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The loudest Democratic critics of the \u201cEpstein class\u201d continue to carve out exceptions for Senate candidate Graham Platner, despite new revelations that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with many women and maintained an active profile on a platform notorious for enabling sexual predators.<\/span><\/p>\n Over the weekend, The Daily Wire exclusively reported<\/a> that Platner created an account on the Kik platform, which the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has described as a \u201cpredator\u2019s paradise.\u201d The revelation followed another weekend disclosure that his wife, Amy Gertner, previously flagged messages that her oyster farmer husband exchanged sexually explicit texts with as many as a dozen women.<\/span><\/p>\n The one-two punch<\/a> sent national Democrats \u2014 who view Maine as their best shot to flip the U.S. Senate \u2014 into defense mode.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve not followed this story as others have, but Graham Platner is somebody who served our country, he\u2019s served his community; he\u2019s also made mistakes and he\u2019s admitted that,\u201d Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said when asked about Platner\u2019s character.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCharacter also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country. And this race is going to be a contrast between somebody who has put his life on the line for this country, against somebody <\/span>who is literally empowering the moral hollowing-out of our nation from the White House,\u201d he added.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When asked whether Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner passes the \u201ccharacter test,\u201d after CBS confirmed reporting that Platner’s wife told his campaign about sexually explicit texts he sent to other women, Sen Chris Murphy (D-CT) says Platner has lived a life of\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/coKBizY1aD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Murphy\u2019s deflection of Platner\u2019s misconduct follows months of the Connecticut Democrat railing against the “Epstein class” as a pretext to oppose the Trump administration.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Epstein class’s kids won’t die in this war. Poor families’ kids will. Billionaires won’t suffer. Middle class families will pay more for everything,” he said in March.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In November 2025, a more definitive <\/span>Murphy accused President Donald Trump of being in \u201cdaily panic mode\u201d over the release of the Epstein files, calling it the \u201cbiggest scandal in presidential history.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cClearly, Donald Trump was at the center of a child sex ring. That is heartbreaking that the president of the United States was involved in that kind of gross, craven immorality,\u201d <\/span>he said to The Bulwark\u2019s Sam Stein.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n .@samstein<\/a>: \u201cWhat is your take on how this is playing out and why he\u2019s acting in an incredibly guilty fashion?\u201d@ChrisMurphyCT<\/a>: \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t be acting this way if he wasn\u2019t so deeply worried about what sits in those files\u2026Clearly, Donald Trump was at the center of a child sex\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/EuRUKMEh36<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) November 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who teamed up with defeated Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to push for Epstein-related disclosures, doubled down on his support for Platner.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>I am proud of<\/span> @grahamformaine<\/span><\/a> for having the character to stand up against the war in Iran, against genocide, and against an unfair & lopsided economy,\u201d he posted on social media. \u201cI am proud of him for having a vision for a new deal for our time. Excited to campaign with him June 5!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Platner\u2019s scandal-ridden campaign, which has already faced intense scrutiny over his Nazi tattoo, his mocking of a wounded American soldier, and derogatory social media posts about women, doesn\u2019t appear to be worrying other progressives down the ballot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A smiling Matt Dunlap, the Democrat running in Maine\u2019s red-leaning 2nd congressional district, said Monday that he still backs Platner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n GROSS: Maine Democrat Matt Dunlap says he still supports Graham Platner, exposed for his Nazi tattoo, cheating on his wife & using a notorious “predator’s paradise” app.@dunlap4congress<\/a> says he thinks this makes for \u201ca good senator.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/KQ2yM445r7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NRCC (@NRCC) June 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Khanna endorsed Dunlap<\/a> in April, calling him a \u201c<\/span>progressive champion\u201d who supports \u201cholding the Epstein class accountable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n On CNN, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) dismissed concerns that Platner is suitable to serve in the upper chamber.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, he certainly has many good attributes. He has a great background. He comes to this issue with strength, both of personality and determination, as well as history. But, like most everybody, there are stumbles along the way, and there’s some things that he regrets having done, and I’m sure the public will hear about them,\u201d Garamendi said.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A strategic divide appears to be deepening between elected Democratic officials eager to take back power and a left-leaning commentary class focused on the party\u2019s broader brand.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd I will say, as a Democrat, I find it really problematic when we stand by people who do not pass muster when it comes to some basic judgment and moral values. We stand by them because they’re on our side. How is that different than Republicans doing the same thing? I find it really problematic,\u201d Democratic activist Lauren Leader-Chivee said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Leader-Chivee<\/span> appeared to predict defeat before the November matchup between Graham Platner and Susan Collins began.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was a long shot to begin with, to think that Democrats are going to take out Susan Collins. She’s been there since 1996. The polls are wrong every single cycle. She [has] extraordinary resilience,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd now you have this very problematic guy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Democratic activist Lauren Leader-Chivee (@laurenleaderAIT<\/a>) on Graham Platner: “How are we different than Republicans” if we stand by him “just because he\u2019s on our side?” pic.twitter.com\/EGIcb4OExq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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