Democrats begin pulling endorsements for Graham Platner after sexual assault allegation
A slew of Democratic lawmakers and public figures have begun withdrawing endorsements of Graham Platner after a report that a woman accused him of sexual assault.
Democratic senator Ruben Gallego called the allegations “troubling and deeply serious” in a social media post, adding that he will rescind his endorsement.
Former Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile said that “it’s time for Mr. Platner to step aside and be replaced by July 13th”.
Representative Ro Khanna called the allegations “very serious and credible”, also calling on Platner to drop out from the race. “I am withdrawing my endorsement,” Khanna wrote in a post on X.
As of Monday, Platner had canceled a handful of campaign town halls planned in Maine.
Key events
Chuck Schumer, the US Senate’s top Democrat, and chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, senator Kirsten Gillibrand, said in a joint statement that the allegations of sexual assault against Graham Platner “are incredibly disturbing”.
“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”, reads the statement. “The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.”
The Republican National Committee called the allegations against the Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner “horrifying”.
“These allegations are horrifying and describe, in clear and graphic detail, something no woman should be forced to experience”, said RNC spokesperson Kristen Cianci. “The more layers of Graham Platner’s past emerge, the more irrefutable his pattern of violent, disgusting behavior becomes”.
Maine Democratic Party leadership calls for Graham Platner to withdraw from Senate race
The Maine Democratic Party leadership called for Graham Platner to withdraw from the US Senate race after a woman accused him of sexual assault in a story published by Politico.
“Maine Democratic Party leadership takes seriously our responsibility to hold every candidate who seeks to represent our state to the highest standard,” reads a statement signed by chair Charlie Dingman, vice-chair Imke Schessler, and executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson. “Over the past several weeks, multiple women have made serious, credible allegations against Graham Platner. Today’s statements take those allegations even further.”
“Maine Democratic Party leadership is calling on Graham Platner to withdraw as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate,” reads the statement. “The Maine Democratic Party leadership stands with women and survivors, and that principle does not bend based on party affiliation. We respect the women who made the hard decision to come forward. Speaking up is often costly.”
It continues: “We are entrusted with deciding who represents our values and who carries our banner. That responsibility requires judgment, leadership, and a willingness to act when circumstances demand it.”
“This Senate race comes at a pivotal moment in the struggle against a government, supported by Senator Collins, that serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary Maine people,” said Dingman, Schessler, and Murphy-Anderson on Monday. “It is essential that we refocus this campaign on that struggle”.
Democrats begin pulling endorsements for Graham Platner after sexual assault allegation
A slew of Democratic lawmakers and public figures have begun withdrawing endorsements of Graham Platner after a report that a woman accused him of sexual assault.
Democratic senator Ruben Gallego called the allegations “troubling and deeply serious” in a social media post, adding that he will rescind his endorsement.
Former Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile said that “it’s time for Mr. Platner to step aside and be replaced by July 13th”.
Representative Ro Khanna called the allegations “very serious and credible”, also calling on Platner to drop out from the race. “I am withdrawing my endorsement,” Khanna wrote in a post on X.
As of Monday, Platner had canceled a handful of campaign town halls planned in Maine.
Walmart will lower prices for ground beef and “many other products” at the request of the Trump administration, according to a Truth Social post by the US president.
According to a statement from the retailer, other products such as red cherries, sodas, and potato chips will also see a price drop.
“I have just been informed that one of the biggest, best, and smartest Retailers in America, Walmart, will be lowering prices, by a lot, at my Administration’s request to celebrate our great Country’s 250th birthday,” Trump wrote on Monday. “Walmart will, in particular, be dropping the price for a pound of ground beef by almost 15%, among many other products”.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, ground beef prices were $6.75 a pound in May, a 12% increase from the same time last year.
End Citizens United, a campaign finance reform group, has pulled its endorsement of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner following Politico’s report of sexual assault allegations against him. The group also called for Platner to withdraw from the race.
“The allegations reported today are profoundly disturbing and disqualifying,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller in a statement. “The conduct described is fundamentally inconsistent with the standards we expect from the candidates we support. No candidate, elected official, or political party is exempt from accountability.”
“It takes immense bravery to speak out in such a high-profile case, and we offer our full support to Jenny Racicot for sharing her story,” Muller added. “We stand in solidarity with her and all the courageous women who have come forward to hold Graham accountable.”
“We believe the best path forward for Maine Democrats is to move quickly to nominate a candidate who can earn voters’ trust and who will center their campaign on ethical leadership, accountability, and fighting corruption,” reads Muller’s statement.
My colleagues, Shrai Popat and Rachel Leingang, report that the allegations against Graham Platner, who faces the Republican senator Susan Collins in the general election, come after he has already faced a series of scandals.
Platner has cast himself as a populist everyman with an anti-oligarchy message. Before his run for public office, he made controversial comments on social media and got a Nazi-aligned tattoo, which has since been covered up.
Platner has said he did not initially understand the meaning of the tattoo.
Platner denies sexual assault allegation in social media video, says campaign will ‘reflect’ on ‘best path forward’
On social media, Graham Platner has denied the sexual assault allegation by a former partner reported by Politico.
“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” the Democratic nominee for Maine’s Senate seat said in a direct-to-camera message.
While Platner deemed the reporting inaccurate, he said that his campaign was “mindful of the political reality” that the accusation “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,” he added.
It’s worth noting that should Democrats decide to replace Platner as the party’s nominee in the Maine Senate race, Platner would have to drop out by 5pm ET on 13 July, according to state law. The Democratic party will then have a two-week window – until 27 July – to select a replacement candidate.
Some top Democratic commentators have already called on the beleageured nominee to step down. “Platner needs time to heal, focus on his family and well-being. Enough. Enough,” said Donna Brazile, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Politico’s report also notes that Racicot was initially apprehensive coming forward about her alleged experience of sexual assault because she supports Platner’s politics.
“I just want the truth out there. I just want people to have a whole scope of who he is as a person,” she told the outlet.
Racicot noted that she initially connected with Platner on the dating-app Bumble in 2019, and had a consensual relationship with him before the alleged 2021 assault. On that night, she says she told Platner not to visit, but later found he had entered her unlocked home.
She alleges an intoxicated Platner ignored her repeated protests, ultimately following her into her bedroom where he forced her to have sex without protection. The next morning, Platner reportedly claimed he had no memory of the encounter, and Racicot then ordered him to leave. She eventually cut off all contact with Platner after she got her period to ensure she wasn’t pregnant.
Embattled Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner accused of sexual assault – report
Graham Platner, the controversial Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, has been accused of sexual assault, according to an exclusive report by Politico.
A woman who dated the oyster farmer and former marine veteran alleges he forced her to have sex nearly five years ago despite repeated objections. Platner denies the claims.
Jenny Racicot, 41, told the outlet that she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner for over two years. She alleges that in late 2021, an intoxicated Platner entered her home uninvited and forced himself on her. Racicot stated she terminated contact after the encounter.
Platner rejected the allegations in a statement.
“These allegations are troubling, serious, and false. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue,” he said.
The report cited corroborating accounts from a man Racicot later confided in, as well as therapist emails and messages where she warned an acquaintance about Platner years before his Senate run.
At Tyler James Robinson’s preliminary hearing in Provo, Utah, Donald Trump Jr and far-right influencer Jack Posobiec joined Erika Kirk and other members of Charlie Kirk’s family in the courtroom, as prosecutors laid out the case against the accused 23-year-old gunman.
My colleague Dani Anguiano reports that the prosecution told the judge that they plan to show several videos of the shooting in court. Kirk’s family members left the courtroom shortly after the first witness began speaking.
The hearing kicked off on Monday with testimony from Chris Bagley, a former Utah Valley University police officer. Bagley described the moments leading up to the shooting, and hearing a loud gunshot.
“Everybody kind of got up. A lot of people were screaming and starting to run in all different directions,” Bagley told the courtroom.
The police officer searched for additional victims, but finding none, moved to contain the scene to preserve evidence, he said. Police initially believed they had the shooter in custody.
After observing that a nearby building had a direct line of sight to where Kirk was speaking at the time he was shot, Bagley said he went to the building’s rooftop where he saw evidence that he believed indicated a sniper had been there, including a “disturbance” in the gravel.
