I guess the Nazi tattoo, the despicable online posts, the portapotty fetish, and the domestic abuse allegations weren’t enough for Democrats to admit Graham Platner (D-Maine) is a horrible human being, but now, following fresh allegations of sexual assault, Democrats are finally heading for the exits.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), two of the Maine Senate candidate's most loyal defenders, yanked their endorsements on Monday, and Khanna went even further by calling on Platner to quit the race altogether.
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.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 6, 2026
The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) July 6, 2026
I am rescinding my endorsement.
How noble of them.
Make no mistake about it, the report that FINALLY broke the dam is damning.
Jenny Racicot, a Maine resident who dated Platner, told Politico that he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections. She detailed the alleged incident in three interviews over two weeks. Politico also spoke with a man she dated afterward and reviewed documents, including emails between Racicot and her therapist, as well as messages in which she had warned an acquaintance against getting involved with Platner long before he ever ran for office.
ICYMI: Here’s What Graham Platner Doesn’t Want You to Know About His Accuser
“These allegations are horrifying and describe, in clear and graphic detail, something no woman should be forced to experience,” RNC Spokesperson Kristen Cianci said in a statement. “The more layers of Graham Platner’s past emerge, the more irrefutable his pattern of violent, disgusting behavior becomes.”
Platner denies the allegations, but announced that he was "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" for his candidacy.
But here's the problem. Khanna already knew who Graham Platner was, and he told us so himself. Last month, he went on Fox News Sunday and admitted he believed the women who told The New York Times that Platner abused and mistreated them. Then he defended the man anyway, chalking it all up to PTSD and alcohol.
"He did two, three tours of duty in Iraq. He came back with a PTSD. That's not an excuse," Khanna said. "But he said that he had a problem with alcohol. He had an ugly period in his life. And he believes that he is transformed and he's had redemption."
"And the voters of Maine had a choice, and they voted for him by 72%," Khanna continued. "At this point, almost the entire Democratic Party is supporting him."
"And it's for the voters to decide whether they believe his transformation is sincere," Khanna added. "I believe that they will make that determination. But I do believe that people have to extend grace to folks who own up to past mistakes and say that they've transformed and that they are better."
Think about that for a second. The Democrat Party has spent years lecturing the rest of the country about believing women and about accountability. Then a man with a Nazi tattoo and a trail of accusers won the party’s primary in a state it desperately needs, and all of those sacred rules evaporated overnight.
Khanna even said he believed the accusers and, in the same breath, endorsed the accused.
So what actually changed between last month and Monday? Khanna drew his "red line" only after a named accuser, a paper trail, and a collapsing candidacy made Platner radioactive a week before the ballot deadline. But here’s the problem: the behavior was already on the record. Abuse allegations were already public from the New York Times report. Khanna believed them and stood by his man anyway, because his man was winning.
Democrats found their conscience at the exact moment they lost their confidence in Platner's viability. They can live with a Nazi and a depraved creep, but the one thing the Democrat Party will never forgive is a candidate who might lose.
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