NPR News: 07-09-2026 2PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. In another dramatic shift in tone, President Trump is calling Iranian leaders scum just weeks after praising them as smart and rational. NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports on the diplomatic whiplash that has come to define Trump's approach to global affairs.

Franco Ordoñez0:20

Three weeks ago, President Trump described the Iranians as brave people who wanted to change the direction of their country for the better.

Donald Trump· Soundbite0:27

We're dealing with people that I think are very rational people. I mean, they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people.

Franco Ordoñez0:34

But he delivered a much different characterization yesterday at the NATO Summit in Turkey.

Donald Trump· Soundbite0:39

I don't wanna deal with them anymore. They're scum. You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people.

Franco Ordoñez0:46

It's part of a pattern with the president, who often swings between praise and threats in an effort to almost will this war to an end. But you can also hear Trump struggling with that balance, insisting to reporters later that the war will not start again. Franco Ordoñez, NPR News.

Lakshmi Singh· Host1:04

The state of Maine has become a flashpoint in the Democratic Party's complicated campaign to retake the US Senate. Their hope for flipping a seat long held by Republican Senator Susan Collins was thrown into disarray after progressive nominee Graham Plattner, a military veteran and oysterman, was accused of raping a woman he used to date. Plattner denied the allegation, but he dropped out of the race after he lost the backing of major politicians. Maine Public's Kevin Miller has