Trump's Whiplash Foreign Policy, Iran War Escalates, Graham Platner Drops Out
7/9/202612 min
President Trump keeps swinging between threats and flattery, calling Iran's leaders rational and smart three weeks ago and scum this week, and he's a similar tactic with NATO allies, going from freeloaders to friends in a single summit.
The U.S. struck Iran for a second straight night, hitting some 90 military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran fired back at American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, putting Israel's military on full readiness and leaving the region bracing for more.
And Graham Platner has suspended his Senate campaign in Maine, still denying the rape allegation that brought him down, and now Democrats have until the end of the month to pick someone new for a race they think they can win.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Tina Kraja, Jason Breslow, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas
Our director is Christopher Thomas
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(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) Trump's Whiplash Foreign Policy
(05:31) Iran War Escalates
(09:10) Graham Platner Drops Out
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMichel Martin· Host0:00
[gentle music] President Trump went from praising Iran's leaders to calling them scum in a matter of weeks.
A Martinez· Host0:06
He used a similar strategy at the NATO summit, berating allies, then telling them he felt the love in the room. Is the whiplash part of his strategy or just a sign of his short fuse?
Michel Martin· Host0:15
I'm Michelle Martin. That's A Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. [gentle music] The US struck Iran for a second night in a row, and Iran fired back at US bases again. Israel's military is preparing for the war to escalate while the ceasefire deal in Lebanon is also falling apart. Is the Middle East going back to all-out war?
A Martinez· Host0:35
And Graham Plattner is out. The Maine Democrat suspended his insurgent Senate campaign last night, saying it's not an admission of guilt to the allegations he committed sex crimes, but an acknowledgement of political reality. Democrats have three weeks to find a replacement. Stay with us, we've got the news you need to start your day.
Speaker 30:51
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Speaker 41:14
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