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World Leaders Rush to Support Zelenskyy as Americans Debate Trump’s Allegiance
President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters in the U.S. are cheering his Oval Office ambush of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declaring they are “proud” of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
But across the globe, world leaders swiftly reaffirmed their support for President Zelenskyy, his country, and Ukraine’s fight to defend its sovereignty and democracy against Russia’s illegal invasion—making clear their allegiance is with him and his country, effectively icing out Donald Trump and the U.S.
Meanwhile, at home, some Americans—perhaps already weary just weeks into Trump’s presidency—are voicing their belief that the President of the United States is behaving like, and may very well be, a witting or unwitting “Russian asset.”
The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum, who has written numerous books on the Soviet Union and authoritarianism, framed Friday’s events for MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace:
“I think all of Ukraine’s allies, and all of not just Europeans who have a border with Russia or who are near Russia, but Europeans who understand that Russia has coordinated sabotage attacks across the continent engages in sometimes daily cyber attacks on different kinds of institutions, infrastructure all over Europe, whose country, whose propagandists constantly threaten Europe and constantly repeat threats to bomb or even nuke European cities, I think everybody felt today a kind of chill understanding that this was a very different United States.”
RELATED: ‘Not Ready for Peace’: Trump Cancels Zelenskyy Press Conference, Minerals Deal Not Signed
Alexander Vindman, the whistleblower whose warnings led to the first impeachment of Donald Trump, told Wallace that Zelenskyy “looks like a world leader. He’s standing his ground against Vance and Trump and the rampant ignorance about what is going on, on the ground [in Ukraine], who the belligerents are and how to work your way out of it.”
‘RUSSIAN ASSET’?
Several notable Americans made public their thoughts after Friday’s Oval Office attack that the President of the United States might, knowingly or not, be a “Russian asset.”
Noted political scientist, The Atlantic’s Dr. Norman Ornstein, concluded, “Not that we had a bunch doubt before, but Donald Trump is a Russian asset.” He later wrote, “This is one of the saddest days for America in my lifetime.”
Former Tea Party Republican congressman turned podcaster and political commentator, Joe Walsh, wrote: “I said two weeks ago on @CNN that Donald Trump is a Russian asset. I stand by that. The entire world should now know that this is the scary truth.”
Political commentator and SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah added, “We officially have a Russian asset in the White House in Trump. Period.”
Cheri Jacobus, the political strategist, pundit, and frequent cable news guest, wrote: “Trump is a war criminal. A traitor. A Russian asset since the 1980’s. There is now no doubt.”
Earlier this week former Obama White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod, lamenting the Trump administration’s vote at the UN in favor of Russia over Ukraine, wrote: “It would be irresponsible to suggest, without evidence, that Trump is a Russian asset. But ask yourself, if he were a paid agent of the GRU, would he say or do any differently than he is right now?”
On Friday, Axelrod added: “I love my country with all my heart and I’ve never been more embarrassed for America than the spectacle I just witnessed in the Oval Office. Zelensky is fighting for the survival of his country, his people and their democracy. Trump and Vance appear to be completely aligned with Putin, the invader whose aim has been to conquer Ukraine. Zelensky should know that millions and millions of Americans still stand with him and his valiant people.”
U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) struck a balance: “That press conference was choreographed for an audience of one and he sits in Moscow. Once, we fought tyrants. Today Trump and Vance are bending America’s knee. And that weakens us.”
Former Obama Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes offered this take: “The Republican Party enables this every single day. Just the complete trashing of our country’s standing and full capitulation to a playbook that the Kremlin couldn’t script better if they were writing the words.”
WORLD LEADERS RUSH TO SUPPORT UKRAINE
“Russia illegally and unjustifiably invaded Ukraine. For three years now, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared. “Their fight for democracy, freedom, and sovereignty is a fight that matters to us all. Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace.”
READ MORE: ‘What the Hell Is This?’: GOP Group’s Andrew Tate Invitation Draws Bipartisan Outrage
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, wrote:
“There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a victim: Ukraine. We were right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago—and to keep doing so. By ‘we,’ I mean the Americans, the Europeans, the Canadians, the Japanese, and many others. Thank you to all who have helped and continue to do so. And respect to those who have been fighting since the beginning—because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence, their children, and the security of Europe.”
“Dear Volodymyr @zelenskyyua,” wrote Friedrich Merz, expected to become the next Chancellor of Germany, “we stand with #Ukraine in good and in testing times. We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”
Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, wrote: “Dear @ZelenskyyUa, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”
Luís Montenegro, the Prime Minister of Portugal, declared, “Ukraine can always count on Portugal, @ZelenskyyUa,
Alexander Schallenberg, the acting chancellor of Austria, wrote, “#StandWithUkraine”
Ilie Bolojan, the acting president of Romania, declared: “The security of Ukraine is crucial for the security of Europe. We all need to stand together to fight for our values, freedom, and peace.”
The Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, wrote: “Dear @ZelenskyyUA, Denmark proudly stands with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”
Petteri Orpo, the Prime Minister of Finland, wrote: “Finland and the Finnish people stand firmly with Ukraine. We will continue our unwavering support and work towards a just and lasting peace.
Kristen Michal, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, said, “We stand united with @ZelenskyyUa and Ukraine in our fight for freedom. Always. Because it is right, not easy.”
More continued to flood in, including from world leaders in Ireland, Sweden, Latvia, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and others.
READ MORE: ‘Did I Say That? I Can’t Believe I Said That’: Trump’s Remarks Again Fuel Memory Questions
Image via Reuters
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Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner is under fire after releasing a video declaring that new allegations against him are false, yet he is “taking time to reflect” on a path forward.
Politico on Monday afternoon reported that a woman who dated Platner, Jenny Racicot, “says he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections, an allegation Platner denies.”
“Racicot said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner,” Politico reported, “for more than two years before he entered her rural Maine home uninvited one night in late 2021, deeply intoxicated, and forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop. She said she cut off contact with him after telling him the encounter was not consensual.”
In a video posted to social media eleven minutes after the Politico story dropped, Platner says, “I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false.”
He said he and his supporters “were united in a love of Maine, a belief that our politics must change, in a focus on defeating Susan Collins.”
“So, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins.”
“Those were the goals when we launched this campaign. And they remain my goals today.”
“Throughout it all, you never turned your back on me. And I will not turn my back on you now. Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated. And we will use every tool at our disposal to do so.”
The Bulwark’s Tim Miller, a political commentator who served as the communications director for the Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaign, blasted Platner.
“I’m sorry but ‘we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward’ is not an option on the table,” Miller wrote. “Either it’s false and you campaign with vigor or it’s true and you get out / apologize to everyone you let down.”
Journalist Ryan Grim, commenting on Platner’s video, noted that Platner “strongly suggests he is considering dropping out. Already Troy Jackson and Chellie Pingree, both gubernatorial candidates, are being kicked around in Maine circles as potential replacements.”
Several others, including Puck News’ Peter Hamby, predicted Platner will be dropping out.
Platner had postponed several campaign events before the Politico story was published.
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 6, 2026
President Donald Trump is facing backlash after posting a video of children — including showing their unblurred faces — graduating from kindergarten, with some of the girls purportedly wearing hijabs.
“President Trump posted a captionless video of graduating kindergarteners on Truth Social on Monday, goading his supporters into verbally attacking little children simply for being Muslim,” The New Republic reported. “The clip is from Gateway STEM Academy, a majority-Black K-8 public charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota. It shows about 21 children in caps and gowns on stage singing a song together. Most of the girls are wearing hijabs.”
The original post of the video which Trump reposted reads: “Public school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every girl is in a hijab … in kindergarten.”
Trump did not add any comments. TNR called the post “Islamophobic, weird, and creepy,” while noting that the comments section of Trump’s post was filled with calls “by racist, xenophobic MAGA supporters” to “deport the children and ban hijabs.”
TNR also noted that it “should come as no surprise that Trump isn’t above attacking children who just learned how to read, but this post is still particularly discomforting—and will certainly contribute to the already potent level of anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. and in Minnesota.”
Critics blasted Trump.
“There is something deeply unsettling about the president of the United States—the most powerful person in the world—going after kindergarten schoolchildren in Minnesota because they wore hijabs, as Trump has done this morning on his website,” The Bulwark’s Sam Stein wrote.
One social media commentator wrote, “Trump posted an unblurred video of more than a dozen Muslim kindergartners to Truth Social, exposing the children’s faces while targeting them for their religion.”
Another added, “Trump is a bigot. The president took to Truth Social to attack kindergarteners in hijabs. These are little kids. The president isn’t just a bigot, he’s also a coward.”
The original video was posted to the X social media platform in June.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) at the time commented, “If you are in a public school in America, you should be speaking english.”
Image via Reuters
President Donald Trump’s apparent efforts to delay releasing the $5.8 million civil judgment to E. Jean Carroll are being met with a warning by the journalist’s legal team, who suggest there could be a legal maneuver for Trump to employ to forgo paying the judgment in either of the two cases he lost.
According to The Guardian, on July 4, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered Trump to release the $5.8 million judgment, which is in escrow, to Carroll by this coming Tuesday — or explain why he would not do so.
Carroll’s attorneys think Trump may be trying to buy time to mount another legal strategy, telling the judge that Trump’s request for an extension “appears to be little more than yet another play for time.”
“The case is separate from Trump’s appeal of a Manhattan civil jury’s 2024 award of $83.3m to Carroll for defamation,” The Guardian explains. “But her lawyers have suggested a legal scenario in which the president might seek to conjoin the cases and further delay payment of both.”
Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan (no relation to the judge) wrote, “We can only assume that defendant is seeking … to buy time so he can try to concoct some new basis to put off paying plaintiff presumably in connection with his forthcoming petition and motion for a rehearing.”
Trump’s former attorney, Justin Smith, in one of his final acts, wrote to the Supreme Court suggesting that his client would be appealing the $83.3 million civil judgment.
Smith argued that the Supreme Court “may wish to consider the petitions together,” given they involve the same parties.
The larger judgment case involves possible questions of presidential immunity, and that has Carroll’s attorneys concerned.
“A conjoined case, Carroll’s lawyers fear, could result in both judgments being wiped out,” The Guardian reports.
The president has also made clear he is no fan of Judge Kaplan, after the jurist made several rulings that “angered” Trump.
“What else can you expect from a Trump Hating, Clinton appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possible be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in 2023, “speaking to, and in control of, a jury from an anti-Trump area which is probably the worst place in the US for me to get a fair ‘trial’.”
Image via Reuters
Platner Scorched Over ‘Taking Time’ Video After New Accusation
Trump Sparks Fury Online After Posting Unblurred Video of Muslim Kindergartners in Hijabs
One Legal Maneuver Threatens to Undo Everything E. Jean Carroll Won
Inside the Group Helping MAGA Voters Walk Away — And What Finally Pushed Them
