Platner Under Pressure, NATO Meets in Turkey, US Exits World Cup

The morning after a woman accused Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner of raping her in 2021, the pressure on him to drop out of the race has become overwhelming. Platner denies the allegation but said in a video that he is "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward." Meanwhile, President Trump is in Ankara for a NATO summit where allies are trying to project unity while confronting Russia's intensifying war in Ukraine and an unstable ceasefire with Iran. And the US men's national team is out of the World Cup after a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16, ending a tournament that began with promise and became engulfed in controversy.

Platner Faces Calls to Exit Senate Race

The allegation against Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, was published Monday by Politico and followed by an interview on CNN. Jenny Rasiocott, a former girlfriend, said Platner entered her home intoxicated in 2021 and forced her to have sex despite her repeatedly saying no. "He violated multiple layers of consent that night by coming into my home when I asked him not to, and by advancing on me when I told him not to," she told CNN's Jake Tapper. Politico said it corroborated the account by reviewing messages Rasiocott sent to her therapist and speaking with people she confided in.