Bishop Barber and Jonathan, the image of a pulpit in the street outside the White House is a striking reminder that truth-telling has never belonged only inside sanctuaries or official rooms of power. I appreciate the insistence that moral resistance does not require hatred, violence, or becoming shaped by the very forces being confronted. That distinction matters in this moment, because prophetic witness must name policy violence and corruption clearly while still calling the nation toward a future larger than retaliation. Thank you for continuing to hold together truth, love, nonviolence, and the stubborn belief that America can yet become more just than it has been.
So great to know this is happening, to witness it. Thanks to those who filmed so we can see it. It strengthens us. Last night we passed a yard sign (in what seemed to be an otherwise MAGA-ish neighborhood) that said simply RESIST. I took heart from that sign, and want to get one for our yard. These actions spread. Your amazing witness at the White House: Stop It. Naming these injustices which should be obvious. May it spread, multiply, draw in teetering bystanders ... Yes! A third Reconstruction!
I want so badly to be in Washington DC, to participate, to support your amazing work. We must get out and support! I’m elderly and facing other challenges, but I will be at one of these Moral Mondays later in the summer certainly before midterm elections. We have a lot to do And you have been giving us your voice! Eternally thankful, God bless !!!!
Liked that you referenced Tony Campolo. The Presbyterian church I attended for years stopped having him—and I noticed all “Christian” bookstores also cancelled him. Too woke for them!
The US has experienced political and social and economic unrest for several years under president Trump as clouds of war in Iran darken cloud.
Louder Than Any Boos: Trump’s 48 Hours of Humiliation--the president was booed in New York after making the NBA Finals about him, and flesh-eating screwworms spread in the US' economy after Trump’s DOGE cuts.
Days before the president traveled back to his home city to attend the NBA Finals game – as a guest of Knicks owner and Trump donor James Dolan – administration officials knew what was coming.
In February, president Trump weighed whether to attend the Super Bowl, several close advisers privately assessed that he shouldn’t because the chances of him getting lustily booed on live TV were -– to put it mildly-– high. The president ultimately didn’t attend, and told an obvious lie about why.
But this week, Trump opted to attend a different high-profile sporting event and went about as well expected. And it wasn’t even the most embarrassing thing to happen to the twice-impeached, repeatedly indicted president within the past 48 hours.
Last night’s [8 June 2026] Game 3 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs took place in Manhattan's Madison Square Garden.
And the booing not only could be heard in the canyons of New York but throughout the entire country.
'We are headed into hostile territory', one White House official said in the run-up to the game at Madison Square Garden. Other Trump administration officials took it for granted that Trump would get loudly booed, and that the inevitable video clips would generate fodder for the president’s enemies. And boy, did he.
'Louder than the boos for the Spurs, louder than any boos I’ve heard in this building in a while', tweeted Fox Sports analyst Rachel Nichols.
The booing rose to a crescendo of noise from the fans that lasted long minutes as Trump with a smirk on his lips, a wicked twinkle in his eyes, saluting with his cankerous right hand, stood in a glass bullet-proof booth during the national anthem.
Trump's presence at the 'Garden' broke the Knicks 13-game winning streak. His presence like the 'bacio di Tosca' or 'Tosca's kiss' in Puccini's opera, took the color out of expectations of the series anticipated four-game winning streak.
Like Moby Dick's 'white whale', Trump's attendance at Game 3 was a harbinger of bad luck.
It is doubtful, the ailing Trump will stay in town for Game 4 and suffer further humiliation?
n a snarky snit of sensationalist journalism, the NYT [New York Times] did Run an Anti-Platner hit job? It did. The 'paper of record' centered its big scoop, on the leftist Senate candidate's 'unsettling' behavior with former girlfriends, on the uncorroborated accusations of a pro-Israel Republican activist. [Platner's extended family is Jewish. His brother writes for 'The Jerusalem Post'.]
Oyster farmer, veteran, plain-spoken Graham Platner's path to the Senate in Maine has narrowed sharply after fresh allegations surfaced, with his chances now at their lowest point since he entered the race in August 2025.
Maine Democratic Senate Platner is facing allegations of unsettling and in at least one case physically threatening behavior toward women he dated, according in NYT.
The report, which is based on interviews with six women who previously dated Platner, comes amid intensified scrutiny of his candidacy and raises new questions about the viability of a candidate who has become his party's presumptive nominee against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Not all of the women who spoke to the New York Times described troubling behavior from Platner. But three of them described volatile and "toxic" relationships, including allegations of heavy drinking, infidelity, demeaning behavior toward women and, in one account, physical intimidation.
Platner 'strongly disputes' any claims of physical intimidation or altercations, his campaign said. He may be suffering from the long lingering effects of PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder].
The story includes allegations from one former partner, Lyndsey Fifield, a right-wing Republican MAGA influencer,that Platner grabbed her by the shoulders regularly, sometimes hard enough to leave marks.
Fifield also alleged to the Times that during an argument, she recalled Platner twisting her arm behind her back, shoving her into a bedroom and holding the door closed so she couldn't get out.
In a statement to CNN, Platner disputed claims of physical intimidation and said the most serious allegations were false and politically motivated.
'Throughout this campaign, I've 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', Platner said in the statement. 'I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I'm not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I've done since, and the movement we are building in Maine'.
The NyT story on Thursday also added new scrutiny to Platner's explanation of a tattoo with Nazi symbolism he got while in the military. Fifield, his former girlfriend, recalled Platner referring to it years earlier as 'my Totenkopf', a reference to the skull-and-crossbones emblem used by Nazi SS units. Yet, he has got clearance three times from the US government and no criticism from family Jewish weddings.
Platner has previously said he had not understood the symbol's significance when he got the tattoo while serving in the Marine Corps and had only been made aware of its meaning last October.
But Fifield spoke on condition of anonymity. Why?
Fifield previously provided text messages reviewed by CNN showing that she told friends in August 2025 — before Platner claimed he knew of the symbol's Nazi history — that he 'has a Nazi tattoo on his chest', a 'Totenkopf."
The latest allegations come as Democrats have increasingly rallied around Platner after Democratic Governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign in April, leaving the political newcomer as the party's expected nominee in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate contests.
They also arrive after months of controversies that have forced Platner and his campaign into a nearly constant cycle of damage control and apologies.
Since launching his campaign, Platner has faced scrutiny over deleted social media posts on Reddit in which he called himself a "communist," dismissed "all" police as bastards, and said White Americans "actually are" racist and stupid. He later disavowed those remarks, telling CNN they reflected a period when he was angry and disillusioned and do not represent his current views.
Last week, Platner was forced to confront reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women outside his marriage. His wife Amy defended the solidity of their marriage.
The controversies around Platner have prompted Democratic concern that he could jeopardize one of the party's most promising pickup opportunities in a cycle where they hope to recapture the Senate.
Platner could face new pressure to step aside, though that appears unlikely for now.
'It has never crossed our mind to drop out of this thing', Platner said in an interview with Chris Hayes on MS NOW on 4 June 2026, referring to him and his wife, Amy. 'I am fully committed to this till the end'.
Maine is a crucial state for Democrats in their uphill battle to capture the Senate majority. They need to flip at least four seats, including in states that are more favorable to Republicans than Maine.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had recruited Mills to run and then signaled support for Platner after Mills suspended her campaign in April, citing low campaign funds. Her name remains on Tuesday's primary ballot, along with that of a third, lesser-known candidate, David Costello.
Schumer did not respond when asked on Capitol Hill after the Times' latest report if he still supported Platner.
Some Democrats who supported Mills' Senate campaign believe she should resume it given Platner's latest controversies. She has not weighed in on that possibility but raised eyebrows Sunday when she reminded a Maine newspaper that her name is still on the ballot.
One of Platner's biggest allies in Congress, Sen. Bernie Sanders, has stood by him in recent days after the reports about his text messages to other women. Asked Tuesday night if he was worried that more damaging information about Platner would emerge, Sanders said he did not know.
"I think it's better for this country that we start focusing on the enormous crises facing working people, a corrupt political system, than spending so much time worrying about the personal life of an individual," Sanders said on CNN's "The Source with Kaitlan Collins."
Platner was scheduled to address the Times story during an 8 p.m. interview on MS NOW.
Republicans responded quickly to the article, signaling they planned to put the allegations front and center in the general election if Platner is his party's nominee.
"If he's willing to do this to his own girlfriend, imagine what he's willing to do in a position of political power," Delanie Bomar, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. "If Chuck Schumer and national Democrats don't distance themselves from Platner, they'll be forced to answer for his behavior every day from now until Election Day."
Democrats were more muted on Platner's candidacy in the immediate aftermath of the story's publication.
Platner is set to return to the campaign for a rally with California Ro Khanna along the Maine coast. Khanna appeared to stand by his support for Platner .
'The behavior described in the NYT was wrong and toxic', Khanna said. 'Graham has acknowledged that and sought redemption'.
The latest data shows just how quickly the ground has shifted.
On Kalshi, a regulated U.S. prediction market, the Democrat-led side of the Maine Senate contest now sits at 52 per
cent to the Republican Party's 48 per cent, as of 5 June 2026 .
That level marks a significant drop from the 51 per cent odds seen when Platner launched his campaign on 19 August 2025—the first time his position has fallen below its starting point.
It also marks a dramatic reversal from May 21, when the Democrat was priced at 72 percent—suggesting a commanding lead—before briefly losing ground entirely earlier on June 5, with Republican incumbent Susan Collins trading at 52 per cent to Platner's 48 per cent.
For a race that had been drifting toward the Democrats, the numbers now point to a genuine toss-up, with momentum clearly shifting away from Platner.
Platner met with Democrats in Congress to answer questions. 'We are still going to win Maine', Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who chairs the Senate Democratic campaign arm, told CNN.
In a Tarzan-like president Trump demonstrates a wild howling hollow boast that short of beating his chest while yelling: 'I call the shots!' in pursuing his and his Israeli pimp Bibi Netenyahu's 'war of choice' with Iran.
Iran and Israel trade strikes as Trump calls on them to stop as
Teheran launched wave-after wave of missiles at Israel, and Israel struck Irani military targets and a petrochemical complex, as an uneasy two-month truce broke down. President Trump called for the two sides to 'immediately stop' the attacks.
Netanyahu defied Trump and struck back at Iran--but can he take on Tehran without the US? By defying Trump, Israel has done more than challenge Iran's new equation; it has also undermined Trump's credibility.
Israel has now responded militarily to Iran, defying Trump’s publicly expressed wishes. Israeli commentators have been explicit that Israel could not allow Iran to establish a new regional equation—one in which Tehran successfully extended deterrence over Lebanon.
But by defying Trump, Israel has done more than challenge Iran’s new equation; it has also undermined Trump’s credibility.
The ball is now back in both Tehran’s and Trump’s court.
If Israel’s defiance carries no consequences, it will reinforce the view in Iran that Trump either cannot or will not restrain Israel. From Tehran’s perspective, a deal with Washington has little value if the US is unable—or unwilling—to curb Israeli actions. An unconstrained Israel would only increase the likelihood of renewed conflict and continued efforts to draw the United States back into war.
Truth be told, Trump is a cork floating in a sea of war, a 'helpless giant' unable to control events.
Thank you very much for bringing the prophetic voice of the Lord to the gates of the Trump regime. This, as you have said, is not about right vs left, but right vs wrong.
McFarland is an enemy to America secular and religious diversity. He is an enemy to Christianity. For his allegiance to Donald Trump and the Republican Party.. he has a talk show on American family radio where they take him calls from the public. He should be swamped. But I’m sure they screen the calls pretty well.
Bishop Barber and Jonathan, the image of a pulpit in the street outside the White House is a striking reminder that truth-telling has never belonged only inside sanctuaries or official rooms of power. I appreciate the insistence that moral resistance does not require hatred, violence, or becoming shaped by the very forces being confronted. That distinction matters in this moment, because prophetic witness must name policy violence and corruption clearly while still calling the nation toward a future larger than retaliation. Thank you for continuing to hold together truth, love, nonviolence, and the stubborn belief that America can yet become more just than it has been.
Bravo to all in DC.
Yes 🇵🇸
So great to know this is happening, to witness it. Thanks to those who filmed so we can see it. It strengthens us. Last night we passed a yard sign (in what seemed to be an otherwise MAGA-ish neighborhood) that said simply RESIST. I took heart from that sign, and want to get one for our yard. These actions spread. Your amazing witness at the White House: Stop It. Naming these injustices which should be obvious. May it spread, multiply, draw in teetering bystanders ... Yes! A third Reconstruction!
Truth and Love and Justice and Compassion ❤️🥰
Preach on !!!
I want so badly to be in Washington DC, to participate, to support your amazing work. We must get out and support! I’m elderly and facing other challenges, but I will be at one of these Moral Mondays later in the summer certainly before midterm elections. We have a lot to do And you have been giving us your voice! Eternally thankful, God bless !!!!
Liked that you referenced Tony Campolo. The Presbyterian church I attended for years stopped having him—and I noticed all “Christian” bookstores also cancelled him. Too woke for them!
The US has experienced political and social and economic unrest for several years under president Trump as clouds of war in Iran darken cloud.
Louder Than Any Boos: Trump’s 48 Hours of Humiliation--the president was booed in New York after making the NBA Finals about him, and flesh-eating screwworms spread in the US' economy after Trump’s DOGE cuts.
Days before the president traveled back to his home city to attend the NBA Finals game – as a guest of Knicks owner and Trump donor James Dolan – administration officials knew what was coming.
In February, president Trump weighed whether to attend the Super Bowl, several close advisers privately assessed that he shouldn’t because the chances of him getting lustily booed on live TV were -– to put it mildly-– high. The president ultimately didn’t attend, and told an obvious lie about why.
But this week, Trump opted to attend a different high-profile sporting event and went about as well expected. And it wasn’t even the most embarrassing thing to happen to the twice-impeached, repeatedly indicted president within the past 48 hours.
Last night’s [8 June 2026] Game 3 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs took place in Manhattan's Madison Square Garden.
And the booing not only could be heard in the canyons of New York but throughout the entire country.
'We are headed into hostile territory', one White House official said in the run-up to the game at Madison Square Garden. Other Trump administration officials took it for granted that Trump would get loudly booed, and that the inevitable video clips would generate fodder for the president’s enemies. And boy, did he.
'Louder than the boos for the Spurs, louder than any boos I’ve heard in this building in a while', tweeted Fox Sports analyst Rachel Nichols.
The booing rose to a crescendo of noise from the fans that lasted long minutes as Trump with a smirk on his lips, a wicked twinkle in his eyes, saluting with his cankerous right hand, stood in a glass bullet-proof booth during the national anthem.
Trump's presence at the 'Garden' broke the Knicks 13-game winning streak. His presence like the 'bacio di Tosca' or 'Tosca's kiss' in Puccini's opera, took the color out of expectations of the series anticipated four-game winning streak.
Like Moby Dick's 'white whale', Trump's attendance at Game 3 was a harbinger of bad luck.
It is doubtful, the ailing Trump will stay in town for Game 4 and suffer further humiliation?
Regretfully, I missed this yesterday ….
woe
n a snarky snit of sensationalist journalism, the NYT [New York Times] did Run an Anti-Platner hit job? It did. The 'paper of record' centered its big scoop, on the leftist Senate candidate's 'unsettling' behavior with former girlfriends, on the uncorroborated accusations of a pro-Israel Republican activist. [Platner's extended family is Jewish. His brother writes for 'The Jerusalem Post'.]
Oyster farmer, veteran, plain-spoken Graham Platner's path to the Senate in Maine has narrowed sharply after fresh allegations surfaced, with his chances now at their lowest point since he entered the race in August 2025.
Maine Democratic Senate Platner is facing allegations of unsettling and in at least one case physically threatening behavior toward women he dated, according in NYT.
The report, which is based on interviews with six women who previously dated Platner, comes amid intensified scrutiny of his candidacy and raises new questions about the viability of a candidate who has become his party's presumptive nominee against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Not all of the women who spoke to the New York Times described troubling behavior from Platner. But three of them described volatile and "toxic" relationships, including allegations of heavy drinking, infidelity, demeaning behavior toward women and, in one account, physical intimidation.
Platner 'strongly disputes' any claims of physical intimidation or altercations, his campaign said. He may be suffering from the long lingering effects of PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder].
The story includes allegations from one former partner, Lyndsey Fifield, a right-wing Republican MAGA influencer,that Platner grabbed her by the shoulders regularly, sometimes hard enough to leave marks.
Fifield also alleged to the Times that during an argument, she recalled Platner twisting her arm behind her back, shoving her into a bedroom and holding the door closed so she couldn't get out.
In a statement to CNN, Platner disputed claims of physical intimidation and said the most serious allegations were false and politically motivated.
'Throughout this campaign, I've 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', Platner said in the statement. 'I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I'm not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I've done since, and the movement we are building in Maine'.
The NyT story on Thursday also added new scrutiny to Platner's explanation of a tattoo with Nazi symbolism he got while in the military. Fifield, his former girlfriend, recalled Platner referring to it years earlier as 'my Totenkopf', a reference to the skull-and-crossbones emblem used by Nazi SS units. Yet, he has got clearance three times from the US government and no criticism from family Jewish weddings.
Platner has previously said he had not understood the symbol's significance when he got the tattoo while serving in the Marine Corps and had only been made aware of its meaning last October.
But Fifield spoke on condition of anonymity. Why?
Fifield previously provided text messages reviewed by CNN showing that she told friends in August 2025 — before Platner claimed he knew of the symbol's Nazi history — that he 'has a Nazi tattoo on his chest', a 'Totenkopf."
The latest allegations come as Democrats have increasingly rallied around Platner after Democratic Governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign in April, leaving the political newcomer as the party's expected nominee in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate contests.
They also arrive after months of controversies that have forced Platner and his campaign into a nearly constant cycle of damage control and apologies.
Since launching his campaign, Platner has faced scrutiny over deleted social media posts on Reddit in which he called himself a "communist," dismissed "all" police as bastards, and said White Americans "actually are" racist and stupid. He later disavowed those remarks, telling CNN they reflected a period when he was angry and disillusioned and do not represent his current views.
Last week, Platner was forced to confront reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women outside his marriage. His wife Amy defended the solidity of their marriage.
The controversies around Platner have prompted Democratic concern that he could jeopardize one of the party's most promising pickup opportunities in a cycle where they hope to recapture the Senate.
Platner could face new pressure to step aside, though that appears unlikely for now.
'It has never crossed our mind to drop out of this thing', Platner said in an interview with Chris Hayes on MS NOW on 4 June 2026, referring to him and his wife, Amy. 'I am fully committed to this till the end'.
Maine is a crucial state for Democrats in their uphill battle to capture the Senate majority. They need to flip at least four seats, including in states that are more favorable to Republicans than Maine.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had recruited Mills to run and then signaled support for Platner after Mills suspended her campaign in April, citing low campaign funds. Her name remains on Tuesday's primary ballot, along with that of a third, lesser-known candidate, David Costello.
Schumer did not respond when asked on Capitol Hill after the Times' latest report if he still supported Platner.
Some Democrats who supported Mills' Senate campaign believe she should resume it given Platner's latest controversies. She has not weighed in on that possibility but raised eyebrows Sunday when she reminded a Maine newspaper that her name is still on the ballot.
One of Platner's biggest allies in Congress, Sen. Bernie Sanders, has stood by him in recent days after the reports about his text messages to other women. Asked Tuesday night if he was worried that more damaging information about Platner would emerge, Sanders said he did not know.
"I think it's better for this country that we start focusing on the enormous crises facing working people, a corrupt political system, than spending so much time worrying about the personal life of an individual," Sanders said on CNN's "The Source with Kaitlan Collins."
Platner was scheduled to address the Times story during an 8 p.m. interview on MS NOW.
Republicans responded quickly to the article, signaling they planned to put the allegations front and center in the general election if Platner is his party's nominee.
"If he's willing to do this to his own girlfriend, imagine what he's willing to do in a position of political power," Delanie Bomar, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. "If Chuck Schumer and national Democrats don't distance themselves from Platner, they'll be forced to answer for his behavior every day from now until Election Day."
Democrats were more muted on Platner's candidacy in the immediate aftermath of the story's publication.
Platner is set to return to the campaign for a rally with California Ro Khanna along the Maine coast. Khanna appeared to stand by his support for Platner .
'The behavior described in the NYT was wrong and toxic', Khanna said. 'Graham has acknowledged that and sought redemption'.
The latest data shows just how quickly the ground has shifted.
On Kalshi, a regulated U.S. prediction market, the Democrat-led side of the Maine Senate contest now sits at 52 per
cent to the Republican Party's 48 per cent, as of 5 June 2026 .
That level marks a significant drop from the 51 per cent odds seen when Platner launched his campaign on 19 August 2025—the first time his position has fallen below its starting point.
It also marks a dramatic reversal from May 21, when the Democrat was priced at 72 percent—suggesting a commanding lead—before briefly losing ground entirely earlier on June 5, with Republican incumbent Susan Collins trading at 52 per cent to Platner's 48 per cent.
For a race that had been drifting toward the Democrats, the numbers now point to a genuine toss-up, with momentum clearly shifting away from Platner.
Platner met with Democrats in Congress to answer questions. 'We are still going to win Maine', Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who chairs the Senate Democratic campaign arm, told CNN.
In a Tarzan-like president Trump demonstrates a wild howling hollow boast that short of beating his chest while yelling: 'I call the shots!' in pursuing his and his Israeli pimp Bibi Netenyahu's 'war of choice' with Iran.
Iran and Israel trade strikes as Trump calls on them to stop as
Teheran launched wave-after wave of missiles at Israel, and Israel struck Irani military targets and a petrochemical complex, as an uneasy two-month truce broke down. President Trump called for the two sides to 'immediately stop' the attacks.
Netanyahu defied Trump and struck back at Iran--but can he take on Tehran without the US? By defying Trump, Israel has done more than challenge Iran's new equation; it has also undermined Trump's credibility.
Israel has now responded militarily to Iran, defying Trump’s publicly expressed wishes. Israeli commentators have been explicit that Israel could not allow Iran to establish a new regional equation—one in which Tehran successfully extended deterrence over Lebanon.
But by defying Trump, Israel has done more than challenge Iran’s new equation; it has also undermined Trump’s credibility.
The ball is now back in both Tehran’s and Trump’s court.
If Israel’s defiance carries no consequences, it will reinforce the view in Iran that Trump either cannot or will not restrain Israel. From Tehran’s perspective, a deal with Washington has little value if the US is unable—or unwilling—to curb Israeli actions. An unconstrained Israel would only increase the likelihood of renewed conflict and continued efforts to draw the United States back into war.
Truth be told, Trump is a cork floating in a sea of war, a 'helpless giant' unable to control events.
Beautiful 👋💙🙌
Thank you very much for bringing the prophetic voice of the Lord to the gates of the Trump regime. This, as you have said, is not about right vs left, but right vs wrong.
McFarland is an enemy to America secular and religious diversity. He is an enemy to Christianity. For his allegiance to Donald Trump and the Republican Party.. he has a talk show on American family radio where they take him calls from the public. He should be swamped. But I’m sure they screen the calls pretty well.
https://daveweberva11.substack.com/p/alex-mcfarland-wrpcn-says-abortion?r=59cvkw&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web