Assault Claims Force Platner To Drop In Maine, Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman Unleashes On Dems

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner announced Wednesday that he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race. The decision shutters an insurgent campaign that had withstood months of controversy before imploding over a sexual assault allegation, a development that imperils national Democrats’ attempts to regain power in Washington.

Platner’s exit comes on the heels of heavy pressure from within his own party, including a sharp public denunciation from Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman on Monday night.

Speaking with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on “The Ingraham Angle,” Fetterman labeled Platner a “dead man walking” politically and took aim at party figures who backed him.

“I would really call Bernie Sanders to apologize for pushing this kind of predator more than anyone,” Fetterman said during the broadcast. “He helped him elect—now apologize to the victims, especially the woman that claimed that he raped her.”

Fetterman also directed criticism at media figures and groups like “Pod Save America” for dismissing early reports about Platner’s behavior, adding, “Maybe they ought to apologize to the women that clearly they didn’t believe or they dismissed.”

During the Fox News segment, Ingraham aired a clip of the primary accuser from an interview with Jake Tapper, where she stated she came forward because “there are a lot of men in this world that are relying on the silence of women to be where they are.”

Fetterman commended the woman’s actions. “The woman that had the courage to come forward is identified as a progressive,” Fetterman said. “She said he raped me and came in my home without consent.” He refused to address the candidate directly, calling him a “trash bag” and warning that the situation “put the Senate majority path in serious risk.”

When announcing his withdrawal on Wednesday, Platner emphasized that his decision was not an admission of guilt. He also lashed out at national Democratic leaders who had called on him to step down, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

“People in D.C. need to stay in D.C.,” Platner said. “Decisions should not be made by people in places of political power.”

Platner stated that the process to replace him on the ballot must be “open, transparent and democratic” to reflect the values of his supporters.

The withdrawal forces a major reckoning for Democrats during a critical midterm election year. Maine is considered a vital battleground for control of the narrowly divided Senate, where Democrats are trying to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins while President Donald Trump remains broadly unpopular.

Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer who had never held elected office, was heavily championed by the progressive wing of the party over establishment favorite Gov. Janet Mills. Mills dropped out of the primary race in late April as progressive voters rallied behind Platner’s combative style.

In doing so, voters and progressive leaders overlooked a series of prior warning signs, including online postings dismissive of sexual assault and a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol. Shortly before Platner won the June 9 Democratic primary, reports also surfaced that he had exchanged sexually explicit messages with other women while married and had been physical with a former girlfriend during an argument.

Fetterman noted a pattern in the party’s candidate vetting, comparing Platner’s collapse to California Democrat Eric Swalwell, who exited a gubernatorial race earlier this year under similar circumstances.

“I know Democrats that have back-to-back endorsed and got all in on Swalwell. They were on the Platner train as well, too,” Fetterman said on Monday. “So maybe stop getting in bed with absolute dirtbags, someone like Platner.”