

Well, it's great to have you. Let's start right there. You're getting a lot of buzz as a potential replacement. Do you plan to throw your hat into the ring? Are you gonna run?

[Ryan Fecteau]

My focus right now is on making sure that the process that we have to elect our new nominee is fair, transparent. And as you know, as I've been saying from the beginning, when it was clear Graham was going to withdraw, and Graham actually reiterated this in that 11 minute video you've been talking about, we need to make sure that the people who are everyday Mainers, the grassroots of our party are making this decision, not party leaders. And so that's what I'm focused on right now. We need to make sure that the grassroots, the heart and soul of our party are making this decision.

[Kristen Welker]

But you don't have a whole lot of time to make up your mind. I mean, the process starts now, basically. Are you leaning toward running? Can you give us some insight? I mean, times of the essence here.

[Ryan Fecteau]

I think we need to make sure that what we are focused on is that the folks who were rallying behind Graham Platner, and there's a reason why they were rallying behind him, it's because he was speaking to issues that resonate with Maine voters. They're sick and tired of not being able to afford electricity, groceries, their rent, wanting to buy a home and can't. And all of these things are stacking up against them. And it's because of a status quo largely in Washington. And we talk about the establishment and Graham has talked about the establishment quite a bit over the last 48 hours. There's no one who's greater establishment than Susan Collins, who's been in the United States Senate since 1990, 96, when I was 4 years old and has changed her stripes significantly. She went from being a MAVERICK in the U.S. senate, someone who was linked with Joe Lieberman, often finding compromise, and now she's a rubber stamp for Donald Trump. That's what I'm concerned about. That's what Maine voters are concerned about. The choice is going to be up to them.

[Kristen Welker]

If you decide not to run, who do you think is the strongest candidate right now? Who would you be willing to support to defeat Susan Collins? Who, as you know, you just talked about her long record. It's not going to be easy.

[Ryan Fecteau]

Yeah, I think, Kristen, this is, this is the exact problem. What, what voters do not want is party leaders like me trying to put my thumb on the scale and determining who, who the winner is going to be. I think I would. I'm going to make a, an appeal to my fellow leaders in Maine politics who maybe are choosing not to run, that they stay out of this. They do not put their thumb on the scale. They allow main voters the heart and soul of our party to make this decision. They do not want party leaders saying who should be and who should not be the next nominee.

[Kristen Welker]

So let's talk about this process. The executive director of the main Democratic Party saying they plan on having a nominated convention before that July 27 deadline. Do you have more details about that that you can share? How do you ensure that every main Democrat feels represented in this process?

[Ryan Fecteau]

Yeah, I've been saying what we're looking at is a convention that obviously will not involve every single person that cast a ballot in early June. That's just not going to be realistic, obviously. But what we will have are delegates who are going to be elected to this convention. And I think they should look at that role similar to those of us who've been elected to a state legislature. We are elected to represent our constituents. These folks are going to be elected from all across the state. They're going to have constituencies. They're folks back in their communities. They need to cast their vote. After hearing what I hope is a lively debate with speeches and people exchanging ideas ideas at this convention, I hope that the people who are elected to delegates to this convention will make a choice based on what their constituencies want versus maybe the choice that they went into the convention having already decided or having their mind sort of already made up. It's going to be hear the voices of Maine voters overall.

[Kristen Welker]

You say these delegates are going to be elected. Can you give us some more details about that? How specifically will they be elected? Will there be a snap election to nominate these delegates? How's that going to work?

[Ryan Fecteau]

Yeah, and I'll be fully transparent. I don't have any, any insight into this directly. My, my suspicion will be that we'll have the county committees be the. Be the venue for having the delegates get elected. We've done this before for state conventions. Folks will be able to show up and have the ability to raise their hand so they want to be considered. And if there are a number, number of people who exceed the number of slots, then there'll be a vote, I suspect. And the folks who win will go to the convention. I think anything that's the fairest could do it.

[Kristen Welker]

Let me get your reaction to some of what we heard from Graham Platner and some of what we're hearing. You just heard my colleague Ryan Nobles report that he does not plan to withdraw his name until Monday, the deadline for him to withdraw. What is your reaction and does that hamper the party's ability to move forward? Is that a final thumb in the

[Ryan Fecteau]

nose I don't know what Graham is up to. The focus for me and Democrats across the state is making sure we defeat Susan Collins in November. Maine voters want change. They want a candidate who will speak to the very issues that Graham spoke about during the course of his candidacy. We need someone that can pick up that mantle, bring the challenge to Susan Collins, and that's my focus. I don't know what Graham's up to. That's. That's not what's important. It's very clear. He's not going to be the candidate. He's not going to be the nominee.

[Kristen Welker]

So should he drop out today? Should he drop out today? I mean, what's going on? What's the delay?

[Ryan Fecteau]

I don't know what the delay is. I think he should do what he said he was going to do in that video, which is to withdraw and allow us to move forward with a process that will allow us to elect a tremendous candidate. We have a lot. This is the thing that I think is so important. We have a lot of really great people in Maine politics, people who believe the same things Graham believes. Graham Platner is not the only person that believes what Graham Platner believes. Graham Platner is not the only person who can string together sentences about this incredible message of changing our politics and putting working class people back in the driver's seat. That's what we need to be focused on.

[Kristen Welker]

We're out of time.

[Susan Page]

But I just.

[Kristen Welker]

Very quickly. There were a number of controversies swirling around Graham Platner prior to this final allegation of rape, which he denies. Past girlfriends alleging he was aggressive toward them. He denied that as well. Of course. This Nazi tattoo, which he says he didn't know what the implications, what it actually meant. Do you think Democrats and his top supporters and endorsers failed in terms of their judgment and lack of vetting him and lack of seeing that he was a candidate who by his own admission, could not move forward.

[Ryan Fecteau]

I think the fact that Graham Platner took off what is really indicative of our politics right now, people are.

[Kristen Welker]

What about all of those controversies that were overlooked by so many people? Was it a failure?

[Ryan Fecteau]

I think it speaks to the frustration people have. They're looking for someone who's going to be a change maker and they're willing to forgive some past misdoings. I certainly was very concerned about those misgivings. But at the end of the day, Maine voters are willing to take a risk because they see the stakes in their own lives being only getting greater and greater as the challenges they face back home are pinching their wallets and causing them economic harm. People want change and they want to see Susan Collins no longer Be a U.S. senator.

[Kristen Welker]

All right, State Speaker Fectho, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for your perspective. We're going to continue to follow this very closely. Really appreciate your joining us.

[Ryan Fecteau]

Thank you.

[Kristen Welker]

And we will have much more on the political fallout in Maine coming up later in the show. But first, attacks and retaliation. The US And Iran exchange heavy fire overnight once again leaving President Trump grappling with questions about the potential for a renewed full scale war. Plus, sticker shock. Experts warn the cost of health insurance for more millions will soar by double digits again as the political fight over affordability ramps up ahead of the midterms. Stay with us. You're watching MEET THE Press now.

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[Kristen Welker]

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[Ryan Fecteau]

Offer ends July 31, 2026. Price is subject to change.

[Kristen Welker]

Visit today.comstart for full offer terms and details. Stay informed with the NBC News app

[Ryan Fecteau]

Breaking news just coming in moments ago.

[Kristen Welker]

Watch, read and listen throughout your day. And now unlock even more with a subscription. It's the best of NBC News with fewer ad interruptions, including ad free articles, podcasts and full NBC News shows. Plus deeper access and experience exclusive content. Let's just take a step back. It's more context and clarity from the reporters you trust. Download the NBC News app now and subscribe for more. Welcome back. For the second straight day, the U.S. and Iran traded overnight strikes, raising concerns about the possibility of a return to a full scale military conflict. The Pentagon saying it struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Foreign Ministry denouncing the strikes and accusing the US of hitting civilian infrastructure, which it called a grave war crime. Iran, meanwhile, responding with strikes of its own, launching a wave of attacks on US Allies in the region, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Yesterday, while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on his way back to Washington, President Trump touted the US Strikes while also trying to downplay concerns about a return to a full scale war.

[Donald Trump]

We just hit them very hard and I say we hit them 20 to 1. Every time they hit us, we're going to hit them 20. And we did it last night. We did a little something today, but it was really retribution for last night. They hit actually three boats, not two. And when they hit, we hit back much harder.

[Kristen Welker]

Conflict, sir, I don't know.

[Donald Trump]

We're winning very quickly. It's another way of doing. We have many ways we can win, but we've already won militarily. They have very little. They have very little left. And they want to make a deal so badly. They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal. I don't know that they're going to honor the deal.

[Kristen Welker]

Joining me now is our team of reporters, NBC News White House senior policy reporter Shannon Petty Peace, who's at the White House and with me on set is NBC News senior national security correspondent Courtney Kuby. Shannon, let me start with you. So what are you hearing from the administration about where things stand with Iran, where they're going to go next?

[Joel Payne]

Well, I mean, I will know, Kristen. We have not heard from the president directly today. We don't expect to see him at all today. He got home very late last night from that NATO summit you mentioned. But we did hear from the president, as you noted on Air Force One last night, who essentially said this cease fire is over and threatened additional strikes, threatened to resume that military blockade. He also said that the Iranians have been in contact with the White House or with him personally. It was unclear. You know, he suggested once again that they want to make a deal very badly, but he said that he's not really sure whether they would follow through or hold up to any deal. He called him at one point sort of crazy and downplayed his ability to be able to negotiate with them as a negotiating partner. So right now, you know, the president maintaining this position of, you know, ending the cease fire and not really clear on where we go from here.

[Kristen Welker]

Well, to that point, Shannon, how much concern is there inside the administration that this could be a slow walk back to a fledged full war?

[Susan Page]

Yeah.

[Joel Payne]

And I mean, you heard the president in those remarks. He was asked very directly, are we going back into, you know, a full comment? And he says, I don't know. He then goes on to say, you know, but if we do, we'll win it. We, you know, have this group outmanned. But I mean, it's really going to be in the coming days, weeks, maybe even months, whether or not we see again a full fledged war like, you know, a lot of Americans imagine in their mind, or a continuation that we have seen over several months of this back and forth, low level sort of simmering conflict, I guess, relatively low level to what we might see in another scenario that will continue putting pressure on oil prices and putting pressure on the economy and of course, putting pressure on the U.S. military.

[Kristen Welker]

And Shannon, just finally we're learning that President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke by phone today. What are you hearing about that?

[Joel Payne]

Yeah, well, I mean, why we haven't heard from the president directly. We have gotten one insight into what he is doing today and that is calling the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to again, what the Israelis are saying, update them on this, which is notable. You know, the president was gathered with European leaders, with the head of Turkey, but the Israelis were not in those rooms, were not in those meetings. So Israel putting out a statement saying that they were updated from the president on the latest and also expressing concerns from Erdogan about statements that he and other officials made regarding Israel and Israel's security.

[Kristen Welker]

All right, Shannon Petty piece from the White House. Thank you so very much for your reporting, Shannon. We really appreciate it. Court, let me turn to you. Give us some insight into what the military targeted overnight, how robust these attacks were, what we can take from it.

[Brennan Leach]

So these were the biggest ones yet in this back and forth, what Shannon was just describing. These sort of, we've seen this happen multiple times now during the ceasefire where Iran will fire on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. It will simmer for a day or two, and then the US Military will take strikes inside Iran. Generally, they go after the sorts of things that Iran was using to threaten the commercial shipping. What's really notable, though, about this week is it escalated so much faster than we've seen in previous times, and that is, in the first night, there were more than 80 targets. And then last night, very notably, not only were there more than 90 targets, but it's what they hit. In this case, not only did the military go after their radar sites and the places where Iran was launching missiles, they went after some of the military infrastructure and some of the civilian infrastructure where Iran and specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that they are using to move military equipment and resupply. So that gets to this issue of why is it that every couple of weeks or days, even the US Military finds all these additional targets along the coast with the Strait of Hormuz? And that is because Iran keeps moving more assets closer to the Strait of Hormuz. The military is now trying to cut off their ability to resupply to stop that going forward.

[Kristen Welker]

Well, Court, let me read something that Iran's lead negotiator posted on social media yesterday. He wrote, quote, let me put it plainly, if you strike, you'll get hit. The Strait of Hormuz will only open with Iranian arrangements, not American threats. This is after, of course, the president suggested he could potentially reinstate the U.S. blockade. What's the status of that? Is that still on the table?

[Brennan Leach]

The blockade is absolutely on the table. It's one of the options that CENTCOM has been presenting to President Trump. And notably, the US has about two dozen ships and aircraft, 200 aircraft. They are right in the region that could immediately restart that blockade if asked to do. They could also restart major combat operations if asked to. But again, it doesn't seem like the president is there yet. But at this point, Iran is hitting back, and that is why there's so much concern about this escalation ladder. If the US really ratcheted it up with their strikes, is Iran gonna continue to ratchet up? And how can this end?

[Kristen Welker]

Well, I know that one of the threads you've been tracking, I've been tracking as well, is what does the military footprint actually look like there? The president, of course, declared a ceasefire several weeks ago, now says that's over. But did the US Withdraw its military footprint at all, or is it the same footprint?

[Brennan Leach]

Not at all. And not only did they not withdraw, they actually reinforce. So they brought an additional carrier strike group. There's new carrier air wing. They have new aircraft and pilots and things. They also were able to resupply themselves. Iran wasn't the only one resupplying during the ceasefire. So that's how they have had the ability. They found new targets. If they if in fact President Trump wanted them to take strikes like we've seen this week. I mean, Kristen, the reality is yet munition stockpiles are low. Yes, some of these aircraft and these ships, they have been deployed for a long time. But if President Trump wants to restart the war, the military is still there and ready to do it and they could do it quickly.

[Kristen Welker]

All right, Courtney Kuby, as we continue to watch these escalations overnight Court, thanks so much. Great to see you as always. Coming up next, changing planes. What we know and what we don't know about the security decision that led President Trump to fly the old Air Force One out of Turkey instead of the new Qatari gifted plane. We'll explain. You're watching Meet the Press now. Want to make your home everyone's favorite summer destination? Shop Etsy for hosting essentials like outdoor furniture for your backyard guests. Celebrate summer.

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Not available in all areas. Learn [e-mail] SameDayWiFi welcome back. We are learning more about why President Trump left the NATO summit in Turkey on the old instead of the new plane gifted to him by Qatar, two sources tell NBC News. The Secret Service urged the president to leave on the older plane given the resumption of fighting between the US And Iran and given the location of the summit. The flight path out of Turkey is within missile range of neighboring Iran, according to experts. A person familiar with the matter telling NBC News the new Qatari donated plane does not have all the security measures that were on the old Air Force One. After landing in the UK on the old Air Force One, the president once again boarded the new Air Force One to fly back to Washington. He spoke to reporters while aboard, denying that he made the swap due to security concerns. But the decision has raised news questions about the speed at which the new Air Force One was retrofitted and rolled out. A White House official said earlier this year the Qatari plane wouldn't be ready until 2028, but the president began using it last week, starting with a trip to North Dakota. Joining me now is retired Secret Service Special Agent Bobby McDonald. Thank you so much for joining me. Really appreciate it.

[Bobby McDonald]

Hey, Kristen, nice to see you again.

[Kristen Welker]

Great to see you. I want to start by getting your reaction to what transpired over the past 24 hours. The fact that the president swapped planes on his way back to the U.S.

[Bobby McDonald]

yeah, I think there's a lot of pieces of the puzzle that we don't know here yet and that we may not know out here in the, in the real world with respect to what really happened here. My guess is that potentially there was intelligence, some chatter that was heard while the president was over in Turkey, and a decision was made by the entities involved. You know as well as anybody from being around us at the White House that anytime the president moves, there's really three entities involved. The White House staff, which plans the events and in and around where he's going to be going, and then the Secret Service and the military that are involved in transportation, security and continuity of government. So what I think may have happened here is that there was some intelligence that was received on the ground in Turkey. Those three entities got together and came up with the plan to move the new Air Force One to England prior to the president following in the old Air Force One. So I think there may have been a little deception here or a little diversion on the part of our side of the House to maybe keep some other people in the dark with respect to nefarious activity.

[Kristen Welker]

Do you have any concerns about the speed with which this plane was put into commission, given that initially it wasn't going to be ready until 2028?

[Bobby McDonald]

It's a tough question. It's a great question. I have to think that all of the entities involved, the Air Force, the military, the White House military office, made sure that that plane was spick and span as it was put together and put into service. I would find it incredibly hard to believe that any stone would be unturned within, not turned over within that plane prior, before it was to be put into service. So I'm a little leery about that, but again, not an expert in that area.

[Kristen Welker]

It was notable because President Trump spoke about Iran's desire to assassinate him yesterday while he was an anchor for the NATO summit. Take a listen to a little bit of what he had to say.

[Ryan Fecteau]

I'd like you to address speculation that

[Charlie Dent]

you're leaving Ankara, not in the new

[Ryan Fecteau]

Air Force One, because of security concerns involving Iran. You've spoke spoken today twice about the possibly assassinating you and possibly being successful. Did that concern have something?

[Donald Trump]

Well, I speak about it a lot because, you know, the life of a president is very dangerous. I'm number one on the kill list for Iran. They're lovely people. I'm number one. So I don't know. I can't tell you that. But I don't really care because I'm doing my job and I'm doing it, I hope, better than anybody's ever done it.

[Kristen Welker]

Striking comments by the president. What do you make of them?

[Bobby McDonald]

Well, look, the last couple of years have brought a lot of things to our attention with respect to Butler, with respect to down in Florida, with respect to him being on the heavy duty watch list for things that are going on in Iran. I think the security that was implemented yesterday was with an overabundance of caution to make sure that we're sure that everything is going according to plan and that all the entities can move the president safely and get him home safely. And obviously, that's what happened here. That's the bottom line. I'll leave it to you and your colleagues to figure out may have happened behind the scenes here and how it all happened. But the bottom line is that the president got home safe and that's what the Secret Service and those other entities are looking to do.

[Charlie Dent]

All right.

[Kristen Welker]

Robert McDonald, thank you so very much for joining us. Really appreciate it.

[Bobby McDonald]

See you next time. Thank you.

[Kristen Welker]

See you soon. Coming up after the break, the cost of care, health insurance premiums for millions of Americans are set to skyrocket for a second straight year as the consequences of gridlock in common collide with campaign season. You're watching MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. For millions of Americans grappling with inflation and rising costs, the price of health care is about to get significantly pricier again. Insurance premiums for people who buy coverage through the Affordable Care act, known as the ACA or Obamacare, are set to rise by double digits next year. Insurers are proposing a rate hike of 14% on average. That's on top of the 20% rise in premiums for this year. And that's according to new data from the nonpartisan health group Kaiser Family Foundation. Joining me now is NBC News health and medical reporter Berkeley Lovelace. Thanks so much for being here, Berkeley. Appreciate it. So break down what this is all going to mean for the average family.

[Berkeley Lovelace]

Yeah, so the report did give a few examples. So a family of four earning $100,000 a year could see their premiums go up by more than $100 a month. An individual making $55,000 a year could see their premiums go up by $60 a month. So now that might not sound like a lot to some people, but just last year the ACA saw an increase of 20% in premiums. So we're seeing a very massive increase in premiums in just a few short years. And then of course, the loss of the enhanced subsidies for people. And so the states can push back. These are proposed rates, but I've been told that it's very rare that that the rates actually first proposal. So we will or should see a double digit increase.

[Kristen Welker]

So let's delve a little bit more deeply into why this is happening. You mentioned the fact Congress didn't renew the subsidies for Obamacare. How much is that driving these rate hikes?

[Berkeley Lovelace]

Yeah, so the tax credits did play a role. So without the subsidies, more people are going uninsured. And so that means less people are paying into that insurance pool. So insurers have to spread that cost out among the remaining enrollees, and that means premiums go up. There are other factors as well. So health care, of course, is getting expensive. And so hospital visits, people having to pay workers as well, all that's going up as well. Prescription drugs, including GLP1s, also factored into this report as well. That is a smaller portion of the overall cost. But they did point out that the rise of GLP1s is skyrocketing pretty much.

[Kristen Welker]

Well, we got new data also last month showing that 3 million Americans dropped their ACA health insurance plans. That was from the high. Is that in line with what was expected or does that exceed what people were expecting to see?

[Berkeley Lovelace]

Yeah, so the CBO did project that an average of 3.8 million people a year would go uninsured because of the loss of the tax credit. So it's around that amount as well. In terms of people who are going without insurance, this basically means that people are going to wait longer before they go to the hospital. That means they'll get sicker, they could die as well. It also means when we see people go uninsured as well is that people skip or delay their medications. And then of course, as I just mentioned, premiums go up for everybody else as well. And I also think that the 3 million number actually understates the impact here because a lot of people who stayed on the ACA also picked worse coverage. So they're picking these high deductible plans. So the premiums are lower on these plans, but you have to pay thousands of dollars, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket before your coverage actually kicks in. So 3 million are uninsured, but there's probably millions more who are on worse coverage.

[Kristen Welker]

Well, really important point to make there. Berkeley Lovelace, thank you so much for bringing us all of this new information. We really appreciate it. Thank you. And coming up after the break, what comes next for both parties amid the shakeup in Maine and the fight for control of Congress? Stay with us.

[Joel Payne]

US.

[Kristen Welker]

You're watching Get THE PRESS now. Welcome back. Joining me now is our panel, Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for USA today, Democratic strategist Joel Payne and former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent. Thanks to all of you for being here. We really appreciate it. Susan, there's so much to talk about. The eyes of the nation are on Maine. Thank you. Graham Platner says he's not going to officially withdraw his name until Monday. What do you make of that? Ryan Noble said he's basically making the party white knuckle it.

[Susan Page]

Oh, absolutely. You know, he had such a surprising rise to prominence and what a messy

[Kristen Welker]

fall he has had.

[Susan Page]

And this is making Democrats in Maine just a little nervous because what if he, like runs out of gas Monday on his way to the secretary of state's office? You know, he has to file the paper and he fights.

[Kristen Welker]

It could happen.

[Susan Page]

You can't force him off the ballot. He has to pull himself off the ballot because he won it in the primary. They would Democrats in Maine would like that to happen as soon as possible.

[Kristen Welker]

Joel, the fact that he's not withdrawing his name today, is he trying to stick it out to see if there's any possible way, or is he just trying to make his party suffer and what are the implications for that?

[Ed Conway]

I think there's a word called leverage, which he is trying to exert as much as he has. I'd never disagree with the great Susan Page. I would have one nit I would pick, which is I don't know if it's Maine Democrats who he's feeling the pressure from. I think it's national Democrats. Yes. There are people in Maine, the Maine Democratic Party, some other elected officials in Maine who've spoken out, but Maine voters, if you talk to them, it's a mixed bag. And I think what Platner is counting on is the fact that whoever the Democratic nominee is that replaces him, they will need maybe not Graham Platner's endorsement, but they will need his spirit, his support, his energy that he brought to the campaign trail.

[Kristen Welker]

Absolutely. Congressman, what does it take say about the state of our politics? There were so many red flags about Graham Platner. People had real reservations in the weeks leading up to this. The red line was this accusation, which he denies, that he raped someone.

[Charlie Dent]

You know, I've always felt that political gravity still matters, that, you know, tattooing a Nazi symbol in the middle of your chest is disqualifying his Reddit posts. He offended just about everybody. African Americans, rural whites, women, lgbt. He did all that. It was all him. And to listen to him, he's saying, oh, it's the establishment that took him down. No, he took himself down. But all these things that would have been disqualifying another time, you know, finally caught up with him, and certainly the women's issue. But frankly, I don't think the Democrats pulled. They didn't pull the plug until they saw his poll numbers. I mean, they were aware of all this stuff before, but it wasn't until his poll numbers started collapsing in the aftermath of some of the rape allegations.

[Kristen Welker]

And, and to your point, he was defiant till the very end. Susan, I want to play a little bit of what he had to say in his video last night announcing that he plans to drop out. Take a look.

[Graham Platner]

Those in power who have the ability to do so are using these allegations as an excuse to take away all of the things that we need to run a campaign. We are going to lose our ability, ability to fundraise. We are going to lose our ability to access voter data. We are going to lose all of the things that any campaign needs on the basic level simply to function.

[Kristen Welker]

What do you make of his message on the way out? And will it make it more complicated for whoever replaces him to try to unify the party and electrify the party?

[Susan Page]

He took no responsibility himself for what happened to him. I think that took a lot of people aback. But it is true there is a war in the Democratic Party between the establishment and this rising tide of very liberal, very progressive, very populous, sometimes Democratic, socialist candidates that have, that have seized, won these amazing races, defeated five House Democratic incumbents so far this year with a message of bolder change. It's true that that is a fight you're seeing in Maine and in Michigan and in Wisconsin and in Colorado.

[Kristen Welker]

Congressman, it's not totally dissimilar from the divides that we've seen in the Republican Party, whether it be the Tea Party and moderate voters or populist voters, now the populist wing of the party. Do you see parallels?

[Charlie Dent]

I do. This does feel like a Tea Party moment for the Democrats and what the Tea Party was like back then. You know, these people were angry, and even when you agreed with them, they would. Even when you agreed with them, they were still mad. And I used to say to them, I say to them, you know, if I set myself on fire for you, you'd complain I about the temperature of the flame not being hot enough. That's where the Democrats are right now. And so they're replacing a very thoughtful progressive like Diana deget with somebody who's just madder, apparently. Same thing up in New York.

[Kristen Welker]

Congressman Espalach, is that how you see it?

[Ed Conway]

Is the congressman suggesting that we're unreasonable right now on the Democratic side? Here's what I would say. And look, I think there's a hot war within the Democratic coalition right now. It's between people in the establishment, moderates and progressives. What's interesting is I don't think the story of Graham Platner is about him being far left. I think it's about insider versus outsider, and I think it's about access to traditional measures of political power. He's an iconoclast. He had an independent power base, and he and his supporters felt like folks were coming after him. And that's a threat to the establishment class. I think that everyone has some medicine to take here. If you are someone who's behind Graham Platner, you got to understand for candidates like that, but you got to be smart about how you surface them and how you elevate them. And if you're of the establishment, you got to ask yourself a question of how can a compromised candidate like that blow through a primary with an incumbent Democratic governor? The real mistakes are on both sides, and I think a lot of people have lessons to take on the Democratic coalition.

[Kristen Welker]

I want to play a little bit of the sound that we got earlier today from an independent voter who was supporting Graham Platner. Take a listen to what this voter had to say. It would have been great to have

[Charlie Dent]

a real robust primary.

[Kristen Welker]

And if people hadn't thrown.

[Charlie Dent]

If Democratic institutional people hadn't thrown their support behind Janet Mills, then perhaps there

[Kristen Welker]

would have been another young person to

[Charlie Dent]

challenge, to challenge Platner, and then we

[Bobby McDonald]

would have kind of a real primary.

[Charlie Dent]

But we're stymied similarly in the way

[Kristen Welker]

that we were stymied in the last

[Charlie Dent]

presidential election, by the way, that we

[Kristen Welker]

didn't get a full primary because of

[Charlie Dent]

the way the power brokers played it all out.

[Ed Conway]

Joel, it nods to a misread of the political environment in Maine and around the country by people in Washington at the Democratic Party. Look, Shannon Bellows in 2014 ran against Susan Collins as a traditional candidate. Sarah Gideon ran in 2020 as a traditional candidate. They got outperformed by 15 to 20 points by Susan Collins in better times for a Democratic candidate. Democratic candidate against Collins. So there is a lot of responsibility that establishment Democrats do have to take.

[Kristen Welker]

Susan, what do you make of what he said and what Joel's saying?

[Susan Page]

James o' Keeffe should be on your next panel because I think he was making some very good points. You know, this is a hot mess for Democrats. This is not necessarily a good situation for Susan Collins because a candidate who had a lot of baggage even before this last accusation is likely to be replaced by someone with much less baggage and maybe someone with the same person appeal to some of that desire for change that we heard from Maine voters.

[Kristen Welker]

What about the Susan Collins campaign? Do you think that they are nervous now that he's gotten out of the race? I mean, she was running against a deeply flawed candidate. And as Susan's making the point, there is now space for someone with less baggage.

[Charlie Dent]

I'm sure that Collins campaign will be throwing up obstacles to Graham Platner on his way to the courthouse, wherever he's got to go to withdrawal. But look, look, she would prefer to run against Platner, but the political path is littered with all sorts of people over the years. Candidates who underestimated Susan Collins. She runs right over them. She appeals to that center left to center right of the electorate. Always has. And that's where much of politics has historically been played. Not as much anymore, but we'll see in Maine. She defies expectations and she's the anti grand Platner. She's a good character. She's hardworking. You know, the far right dislikes or the far left dislikes her. I think she's in a good spot.

[Ed Conway]

I'll just add really quickly. The path for Collins is the folks that Platner brought out who are non traditional Democratic constituencies. You got to hope that they feel so put off by what's happened that they stay home and that you are able to have enough people in the middle who say, I don't know who to vote for. Susan Collins, we always vote for her. Let's vote for her again, I think she probably prefers the environment she's in right now. I wouldn't be quite as bullish if I was a Republican thinking about that main race because I think Democrats can pretty quickly, if they do this process the right way, circle behind a candidate that can galvanize the Democratic coalition.

[Kristen Welker]

Susan, let's talk about the map overall for Democrats. Nine competitive Senate races, effectively that could decide control of the chamber. Democrats basically need to defend three and win four, flip four. I mean, what is their path if they can't win a Maine? Do they? It's tough without Maine.

[Susan Page]

It's aspirational Maine. It becomes more difficult without Maine. Susan Collins is the only Republican incumbent senator on the ballot this year in a state that Trump lost. She is the lowest hanging fruit for the desire to flip, to flip a Republican seat. If you don't succeed there, you have to go to someplace like Texas. I don't think Texas has elected a Democrat statewide since what, 1994?

[Kristen Welker]

Well, all eyes are going to be on Texas. That race between Talarico and Ken Paxton, fascinating as well. Thank you all. Great conversation. Really appreciate it. We are back tomorrow with more MEET THE Press now. There is much more ahead on NBC News now.

[Graham Platner]

I'm Craig Melvin.

[Donald Trump]

Cheers. Cheers.

[Sahil Kapoor]

Cheers.

[Graham Platner]

I've always been a glass half full kind of guy, and now I'm talking

[Kristen Welker]

to some people who look at the

[Graham Platner]

world that way, too. Some really fascinating folks who share their defining moments, their triumphs, their challenges. Their stories are funny and quite candid. So I hope you'll join me each week. And who knows, you might just come away with your own glass Half Full.

[Ryan Fecteau]

Search Glass Half Full with Craig Melton From Today on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.