Graham Platner Accused of Rape – and Rats Jump from Sinking Ship
Democrats Rush for the Exits
Just weeks after rallying behind Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, many of his highest profile supporters are now scrambling to distance themselves from a campaign suddenly engulfed by a rape allegation. The rapid reversal has been striking. Politicians who defended or overlooked earlier controversies are now calling for Platner to immediately abandon his bid against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
The latest controversy began when POLITICO published an interview with Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who alleges Platner raped her in late 2021 during what had previously been an on and off relationship. Platner has categorically denied the allegation, calling it “troubling, serious, and false” and insisting that “any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue.”
The allegation is by far the most serious challenge to Platner’s candidacy and has transformed what had been a competitive Senate race into a political crisis for Democrats.
The Allegations
According to POLITICO, Racicot said Platner arrived at her home uninvited after she had told him not to come over. She alleges he was heavily intoxicated, entered her home, ignored repeated requests to stop, and forced her to have unprotected sex against her will.
“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” Racicot told POLITICO. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, ‘This is no longer my choice.'”
Racicot told the publication she chose not to report the incident publicly for years because she agreed with Platner politically and struggled with the conflict between supporting his policies and opposing his personal behavior.
“One of the reasons I didn’t come forward sooner was, the huge moral conflict that I had between supporting his politics, but not supporting him as a person,” she said. “I just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person.”
POLITICO reported that Racicot’s account was supported by people she had confided in before Platner entered politics, along with emails exchanged with her therapist and messages warning another woman about Platner years before his Senate campaign began. Platner disputes the allegation and maintains that it never occurred.
Democratic Leaders Bolt
The reaction from Democratic leaders was swift.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the allegations “incredibly disturbing,” adding that “violence, abuse and sexual assault are absolutely unacceptable.”
Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand jointly declared, “Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins.”
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also announced it would not invest in the race if Platner remained the nominee.
The Maine Democratic Party likewise urged Platner to withdraw immediately.
Rep. Ro Khanna withdrew his endorsement, stating, “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.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego rescinded his endorsement, writing that the allegations were “troubling and deeply serious.”
Democratic Senate candidate Alex Vindman called the allegations “extremely serious, disturbing, and disqualifying.”
Rep. Haley Stevens was equally direct, saying simply, “Graham Platner must step aside.”
Even Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had been one of Platner’s strongest political supporters throughout the campaign, has watched his progressive ally become politically isolated as prominent Democrats abandoned the candidate.
Meanwhile, television host Ana Navarro of ABC’s “The View” argued that Democrats should respond differently than Republicans have in past scandals, saying that if the allegations are credible, Platner should leave the race rather than be defended for partisan reasons.
A Candidate Already Burdened by Controversy
The rape allegation did not emerge in a political vacuum.
Platner had already weathered allegations involving abusive behavior toward former partners, infidelity, inflammatory online comments, a tattoo resembling a Nazi-linked symbol, controversial statements about the military, and describing himself as a communist. Despite those controversies, many Democratic leaders continued supporting his campaign because they believed he represented their best opportunity to defeat Collins.
That political calculation appears to have changed almost overnight.
Platner responded by posting a video stating he was taking time to “reflect on the best path forward” while continuing to insist the allegations were false.
His campaign also argued that the accusations were coordinated by “out of state establishment operatives” and noted that the story appeared shortly before Maine’s July 13 deadline for replacing a nominee on the general election ballot if he withdraws.
A Quick Analysis
The timing of this story is impossible to ignore.
Under Maine law, Democrats can replace Platner with another nominee if he withdraws before the July 13 deadline. If these allegations had surfaced only a week later, party leaders likely would have had far fewer options and could have found themselves stuck with a severely damaged nominee heading into November.
That timing raises obvious political questions.
If Republican operatives were solely interested in maximizing political damage, waiting until after the replacement deadline would arguably have left Democrats with a far more difficult predicament. Instead, the allegations surfaced while Democratic leaders still have a clear procedural path to replace Platner if he steps aside.
One might conclude that the information was pushed by the Democrats. The fact that it came out on Democrat friendly Politico (which would have resisted a Republican driven story) makes it very likely that the Democrats wanted Platner out before it was too late.
Perhaps the greatest irony is not the timing itself, but the speed with which Platner’s political allies abandoned him. Democratic leaders tolerated months of damaging controversies because they believed he could win. Only after allegations emerged that threatened to make his candidacy politically unsustainable did many of those same figures rush for the exits.
And the mind-boggling part is that this bozo actually had a Nazi tattoo. And this did not scare off the Democrats.
I think when you evaluate what Dems did with Platner versus what you did with Paxton, we know where the bigger rats hide.
At least we dropped our endorsements, we demanded he quit the race. We, and he, has until Monday.
Over 250 Texas representatives have endorsed Paxton; they are mum. Trump has endorsed him and says “he’s a good man.”
He has a frickin’ Nazi tattoo! Doesn’t that mean anything to you guys? And now you are going to throw him out on a case that would never even begin to hold up in court just based on how she described it. Bottom line, he was losing in the polls and the Democrats smoked him so they could have a last shot. And you are not even embarassed.
Joe, actually, he has a covered NAZI tattoo.
But I concede the point he had it in 8/25 when he announced he was running, and removed it in 11/25. Obviously it meant something to Maine Democrats, of which I am not one, and obviously it meant something to him as well given he removed it. I am a moderate, I always preferred Mills, although too old to run.
I think Maine Democrats and his endorsers pulled back given the pile up of accusations, the latest of which seemed to hold up in court, at least by accumulation, i.e. quantity over quality. I think his immediate reaction, as well as I what the future to portend, tells us he thinks he’s cooked too. As well he should be.
Instead of responding to my comments, you avoid your truth and attack: “Bottom line, he was losing in the polls and the Democrats smoked him so they could have a last shot. (pure f-ing guess by Joe) And you are not even embarrassed (sic).” (why would I be embarrassed; I am not from Maine. You seem to be tagging me for the crimes, not of my father, but of all my second cousins…. It’s a stretch Joe that you use as a red herring deflection from my comments re: your approach on Paxton, as a party, and now, as an individual hiding behind a herring. Aren’t you embarrassed about holding back on the conclusion of my comment?
Not only Paxton in general, but let’s add in how you have overlooked Trump’s ties to Hitler starting with keeping his book on your King’s nightstand. Bet you overlook that as fake news too, well, we can achtung to that if you dare to respond.
What ties to Hitler you stupid bastard. Dunger is lying again
Sethsucksdung: The ones you overlooked. Trump mentions them. His wife talked about them. His staff noted them.
You have yet to prove me a liar which points that finger back to you being a fool who can’t tell lies from truth. Typical Trump trash.
As to your lies; you never say anything factual so not much chance. Just a name calling little twit.
Dunger you should Google the Trump store I north Myrtle Beach and check out the merchandise. It reminds me that you’re a lying untrustworthy non patriotic asshole and your party tried to kill him.
There is little doubt that Trump reveres some dictators as strongmen. There is little doubt that Trump uses Hitler’s words upon occasion. There is little doubt that Trump had Hitler’s book and talked up Hitler, used Hitler-like words on more than one occasion. As to Trump reading Hitler’s book(s), who knows. Who knows if Trump has read any books in decades. But there is little doubt that he knows some of the trigger words.
Sethspewsdung asks: “What ties to Hitler you stupid bastard. Dunger is lying again” proving his ignorance of grammar, ignorance of his own Felon King while stupid enough to call me a liar (and other low-life names, the defense mechanism of the brain-dead), a false accusation he has yet to prove. Many times over he has the fake accusation but he can never back it up. Folds like a cheap suit. But spew he do with all the value of a spent rubber. No good for anything. He is a complete idiot to even try.
Trump’s well-known “ties to Hitler” would begin with his ex-wife, Ivana Trump’s 1990 interview in Vanity where she stated that Trump kept Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf in a bedside cabinet.
A friend who gifted the volume to Trump later confirmed to Vanity that he gave him Hitler’s New World Order speech collection rather than Mein Kampf as a joke, but consider —- why did he consider that a joke for Trump?
At the time, when Trump was asked, he denied reading the speeches, stating, “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.” Say what?
Ivana said he certainly read it. It is a collection of speeches that highlight Hitler’s master communication style. Hmm.
Later when asked, Trump’s story changed with him saying: “Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of ‘Mein Kampf,’ and he’s a Jew.” Marty is not Jewish and the book was not Mein Kampf but Trump is not known for memory retention or reading.
Ivana Trump also told a friend that Trump’s cousin, John Walter “clicks his heels and says, ‘Heil Hitler,” when visiting Trump.
It appears that everyone beyond the idiot Seth knows this about Trump.
Today, Trump calls Democrats “vermin,” very Hitleresque and a very strange term in these modern times. Benito liked that one too. Good company for the Trumpster. What does one do with vermin: we know Hitler’s answer.
He claims immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” as if pure blood is better. Again, another nationalistic, fascist, Hitleresque statement that pre-empted the Holocaust. Sweet.
Trump at one time claimed: “They said Hitler said that,” and then he said it again. “It’s true. They’re destroying the blood of the country, they’re destroying the fabric of our country, and we’re going to have to get them out.” IOW, he knows what he’s doing is wrong and he does it again.
John Kelly reported that Trump in his first term said: “Why can’t you be like the German generals?” Oh yes, those were the days, old Seth. Kelly also reported that Trump said: “Hitler did some good things.” Ah, adulation, Trump to Hitler just like Sethie to Trump.
Trump once boasted to a Republican congressman that Angela Merkel told him there was “only one” leader in history who had attracted crowds as large as Trump. And he thought it a compliment. And sorry, Obama’s inauguration was larger than anything Trump. And No Kings etc. pushback is much larger than Trump push against.
I think Trump has denied Hitler three times. Got to be a record for a sitting President but equals the disciple Peter turning on Jesus before the cock crows. Just took Trump a few more cocks.
You don’t get a Nazi tattoo because you admire the way Hitler had the trains running on time.
No, but he’s like 21, drunk, with his buddies and who knows. Keeping it and covering it just after announcing candidacy is just one of many warnings missed in vetting.
But when it comes to vetting, you and your party overlook criminality, sexual abuse, cheating on taxes, felonies, defamation of women and more. Check out Hegseth’s weird crusade tats, Mace’s version of self flagellation tats, Boebert’s outdated tat, but you can’t see it all no matter how itty bitty the g-string, JFK had a couple, TR had the family crest, Fetterman’s nine dates of Braddock PA violent crimes is really strange. Especially considering sleepy Braddock.
There is a difference; we dump em; you elect them or give them great positions and power.
We will probably lose this race and I will be as proud of that as losing the soccer match. I don’t like cheaters. Who needs the asterisk. You do, apparently.