Platner’s Nuts: Democrats Jostling For Front Of Line To Replace Stubborn Scandal-Plagued Senate Candidate
'Platner is still reluctant to drop out'
'Taking time to reflect': Graham Platner responds to most recent sexual misconduct allegations against him
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign is in hot water again after new allegations of sexual misconduct were reported Monday. Now his campaign against Susan Collins hangs by a very thin thread.
Platner issued a two-minute video response on Monday afternoon in light of a new report from Politico. In the report a woman, described as someone who once dated Platner, accused him of "sexual assault."
'Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.'
In the video, Platner denied the allegations against him, calling them "troubling, serious, and false," adding that "any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false."
The progressive Democrat spent the beginning of the video praising the movement his candidacy built and "the largest volunteer base in the history of Maine politics," fueled by "a focus on defeating Susan Collins."
Noting the seriousness of the allegations, however, Platner then made a remark that had some viewers asking questions about the future of his campaign: "So, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins."
While no definitive statement about the future of his campaign was given in his response, Platner did, however, promise to keep fighting for the base of supporters he amassed over the duration of his campaign.
RELATED: Democrats close ranks around Graham Platner despite string of scandals
"On June 9, 154,058 Mainers — the most in primary history — voted to reject a broken politics beholden to Washington and the donor class. They voted for hope, for change, to take back our economy, to take back our power, and to take back our Senate seat," Platner said in the video.
"Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated. And we will use every tool at our disposal to do so," he added. "As Maine goes, so goes the nation."
While Platner is not himself officially a part of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, which has seen some success in recent primaries across the country, his progressive platform may appear to resemble the more radical wing of the party.
While some notable figures have expressed their skepticism of Platner, one Democrat leader has stuck with him through the multiple scandals that have arisen during his campaign.
Steve Guest posted a clip of a press conference earlier this year with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer being asked about Graham Platner and the explanations he has given for the past allegations.
Schumer gave a consistent answer, explicitly saying, "I endorsed Graham Platner," and said they will defeat Susan Collins and "take back the Senate." The clip shows Schumer's apparent preference for Platner over establishment Democrat candidate Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign at the end of April.
Graham Platner handily won the June 9 primary and will face Collins in November, if his campaign continues.
Hours later, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who previously supported Platner's campaign, released a statement on social media: "I've been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement."
Blaze News contacted Rep. Ro Khanna and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) but did not immediately receive a response.
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'You called a guy a Nazi for years; then you elected one': Stu and Dave react to Platner victory
Despite multiple controversies coming to light over the past few months, Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner has secured the Democratic nomination in his state — winning a whopping 72% of the vote and defeating state governor Janet Mills.
Among those controversies was an account on an app known for sexual predators; a Nazi tattoo; and abuse and cheating allegations from women he has dated.
But on election night, Platner spun the recent controversies to a crowd of supporters by harping on “love and redemption.”
“Love and redemption. Redemption is not just some simple or easy destination. It’s a journey. I’ve made mistakes in my life. Mistakes that I regret, that I live with. That I continue to learn from. I’m still far from perfect,” Platner said.
“Every day I wake up, and I try to be a little bit better and a little bit kinder than I was the day before. And if you give me the chance, I will be a senator for the people who cannot afford to buy a senator,” he added.
“You called a guy a Nazi for years; then you elected one,” BlazeTV host Dave Landau tells co-host Stu Burguiere on “Stu and Dave Do America.” “It’s just ironic.”
Stu agrees, pointing out that the left even called Charlie Kirk a Nazi.
“So let’s get a guy with a Nazi tattoo,” he says, before recalling an article written by the Free Press on Platner, which he says catches Platner in “another pathological lie.”
Despite uncovered text messages showing that Platner had a romantic relationship with one of his accusers, Platner claimed they didn’t even date.
“Obviously not a casual relationship,” Stu says, explaining that many of the various resurfaced text messages were from 2025 — which was "approximately six weeks before he launched his senatorial campaign.”
“The last message he sent was right before he launched his campaign. Could there be anything more transparent? … It’s like Jeffrey Epstein coming off of his first, you know, arrest, and saying, ‘Well, he’s saying he’s a better guy and there’s not much more going on,’” he continues.
“You don’t run that guy for office,” he says. “There’s something going on, and we’re going to learn more about it, I’m sure.”
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Why Democrats are willing to overlook Graham Platner's Nazi-tattoo scandal
As the 2026 primaries ramp up, Democrats may be forced to embrace a scandal-ridden candidate most infamously known for an apparent Nazi tattoo.
Maine's Democratic Senate primary flew into a tailspin after Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race this week, leaving Graham Platner as the presumptive nominee.
'He's a blind date for the Democratic Party.'
Platner pitched himself to voters as a blue-collar veteran, but his talking points were quickly overshadowed by a myriad of scandals, including some politically incorrect comments about black people and, of course, the alleged Nazi tattoo. Notably, Platner has since gotten the tattoo covered up.
"I think this is a democratic rebellion against Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senate establishment," Democratic strategist Len Foxwell told Blaze News. "We know that Chuck Schumer's name is mud among rank-and-file Democrats who feel that neither he nor his leadership have been nearly effective enough in counteracting the policies and the rhetoric of this president."
The frustration with Democratic leadership may be the driver behind the embrace of Platner, who, despite the Nazi controversy, is speaking to an audience that feels disenfranchised by the establishment. These same scandals would be disqualifying for most political candidates, but several Democrats have already begun making excuses for Platner's political missteps.
RELATED: Once-favored Democrat suspends Senate campaign, opening door for extremist Graham Platner
"He's been very clear about the fact that he went into combat on behalf of the United States," Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said in an interview with Punchbowl. "He went through a really rough period, PTSD-type period, and he has himself said that there are lots of things he's done and said that he completely regrets. And I do believe people should have second chances and that people can learn from their mistakes."
Even though Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recruited Mills himself, he is now hesitantly backing Platner as the presumptive nominee to face off with Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
"After years of allowing Trump's abuses of power, Senator Collins has never been more vulnerable and we will work with the presumptive Democratic nominee Graham Platner to defeat her," Schumer said in a joint statement with Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
Prominent progressive commentator Adam Mockler was pressed about Platner's controversial past. CNN's Abby Phillip listed out some of Platner's offenses and asked Mockler if it would be acceptable if a Republican candidate were caught in the same scandals.
"I think we're entering a new era," Mockler said. "And we'll see what the base wants. We'll see who wins when the actual election happens. But for the past decade, Democrats have been unified by our opposition to Donald Trump, and now, Graham Platner has a forward-looking message."
Although it's hard to imagine a political landscape where Democrats willingly overlook Platner's baggage, Foxwell argues that Platner's appeal is not just pragmatic but also genuine.
"They are more inclined to lash out at the establishment and to take a risk on a blind date, which I believe Graham Platner is," Foxwell said. "I believe he's a blind date for the Democratic Party, and he has enormous political upside. He is a strong, natural political athlete, but he is by no means the safest candidate to send against Susan Collins in November. He has a lot of baggage, and Susan Collins is going to have a massive amount of money at her disposal to reinforce those negatives to the electorate."
"Susan Collins is obligated to make this race against Graham Platner, and Graham Platner's path to victory is all about making the race about Susan Collins and Donald Trump," Foxwell added. "Victory is going to go to the one who is ultimately successful."
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Once-favored Democrat suspends Senate campaign, opening door for extremist Graham Platner
The Senate race in Maine just got a surprise shakeup as election season draws near.
Incumbent Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills announced on Thursday that she will be dropping out of the Senate race.
'I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources.'
Mills announced that she will be suspending her campaign while touting her achievements, which she said have ultimately been frustrated "by a Republican administration that is blind to science, deaf to the cries of those in need of medical care, and ignorant of the needs of regular families."
In her statement, she continued: "While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else — the fight — to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources. That is why today I have made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the United States Senate."
RELATED: 2 more staffers ditch Graham Platner's troubled Senate campaign amid Nazi, communism scandals
Janet Mills is currently 78 years old. Had she been elected, she would have been one of the oldest freshman senators in history.
Despite being a favorite at the beginning of the race, Mills fell behind in the polls and in fundraising compared to her Democratic primary opponent, far-left progressive candidate Graham Platner. The Maine primary election is scheduled for June 9.
Mills stepping away from the race likely sets up Platner to face Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.
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