Some of Graham Platner’s most prominent supporters urged him to drop out of Maine’s Senate race Monday after new sexual assault allegations emerged.
Namely, “Pod Save America” co-hosts Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor took to X on Monday and called on Platner to exit the race, while voicing their support for the alleged victim, Jenny Racicot, after she accused the candidate of sexual assault in a new Politico report.
“Platner needs to drop out ASAP — these are awful, credible allegations,” Favreau wrote. “Said on the pod after the (also credible) June NYT story that his biggest problem going forward would be credibility. It’s now abundantly clear that he just hasn’t been honest about his past and can’t be trusted as a candidate for office. Saving grace is that the party can find a replacement by the 27th as long as he drops by the 13th, which I very much assume he will.”
This message came two months after Favreau vocally backed Platner as the “best and only chance to beat Susan Collins,” and praised the senate hopeful as “a good, decent man who’s struggled and grown and is always trying to do better.”
Vietor shared a similar denouncement in his own X post, writing Monday, “This story is really bad, well-documented and credible, and obviously the right course of action for Platner is to drop out as soon as possible so that Maine democrats can get a replacement on the ballot.”
Yet, they are not the only notable names to withdraw support of Platner following Politico’s bombshell report. Left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker, who also initially backed Platner’s candidacy, called the allegations “completely irredeemable” in a Monday livestream.
“That is curtains. That is the trifecta,” Piker added during the livestream. “Okay, that is the trifecta of a reliable allegation.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) also walked back his support of Platner on Monday, writing in a statement shared 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.”
Platner’s campaign has faced a number of scandals in recent months, including allegations of an extramarital sexting, physical misconduct and offensive remarks.
“Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend,” Platner said this past spring. “I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated.”
Though, he responded to the July assault allegations with a video message on X, in which he called the claims “troubling, serious and false.”
“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue,” he said before thanking his supporters.
“So regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the 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,” he added. “Those were the goals when we launched this campaign and they remain my goals today.”
This response didn’t appease many online, with numerous others criticizing Platner in the wake of the scandal. (Though, prolific horror writer and Maine resident Stephen King notably encouraged Platner to stay in the race.)
For a full round up of reactions, keep reading.
