Yesterday, Graham Platner spent some time meeting with Democratic Senators in an attempt to reassure them that his latest sexting scandal was not going to escalate into something worse. This report from the Wall Street Journal is interesting for a number of reasons. For starters, Bernie Sanders, who is defending him loudly in public, seemed to have concerns in private.
In a private meeting Tuesday with some Senate Democrats, Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner attempted to quell growing concerns from some in the party that a string of negative revelations about his life had jeopardized his candidacy.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders asked Platner if any additional allegations would emerge against the embattled Democratic candidate, according to people familiar with the discussion. Platner said there weren’t any.
Meanwhile, Sen. Warren seemed eager to defend him. But notice what Platner says in response to her support about “rumors.”
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who also attended the meeting, followed up and said there is a big difference between marital issues and allegations of sexual assault, the people said. Platner agreed and denied any credible allegations of assault were forthcoming.
“It’s not a secret I’ve had a messy, complicated life,” he told the senators, one of the people said. “The worst of the rumors we’ve all heard are not true.”
I have lots of follow up questions, none of which were asked by any of the Democrats present. First, what rumors are we talking about? There have been a seemingly endless number of reports about Platner’s behavior since last year, but none of those really count as rumors at this point. He has owned all of the Reddit posts and the sexting and the tattoo. So, again, what rumors?
Also, notice how he hedges even this denial a bit. The worst or the rumors aren’t true but that sort of suggests some of the rumors are true.
And there definitely are rumors out there that something else could be waiting in the wings. What that is isn’t clear yet but there are suggestions today that it could be coming soon.
Per sources: Graham Platner’s campaign is now aware of the severity of the next round of information that will come out. Worse than Nazi tattoo. Worse than Reddit. Worse than ‘Predator’s Paradise.’
The emergency trip home had nothing to do with reporters at the house his dad… https://t.co/4xEt7wcUN6
— Steve Robinson (@SteveRob) June 3, 2026
Guy Benson has apparently heard the same rumors.
Have heard similar. https://t.co/XFc68xSxpb
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) June 3, 2026
As has the Daily Wire:
I’ve heard similar……….. https://t.co/coNnQkzfli
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) June 3, 2026
Even our own Ed Morrissey has apparently heard it through the grapevine.
Jibes with what I’ve heard, but to be clear, I’ve heard it on the REO Speedwagon circuit: Heard it it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another …. https://t.co/g2W58f4Gqy
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) June 3, 2026
There are some bad rumors out there.
Word had it, it’s coming from a typically friendly source, too. https://t.co/sfFDUctUIM
— Emily Zanotti 🦝 (@emzanotti) June 3, 2026
Yup. If what we heard is true, this new Platner Scandal is going to be far worse than anything we have seen yet. https://t.co/W12HV8MVS7
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) June 3, 2026
If that were all, it would be easy to dismiss this as, well, just rumors. But there are also reports today that Platner changed his plans abruptly to rush back to Maine for some damage control after NY Post reporters showed up to talk to his family.
Platner pulled out of a planned event with VoteVets and is leaving DC early and returning to Maine because NYP reporters showed up to his in laws house and family restaurant, per sources familiar
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) June 3, 2026
Confirming reporting by @igorbobic. Platner is leaving DC, canceling NY events, and heading back to Maine after NY Post showed up at his mom’s restaurant and at his mother in law’s house, per a source familiar.
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) June 3, 2026
I’m really just assuming the two things are connected and they may not be. Maybe the rumors everyone has heard and the newspaper poking around his family are not connected. Maybe the NY Post is following up something different.
We’ll have to wait and see but at this moment Platner’s promise that there won’t be any more shoes dropping doesn’t seem likely to hold true for very long. And really, he’s made this claim before and it turned out to be false. So my guess is we still haven’t hit rock bottom with Graham Platner.
Earlier this month, Pervert Graham Platner was asked by Pakistani Islamist Mehdi Hassan if anything else would come out between now and November, to which Platner responded: “No. We put everything out there. Republicans are going to lie, make things up, use AI and dirty tricks.”… pic.twitter.com/SQKeUG75kw
— Bad Hombre (@Badhombre) May 31, 2026
Update: From a frequent Platner critic.
Look, @grahamformaine is lying. I can’t tell you everything I know even though I want to. My vagueness is deliberate to protect people. That said, it’s coming & he’s going to probably behave like he has been this entire time and say something trumpian like “fake news” or “she’s a…
— Chef Joe Gera 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇮🇹 (@redhotnerd) June 4, 2026
Look, @grahamformaine is lying. I can’t tell you everything I know even though I want to. My vagueness is deliberate to protect people. That said, it’s coming & he’s going to probably behave like he has been this entire time and say something trumpian like “fake news” or “she’s a liar” or whatever the fuck. He’s full of shit; and if he does that? Worse is behind it. I begged him to tell the truth, and I’m doing it again now. Tell the truth. If you lie about this, it’s gonna get worse.
And maybe throw in a few “the establishments” and “they just want me gone” or “it’s a total hoax”. Like Kavanaugh. Or “I’ve really made mistakes and It was the worst part of my life” (used for the like third time). I’m serious this exactly how people like this behave.
— Chef Joe Gera 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇮🇹 (@redhotnerd) June 4, 2026
From a Democratic strategist.
Umm yeah, not trying to disclose everything I do, but YES there is more on Platner and anyone saying there isn’t is 100% gaslighting you. https://t.co/sjFDk89M5l
— Michael Trujillo (@mikehtrujillo) June 3, 2026
So what are the rumors. I don’t know but this is what Erick Erickson said about it a couple days ago.
Here’s what I know about the allegations coming against Graham Platner. pic.twitter.com/JO3EjCz1fM
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) June 1, 2026
More to come.
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