The man who will most likely be the Democratic nominee tasked with flipping one of Maine’s Senate seats from Republican to Democrat in the midterms is having a very bad week.
Or, I should say, he’s one of the reasons Senate Democrats are having a bad week.
How many scandals can one guy have?
Graham Platner seems as though he’s aiming to find out!
It’s so bad that Senate Democrats held a meeting this week primarily to hold Platner’s feet to the fire and try to assure themselves that he doesn’t have ANY MORE scandals up his sleeve!
With Maine’s Primary election this coming Tuesday…
Democrats who have hung their hopes on Platner to wrestle a Senate seat from Sen. Susan Collins are rightfully worried.
But, as Fox News reported, most are too afraid to even speak about Graham Platner now that his campaign is turning toxic:
SEE IT: Democratic senators dodge questions on whether they still back Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner after leaked explicit sexual messages surfaced — with some refusing to even acknowledge the scandal as Maine's primary hits Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/VRD4XuTTXn
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) June 4, 2026
A group of Democrats reportedly grilled Platner in this week’s meeting at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s headquarters, as reported by The Hill:
Platner is under fresh scrutiny after reports surfaced that he sent sexually explicit text messages to multiple women on the controversial messaging app Kik while married. His wife, Amy Gertner, reportedly discovered the texts and flagged them to Platner’s campaign last year.
The new revelations add to the list of details from Platner’s past that have dogged him for months, including a trove of since-deleted Reddit posts that surfaced last fall with controversial comments about Black people and sexual assault, among other subjects. He also drew criticism in October for a tattoo he had that resembled a Nazi symbol.
A small group of Democratic senators met with Platner at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) headquarters in D.C. Attendees included DSCC Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), and progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has consistently supported Platner, Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
And while Democrats have outwardly expressed support for him, some acknowledge Platner’s personal record is a liability that’s making them nervous about their chances of reclaiming their Senate majority.
ADVERTISEMENTOne Senate Democrat who did not attend the meeting said he had heard “a lot of concern” that there could be more revelations about Platner’s past since this latest one was so “out of left field.”
“I mean, he has a checkered past and a checkered past in many ways, but this seemed like, you know, right after he got married, and all of a sudden he’s sexting, and where’s that at?” the senator said.
“It is amazing that all of his endorsers, or pretty much all of his endorsers, have stood by him,” the senator added.
A few of the Democrats who showed up for that meeting with Platner did actually talk to CNN.
I have to guess they didn’t expect to get hit with actual questions of substance — but hey, it’s a brave new world!
Even CNN is throwing out a few shocking hardball questions for Democrats these days!
Here’s a clip from CNN’s coverage of the emergency meeting and the moment Platner showed up for the whole ‘affair’ — see what I did there? — as well as some of the EXCUSES Democrats used to justify supporting him:
And if you thought I was joking about CNN throwing out a few surprise hardballs for Democrats lately…
Check this clip out — CNN totally calling out Platner for his ‘I didn’t know it was a NAZI symbol I swear’ tattoo:
WHOA! Far-left CNN’s Michael Smerconish actually just went after Democrat Graham Platner for his Nazi tattoo:
“He didn’t cover it until October of 2025 — 18 years after getting it — and only when it became a political problem.”
“Think about that for a moment. 18 years of… pic.twitter.com/UKH7Sh7osf
— Blue Lives Matter (@bluelivesmtr) May 31, 2026
Still, almost unbelievably…
No Democratic Senator has pulled their support for Graham Platner.
Sen. John Fetterman — who never EXTENDED support for the Maine progressive — certainly wasn’t changing his tune.
More details on Fetterman’s reaction to Platner’s scandals are included in this (hilarious!) report from NBC News:
So far, no senator has reneged on their support for him after reports emerged over the weekend that Platner’s wife privately alerted a campaign official that he sent sexually explicit text messages to other women early in their marriage.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he met with Platner. He reiterated that he has endorsed Platner but dodged questions about whether the revelations concern him and whether he’s satisfied with his explanations.
“I endorsed Graham Platner,” Schumer said. “We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.”
Platner was inside for more than an hour and a half, with a group of Republican staffers standing outside to protest him. When he finished, he bolted to his car and left without speaking to a gaggle of reporters shouting questions at him.
The lone Democratic critic of Platner was Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who had already clashed with him and declined to back him.
“Where’s Phustle?” Fetterman said Tuesday, referring to the username associated with Platner on the anonymous messaging platform Kik. Asked whether he’s meeting with Platner, Fetterman snarked: “I’d love to. I mean, he’s a tough guy.”
ADVERTISEMENT“When I was growing up, if someone had a Nazi tattoo, you pretty much consume he’s a Nazi sympathizer,” Fetterman said. “He’s expressed frustration with how I dress, you know. And this asshole is on Kik and sexting to a dozen women.”
Asked whether he’d prefer to see Platner or Collins win, Fetterman replied: “I don’t know. I guess we’ll see. But I’d love to meet Phustle.”
I don’t think I even WANT to know the hidden meaning behind ‘Phustle’.
But if Fetterman ever gets his chance to meet the man — I dearly hope cameras are rolling.
As funny as Fetterman’s response is, I want to include another take I came across while researching this story.
Tim Scott didn’t mince words about Platner when he appeared on Fox News this week:
Democrat Graham Platner has told us who he is.
He hates White people, Black people, Jewish people, and even blamed victims of rape.
Yet, Democrats are doubling down on their support.
Why? They are desperate. Desperate for power. pic.twitter.com/CR4Ehc3h2J
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) June 3, 2026
Here’s a full screen version of that clip for convenience:
Democrat Graham Platner has told us who he is.
He hates White people, Black people, Jewish people, and even blamed victims of rape.
Yet, Democrats are doubling down on their support.
Why? They are desperate. Desperate for power. pic.twitter.com/CR4Ehc3h2J
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) June 3, 2026
I don’t think I agree with Tim Scott’s rah-rah support for Susan Collins.
But… I get it.
Even the questionable loyalty of Susan Collins is better than the train wreck the Democrats have summoned in Graham Platner.
There is a REASON ethics matter in politics — and one of those reasons is to avoid making it EASY for foreign intelligence agencies to flip American officials with hidden dirt!
The danger of that happening with someone like Graham Platner is too real to play games with.
After all — who knows how many foreign honey-pot operations ‘Phustle’ has fallen into, already!?
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