Washington, DC

1. Pressure on Platner
2. Wilson-Wicker spat
3. Trump shifts to Ukraine
4. White House helipad
5. Housing bill dilemma
6. Jeffries’ challenge
7. GLP-1s rise in popularity

PDB: Belgium defeats US in World Cup despite Trump intervention

Trump meets Erdoğan … Stevens, El-Sayed debate in Michigan … SpaceX joins Nasdaq

Democrats want a Platner replacement

Democrats are expecting their Senate nominee in Maine to end his campaign and let the state party replace him, after a woman who dated Graham Platner accused him of sexual assault and party leadership and most of his endorsers urged him to quit. Sources close to Nirav Shah, who lost last month’s gubernatorial primary, and Jordan Wood, who lost the primary in the 2nd Congressional District, said they’ve been fielding calls about the nomination, which Maine Democrats could give to another candidate by July 27 if Platner quits by July 13. Platner’s advocates were sounding out Troy Jackson, the former state Senate president, who ran third in the gubernatorial primary (and was, like Platner, endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.). Maine Democrats have total control over the replacement process, and progressives argue that a like-minded candidate would stand to inherit most of Platner’s supporters and organization.

— David Weigel

GOP colleagues clash over event

A transatlantic dispute between two senior GOP lawmakers escalated over the weekend when one briefly barred the other from their own delegation’s return flight to Washington, Semafor’s Eleanor Mueller scoops. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has lobbied since 2024 to hold next year’s annual session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly in his home state. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., appeared to agree when he signed a bipartisan letter in March that asked for $4 million in federal funding for the event. Then the Senate Armed Services chair reversed himself, telling attendees of this year’s annual session in the Netherlands that the US would not be able to host despite arrangements already underway. After Wilson protested on X, Wicker texted him: “PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO RETURN TO THE US BY OTHER MEANS.” “I was so insulted,” Wilson told Semafor.

— Eleanor Mueller

NATO summit renews focus on Ukraine

The Ukraine war is moving to the top of the White House’s agenda as President Donald Trump meets with European leaders anxious to discuss supporting Kyiv and putting pressure on Russia. Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — scheduled for tomorrow — will offer clues as to Trump’s posture towards both the Ukrainian leader and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. European leaders are expected to make the case for more financial penalties on Moscow, which is facing widespread fuel shortages and economic contraction, as well as defensive support for Ukraine, which is running dangerously low on Patriot missile interceptors. One senior UK official argued there is a “point of opportunity” for Europe and the US to push for a solution to the Ukraine conflict in the coming months before the winter sets in, given Ukraine’s battlefield advances and Russia’s weakened economy.

— Morgan Chalfant

Lockheed subsidiary funds Trump helipad

Trump’s latest Washington remodel — a new helicopter landing pad on the White House’s South Lawn — may end up as one of his least contentious construction projects in the capital. The president said yesterday that the helipad construction would be paid for by the Lockheed Martin-owned Sikorsky. The company’s revamped presidential helicopters cost $5 billion but had proven unable to land on the lawn because of exhaust damage. Trump suggested that Sikorsky was paying for the helipad because the company “felt a little bit guilty” about the effects of its new Marine Ones. His administration has considered a fix since early last year, with officials long privately indicating that the company should provide a solution. Lockheed has landed major contracts recently, including two multibillion-dollar ones, but many of those were expected — and the company has been onboard with other Trump projects.

— Shelby Talcott and Lauren Morganbesser

White House still mum on housing bill

Trump left Washington last night with no resolution on the unsigned housing bill and no clear path towards solving the ongoing Republican infighting on Capitol Hill. The White House remains mum on whether Trump will ultimately sign the bill, allow it to become law without signing it, or veto it. House Speaker Mike Johnson said last week that he doesn’t believe the president will veto the bill. Others in Congress, as well as those familiar with the situation, predict that Trump, who recently described the legislation as “a yawn,” will simply allow it to become law without his signature. But none of that solves the broader challenges Trump will face next week when Congress returns to Washington: his still-stalled voter ID bill, and a Republican majority that’s been more willing to buck his demands.

— Shelby Talcott and Eleanor Mueller

Why Jeffries may not have a vote problem

Despite threats from some progressive candidates, like Colorado’s Melat Kiros, to oppose a Hakeem Jeffries speakership over his support from corporate PACs and AIPAC, the House Democratic leader doesn’t have a vote problem on his hands yet on the level that sank Kevin McCarthy’s speakership years ago. The underlying conditions are unlikely to change, with Jeffries stressing in a recent interview that his average contribution came from a small donor. “I’m going to continue to take positions on every issue that are anchored in what’s the best thing to do for the district,” he said. Kiros hasn’t spoken yet with Jeffries, according to her spokesperson, who added that she “looks forward to conversations with leadership.” Still, some Democrats are bullish that they’ll have a large enough majority to neutralize threats to Jeffries’ leadership bid — or be able to win over potential objectors in the months to come.

— Nicholas Wu

Weight-loss drugs sweep US

More than one in 10 Americans are using GLP-1 drugs to lose weight, the latest sign of the growing popularity of the medications, initially approved to treat diabetes. Eleven percent of American adults are currently taking these drugs for weight loss, according to Gallup, up from 3% who said so in 2024. Overall, 15% report having used these medications to lose weight at some point in their lives, up from 6% two years ago. There seems to be a correlation between GLP-1 use and declining obesity, too: The US obesity rate dropped to 36.4% this year from a peak of 39.9% in 2022, during which period the drugs rose in popularity. And while Americans are more likely to be using brand name drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, those using compounded or custom-mixed GLP-1s are actually more likely to see extreme results.

Blindspot: Mamdani and ICE

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: Failed Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt rebuked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani following his Independence Day speech.

What the Right isn’t reading: A New York man is suing ICE for sending agents to his home because he sent an email to the agency’s acting head calling him a “monstrous human being.”

Is the World Cup a raw deal for cities? FIFA’s New York frontman disagrees. On this week’s episode of Compound Interest, presented by Amazon Business, New York-New Jersey Host Committee CEO Alex Lasry joins Liz and Rohan to discuss what’s really in it for the two states, why he thinks you can’t put a price on the opportunity, how celebrities are getting their hands on coveted tickets, and the hypothetical logistical nightmare that keeps him up at night. Plus, his family’s experience owning the Milwaukee Bucks and why he thinks more sports owners should prioritize the fan experience over the bottom line.

Beltway Newsletters

Punchbowl News: Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is leading a group of Senate Democrats in pushing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to give more details on the legal authorities and criteria used to deny a series of recent military promotions.

Playbook: “President Trump [is] basically achieving what, since Eisenhower, American presidents tried to achieve, which is to equalize the defense spending between the US and Europe,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said.

Axios: “Maine was Democrats’ best shot at flipping a Senate seat in a razor-tight fight for control of the chamber. Now it’s a nightmare.”

White House

• The US lost to Belgium 4-1 in the round of 16 in the FIFA World Cup; President Trump had earlier intervened to convince FIFA to reverse the one-game suspension of striker Folarin Balogun.
• New York Magazine profiles the Republican Party’s Catholic vanguard, personified by Vice President JD Vance.