How Maine’s Senate race looks similar to another recent major election: From the Politics Desk

From the Politics DeskHow Maine’s Senate race looks similar to another recent major election: From the Politics DeskPlus, the latest on Israel’s domestic politics amid war with Iran.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Graham Platner acknowledges applause at a campaign event in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Friday.Robert F. Bukaty / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 8, 2026, 5:07 PM EDTBy The Politics DeskWelcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In today’s edition, Sahil Kapur digs into the eerie parallels between the Maine Senate race and another major election in recent history. Plus, Matt Bradley looks at Israel’s domestic politics — and Donald Trump’s role in that — amid war with Iran.Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.— Scott BlandNetanyahu faces angry voters at home and an irate Trump abroadBy Matt BradleyThe renewed fighting overnight between Israel and Iran has deepened the political peril in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself just months before elections that amount to the most formidable challenge yet facing his decades of leadership.Netanyahu had already endured mounting criticism from both his political opponents and allies who are demanding that he escalate Israel’s fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, even if it meant defying President Donald Trump — Israel’s first-ever wartime ally and a hugely popular figure in the country.Critics of the Israeli prime minister latched on to Trump’s repeated, public humiliations of Netanyahu, such as last week’s phone call in which the president said he had called the prime minister “f------ crazy” for continuing to launch attacks in Lebanon. Even Israeli military leaders openly complained that American restrict...