Succession fight under way as Bernie Sanders calls for Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race – US politics live

Vermont senator is latest figure to call for Democratic nominee to step down after sexual assault allegations President Donald Trump has sharply escalated his warnings about a “communist takeover” of the ⁠Democratic party ahead of November’s midterm elections as his political team tests whether the message can resonate beyond his core supporters. Preliminary findings from his team’s focus groups suggest the message strongly energizes Trump’s base and could boost turnout among