Platner Smear Flops; The Screwworm Cometh w/ Jeet Heer | MR Live
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖A New York Times report on Graham Platner is widely criticized as a politically motivated smear, with its key accuser being a Republican operative.
- ❖The Senate passed a $70 billion bill to fund ICE, while an amendment to prevent US-Israeli military supply chain melding failed.
- ❖A flesh-eating screwworm outbreak is poised to cost billions, linked to the DOJ cutting preventative measures.
- ❖The Trump administration stripped federal civil service job protections to install cronies, further weakening government agencies.
- ❖The War Powers Act is at the center of a constitutional crisis, challenging presidential authority to wage war without congressional approval.
- ❖Donald Trump's politicization of America's 250th anniversary celebration is turning a civic event into a personal vanity project.
Insights
1New York Times Platner Report Exposed as Politically Motivated Smear
The New York Times published a report on Graham Platner, detailing 'unsettling behavior' with several women. However, the hosts and guest Jeet Heer argue it's a 'gross hit piece' because the only accuser alleging physical intimidation (Lindsay Fifield) is a prominent Republican operative, co-founder of 'Ladies for Kavanaugh,' and a fellow at the Independent Women's Forum, a group that helped Susan Collins justify her Kavanaugh vote. The Times itself admitted it 'could not independently corroborate' Fifield's account, yet still published it, suggesting a coordinated effort by centrist, pro-Israel, and right-wing factions to derail Platner's candidacy.
Lindsay Fifield, the key accuser, was featured in the New York Post as a co-founder of 'Ladies for Kavanaugh' () and is a fellow at the Independent Women's Forum, whose chair bragged about scripting Susan Collins' Kavanaugh speech (). The NYT article stated it 'could not independently corroborate Ms. Fifield's account of the altercations' ().
2Defunding of Preventative Measures Leads to Screwworm Outbreak
A flesh-eating New World screwworm outbreak was detected in Texas, the first in 45 years, threatening the US beef industry. This crisis is directly linked to the Trump administration's cuts to preventative measures, including monitoring programs and funding for international disease control organizations like the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). USDA officials, like Brooke Rollins, falsely claimed preparedness, despite months of warnings and the prior administration's cuts to relevant programs.
AgriPulse reported in winter 2025 that 'Bird flu screwworm monitoring among foreign aid programs killed by Trump' (). Devex highlighted USAID cuts to zoonotic disease control, specifically mentioning the termination of 100 US-funded FAO programs, including the 'health security program which monitors and prevents the spread of transboundary animal diseases such as bird flu and New World screwworm' ().
3War Powers Act Challenges Imperial Presidency, Faces Constitutional Crisis
The House passed a War Powers resolution, following a similar Senate version, aiming to reclaim Congress's constitutional authority to declare war and restrain presidential military actions. This legislative veto mechanism, though challenged by a 1983 Supreme Court decision (INS v. Chadha), is seen as a crucial battle against the 'imperial presidency.' The hosts express concern that the current Supreme Court might further erode congressional checks, potentially leading to a 'king-like' executive.
The War Resolutions Act allows for a legislative veto, where House and Senate votes can put a measure into effect without presidential approval, consistent with the Constitution's grant of war-declaring power to Congress (). The Supreme Court's 1983 INS v. Chadha decision challenged legislative vetoes, but its applicability to the War Resolutions Act is debated, even by Justice Lewis Powell ().
4Trump's Politicization Undermines National Celebrations and Civic Pride
Donald Trump's approach to America's 250th anniversary celebration is criticized for being a self-serving vanity project, devoid of genuine civic pride. Unlike past bipartisan efforts for national milestones, Trump created an alternative, corrupt organization with private donors and 'has-been bands' (many of whom later withdrew). This politicization is seen as killing any sense of shared patriotism and turning a significant national event into a personal rally.
Obama's administration had planned a bipartisan commission for the 250th anniversary, but Trump created an 'alternative organization which is corrupt, which has like private donors funneling money and which has like you know, like all these like has-been bands' (). Bret Michaels and Vanilla Ice, initially considered for Trump's event, reportedly backed out due to its partisan nature ().
Bottom Line
The coordinated smear campaign against Graham Platner, involving right-wing operatives and centrist media, inadvertently strengthens his anti-establishment appeal by confirming his narrative of fighting 'the man.'
This tactic, intended to disqualify Platner, may backfire by reinforcing his image as an outsider challenging a corrupt system, potentially boosting his support among voters disillusioned with the establishment.
Progressive candidates facing similar attacks can leverage the transparency of such smears to highlight their anti-establishment credentials and connect with voters who distrust mainstream media and political machines.
The Democratic establishment's lack of a viable 'Plan B' candidate in Maine, beyond an uncampaigning Janet Mills, reveals a deep-seated desire to control nominations and avoid populist challenges, even at the cost of electability.
This strategy prioritizes party control over voter choice and effective campaigning, potentially leaving a weak candidate to face a strong incumbent like Susan Collins, despite public dissatisfaction with the status quo.
Grassroots movements can expose these establishment maneuvers to galvanize support for outsider candidates, framing their campaigns as a fight for democratic representation against party gatekeepers.
Key Concepts
K-shaped Economy
The concept that an economic recovery or crisis disproportionately benefits or harms different segments of the population, leading to widening inequality. The screwworm outbreak is framed as exacerbating this, further concentrating the beef industry.
Imperial Presidency
A term used to describe a presidency that has exceeded its constitutional limits, particularly in foreign policy and the use of military force, often without sufficient checks from Congress. The War Powers Act debate is a direct challenge to this model.
Lessons
- Contact your Congressperson to demand Section 224, which seeks to meld US and Israeli military supply chains, be stripped from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
- Educate yourself on the systemic defunding of federal agencies and its real-world consequences, such as the screwworm outbreak, to understand the long-term damage to governance.
- Support candidates who challenge the 'imperial presidency' and advocate for congressional authority in declaring war, to restore constitutional checks and balances.
Notable Moments
The hosts and guest discuss the bizarre anticipation and 'vague posting' on social media leading up to the New York Times' Platner story, hinting at horrific accusations that never materialized.
This highlights the coordinated nature of the smear campaign and the deliberate attempt to create a narrative of extreme depravity around Platner, even without evidence.
Sam Seder recounts his childhood memories of America's 200th anniversary (bicentennial) in 1976, contrasting the genuine civic pride and bipartisan celebration with Trump's politicized 250th anniversary plans.
It underscores the cultural and civic loss caused by extreme political polarization and Trump's self-serving approach to national events, diminishing shared national identity.
Quotes
"The entire country of Israel has a GDP that is less than a single town in my district. Yet somehow Netanyahu thinks he can tell the American people what we should do."
"The American public is screaming from the top of their lungs to not deepen our relationship with Israel. And yet we can't get support for something this flagrant from a majority of members of our Congress."
"What's happening to our agencies? Once you destroy these things, it's going to take literally at least a decade, it seems to me, of Democratic rule, at least."
"I don't think with Platner, like, I'm actually shocked that like, you know, like, like just in how shoddy this particular story is. Like, like it, it is really like, uh, on a, on a, on a whole different level."
Q&A
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